KINGS COUNTY BARREL STRENGTH EMPIRE RYE 6YR

As our barrel-strength offerings have gained acclaim, we’ve had the opportunity to further refine just what it is that has made those releases among our most coveted. While a high proof point is undeniably one element of the equation, we also believe that the oil-rich, heavy-bodied quality of our pot distillate and highly attentive blending are essential to maintaining complexity, drinkability, and nuance as the age, proof, and oak profile of a whiskey increases. After evaluating our inventory of Empire Rye in preparation for this year’s annual blend, the blending team determined that the bulk of our Rye inventory had matured — and concentrated — in ways that resembled many of our best cask-strength bourbon offerings. As so, beginning with this eighth batch of our Empire Rye — our first with a three-year age statement — our annual releases will be bottled at barrel strength. Whereas last year’s multiple-award-winning Batch #7 aimed, first and foremost, to articulate the inherent complexity of our New York-grown Danko rye, this year’s Batch #8 emphasizes the complexities also gained through lengthier small-format barrel maturation. Featuring a diverse split of 10-, 15-, and 53-gallon barrels between the ages of 3 and 6 years old, Barrel Strength Empire Rye Batch #8 opens with a nose of rum-soaked raisin, structured oak, maple, vanilla, and cinnamon. The rich and layered palate features further familiar dark-fruit notes of fig and date cake, while an array of baking spices — black pepper, most notably – elegantly balance the sweetness through the finish. With a small addition of water, notes of clove, allspice, and pomegranate become more prominent.