Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye

Having just had the standard rye whiskey from Hard Truth, I had done enough research to find the other new whiskey products that they were releasing, and was really excited to see that this was a part of it. Especially so given how rare sweet mash is, but at least they are proper enough to give it an extreme percentage of rye, as it should be. I resigned to never being able to find it in the shithole that is Ohio, but I luckily found myself out of state for business (and confirmed my new credit card works), and found this among my gains. Even though I did confirm that this is not Straight No Chaser's brand (just a collaboration for one of their shows in the past), a barrel proof proper rye did sound like a great improvement from the original rye whiskey (and a proper 115 proof, none of that 105 "barrel proof" garbage). However, for $72 a bottle (and "on sale," no less), the expectations are incredibly high. After all, being a small distillery does not automatically allow you to charge a premium for your whiskey without justifying it; there is no substitute for time, and having the "dumped on" date but not the barreled date is not a good start. The scent starts out quite nicely, and very simple. The rye grain is very potent, both from abundance and ABV, with notes of cinnamon, mint, citrus, and a decent amount of red berries. I can tell the spiciness will easily (and thankfully) enter the gums when tasted, but I'm very curious about the lighter notes that are very much not typically found in other rye whiskies. As predicted, the initial flavor is quite hot, with the cinnamon spice overpowering the mint "spice," although this is still present as it attacks the gums, but doesn't dig that deep. The rye grain transitions to a floral flavor after a few seconds, with a bit of citrus floating around, but the sweet/sour berry note on the nose is now missing. The finish is pretty short, given that the floral and citrus notes are too light to be drawn out. However, after a few quick sips back to back, the spices from the gums seem to "release" back into the mouth, rounding out the final flavors with more familiar rye notes. Additionally, this is the first place that I taste oak, most of which is from a lighter barrel char, but compliments the lighter notes of the taste; I wish this was more present during the actual tasting notes. Empty glass scent includes a warmer cinnamon, like from a cobbler, more citrus and mint, and a small touch of raw melon, like cantelope or honeydew. This is actually a cool, fairly unique rye whiskey, especially with the floral, berry, and citrus notes that I have yet to really find in another rye whiskey. Since the age is quite young, it seems the high proof is the only thing that gives this particular rye the more familiar spicy mouth feel, so this was probably the best choice of bottling strength. I'd love to continue supporting this whiskey and continue buying it, especially since each batch will be fairly different from each other, given the sweet mash, but this is definitely not $72 good. If this price point continues, this will be my final bottle purchased from this distillery, until the price point becomes more competitive, or until the age more accurately reflects the monetary amount demanded.

This whisky is copper colored in the glass. It cost me $69.99 for a fifth at the Mountain Run location of Kelly Liquors here in Albuquerque. It's 117.6 proof, and the age statement - in fine print on the back - says AGED: OVER 2 YEARS OLD. It also says it's DISTILLED IN INDIANA, but since Hard Truth is in Nashville, IN that doesn't tell us whether it's from MGP or it's from Hard Truth's own stills. With such a young age, I'm inclined to think it's the latter (it doesn't, by the way, taste young). [edit] I realized later that the bottom strip on the front of the bottle settles this question. It says that the whisky is MASHED, DISTILLED & AGED IN CHARRED, AMERICAN OAK BARRELS/BROWN COUNTY, INDIANA. This means that it is Hard Truth's own juice. [end edit] The mash bill is 94% rye and 6% barley, which is close to, but not identical with, the famous MGP rye mash bill that Sagamore Spirit and Bulleit (and no doubt others) have used. NOSE: Cool spring water, brown sugar, honey butter, cinnamon rolls, Dove milk chocolate, chocolate cake, and something buttery and savory that I can't identify. I have the distinct impression that there's a lot more in the nose that I couldn't sort out - I kept going back and going back, even after I began sipping, and I never was satisfied that I was discerning all it had to offer. MOUTHFEEL: Slightly creamy. TASTE: I have learned that when I find a lot on the nose two things will be true - I won't be able to get nearly as much on the palate, and I'll like it. Both are true here. On the palate I get dark brown sugar, milk chocolate, cinnamon, melted butter, and a pure sugary note that makes me think of rock candy. FINISH: The finish is on the short end of medium, and gives me mint (the first time I've ever gotten that note, even from a rye), eucalyptus, and a tinge of oak. The finish is more pleasant than this description indicates - I really enjoy it, and wish it would keep going. SUMMARY: This is an extremely good rye whisky. It's almost as good as Sagamore Spirit, and it's not as aggressive with the rye notes as Sagamore is. Someone who likes bourbon and likes proof, but isn't a big fan of rye, could very well enjoy this stuff. That describes me, and I really like this. RATING: My hick scale, as I've mentioned before, has eight levels, and 1 is the lowest. This whisky gets the seventh level, Right Fine. That's the same as 4.375 stars, or 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.

