Disclosure: This sample was given to me by Infuse Spirits for review.
Broken Barrel Heresy Rye Whiskey Batch 008
Specs
ABV: 52.5%
Age: Minimum 1 year before finishing
Recipe: 95% rye, 5% malted barley and infused with a custom barrel stave “Oak Bill”
Distiller: Undisclosed distillery in Owensboro Kentucky (Green River Distillery)
Country/Region: America/Kentucky
Price Paid (MSRP): N/A ($35)
Tasting Notes
Nose: Bready with cocoa and black cherry. Nutmeg, allspice, and cinnamon baking spices, orange peel, and dark oak. It’s musty with a lot going on from the barrel staves.
Palate: Very thick and chewy mouth feel, rye bread, chocolate, oak, orange and cherry.
Finish: Short to medium finish, drying with more cocoa and cherry.
Rating: 67/100 – Good | Better than average
A really fun and unique rye. The barrel staves dominate the whiskey, with the high rye mash only appearing occasionally to offer some traditional spice notes. The stave types that Broken Barrel chose work well here. The final product isn’t entirely cohesive, but the general theme of a dark and desserty rye is hard to miss. Bottling at 105 proof was a smart decision and allows the thick chewiness of the palate to come through without bringing too much heat.
In the future I’d be interested in trying a release that focuses a bit more on the base rye and takes a lighter approach to stave finishing but this is good stuff and at $35 is priced well. I’m looking forward to seeing what else Broken Barrel can do with their infusion technique.
Additional Info
Infused with barrel staves from the following Oak Bill recipe:
40% – Ex-Bourbon Cask Staves
40% – New French Oak Staves
20% – Sherry Cask Staves
