Heaven Hill Distillery was the first fully operational distillery to return to Louisville, Kentucky’s Whiskey Row since Prohibition. Unlike its sister Bernheim Distillery a few miles down the road that produces well north of 1,000 barrels of whiskey per day the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience produces one barrel per day on its 750-gallon Vendome Copper & Brass Works copper pot still.
The Evan Williams Bourbon Experience started distilling operations in 2013. Close to 10 years later, this is only the second release from the barrel a day distillery. Their first release was a high-rye bourbon that came out in May of 2021. This latest release is what Artisanal Master Distiller Jodie Filiatreau calls a high-rye rye whiskey.
Square 6 Rye vs. Traditional Heaven Hill Rye Mashbill
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The Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey mashbill consists of 63% Rye, 24% Corn, and 13% Malted Barley, a new recipe under the Heaven Hill portfolio. Filiatreau distills one barrel of American Whiskey per day at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and is continually crafting innovative mashbills and tweaking the hand-crafted process for each new recipe.
This exclusive Rye Whiskey differentiates itself from Heaven Hill’s traditional Rye Whiskey mashbill of 51% Rye, 35% Corn and 14% Malted Barley, which is why it is designated as a High-Rye Rye Whiskey. This is Heaven Hill’s first product to bear such a high Rye content and is bottled at 95 proof, the same at last year’s Square 6 bourbon release. For comparison purposes last year’s Square 6 bourbon had a mashbill consisting of 52% corn, 35% rye and 13% malted barley.
“Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey is a totally unique product, not only because of its high rye content, but also because of how it is hand-crafted on a copper pot still,” said Jodie Filiatreau, Artisanal Distiller at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience. “We are excited for whiskey lovers to add this latest Square 6 release to their collections and for them to enjoy a new Heaven Hill mashbill.”
Square 6 Rye Tasting Notes
For rye fans that are used to the traditional Heaven Hill rye whiskey they can expect something totally different from this new rye. The two share the same yeast but that’s about it. With different mashbills and pot still vs. column still rye whiskey fans are in for something completely different.
This rye whiskey went into the barrel at 125 proof (relatively high for an artisanal whiskey) and was aged for 5.8 years on the 5th floor of Warehouse Y (built circa 1971) in Nelson County. There was a total of 24 barrels used in this bottling.
Tasting notes from Filiatreau and the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience tasting crew say this high-rye rye whiskey comes with notes of black tea, sweet honey, fig and molasses on the nose, along with all spice, pepper, vanilla and cardamom on the palate. They suggest that for a true taste different try this new rye release along side last years bourbon release to tell the real difference in mashbills.
The Square 6 series pays homage to the original plot of land that housed Kentucky’s first commercial distillery, on part of which the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience sits.
The Square 6 High-Rye Rye Whiskey bottled at 95 proof (47.5% ABV) limited release is available now in small quantities at the Evan Williams Bourbon Experience and available at select Kentucky retailers for a suggested retail price of $89.99.
Related Story
8 Years In, Evan Williams Bourbon Experience on Whiskey Row Releases ‘Square 6’ its 1st Ever Bourbon Whiskey
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