Full details - Rackhouse #1, Batch 2, dumped 11/23/21, and 116 Proof...nose is light (as is the body) - corn and a nutty note emerge quickly giving me a feel of a light whiskey, but a few deeper inhalations produces more of the rye spice...including some grassiness and lemony citrus, and there's surely some ethanol at the backend. Interesting...I can see how this could be polarizing (and, to be honest, confusing), but its unique at any rate. Flavor starts off a bit on the hot side of the spectrum - definitely some cinnamon, before some of the spice and citrus emerge. While a bit of water doesn't do much to change the profile, a bit of glass time brings out a bit more on the palate. So, this is on the sweeter end of the spectrum for rye whiskey pours, and admittedly it does feel a bit youthful at times, so I understand a bit of the criticism. A touch of oak at the initial sip, but it fades quickly, and the finish isn't particuarly long, which is a bit surprising for the proof. I've warmed up to this pour over time, appreciating the unique qualities, but recognize that it isn't the best value pour on the market right now. Now, I've nipped the KY Sweet Mash, and look forward to rating that down the road...

Rackhouse 002 Batch #10 Batch Size 30 Barrels Dumped on 2/6/24 120.6 Proof Aroma - Youthful. Quite a bit of fruit coming through.. Sweet apples, strawberries, even touch of citrus. Oak coming up towards the back. Taste - Nose transfers to the palate here quite a bit. But there is a more pronounced brown sugar note along with quite a bit of butterscotch. Also getting chocolate and toffee. The mid-palate is exceptional. So much of those awesome sweet dark tones but then the alcohol becomes overly aggressive on the finish which detracts that great mid-palate profile. The finish also has a nice bubblegum rye note that comes through. Hug is significant. Overall - Priced appropriately in my honest opinion. Nice bottle to have, has a unique flavor profile too. I’ve tried the Master Distillers select and that was outstanding. This one falls a little short just due the alcohol being so aggressive. But this bottle variations, a 115ish proof could be really damn good.

MASH BILL 1 RACKHOUSE // No.1 BATCH # // 002 BATCH SIZE // 30 barrels DUMPED ON // 11/23/21 PROOF // 116 ABV // 58 NEAT NOSE - Green Apple, Green Jolly Rancher, and Honey PALATE - Pretty sweet with the a touch of spice. The green apple and honey come through nicely on the palate. It isn’t very deep or bold in flavor and the youth is apparent. Otherwise, still pretty good. FINISH - Long, surprisingly. The finish is full of green apple skins, nothing more. It’s very smooth for its proof and a nice sipper. BUY? - Yes. The price is up there considering it’s age but I love supporting craft and I’m excited to see where they take this with age. BUY AGAIN? - I’d be interested in some store picks if I come across them and especially future batches as this stuff gets older.

Quite evocative on the nose, with a spice driven profile that instantly shouts “rye”. The first sip features sharp rye characteristics. Bready, grainy, peppery, chewy and held together by the vanilla/caramel cohesion of the barrel. But, there is also a fruity sweetness here. Like baked apples with brown sugar. As the flavor progresses, notes of cocoa, and lightly roasted coffee bean come into play, leaving the palate with a dry finish. As an aside, we love the design of this bottle and the beautiful cork. Really a thoughtful and artistic ensemble. Hard Truth has a real winner here for rye lovers. Time for a Sazerac cocktail!