When Kevin Plank, the assured founder of sports apparel powerhouse Under Armour, set his sights on whiskey back in 2012, it wasn’t just another bold business move—rather it was a love letter to his home state’s long forgotten rye heritage. Plank, along with partner Bill McDermott, wanted to invest in Maryland in a way that resonated with the region’s past. Their inspiration? The limestone-rich spring at Sagamore Farm, a thoroughbred horse racing estate Plank had purchased in 2007.

That spring water—long prized in whiskey-making—sparked research that led them to uncover Maryland’s once-booming rye industry. Before Prohibition, more than 40 distilleries thrived in the state, their spicy, full-bodied ryes renowned across the country. By the 1970s, they were all gone, casualties of war, changing tastes (aka the infamous whiskey crash) and consolidation. So Plank and McDermott saw a chance to resurrect rye in Charm City with Sagamore Spirits.

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The early days were about building a foundation. While they steadied themselves, and built their distillery in Baltimore’s Port Covington neighborhood, Sagamore Spirit initially sourced whiskey from Indiana’s MGP. One of the largest rye producers in America, renowned for their 95% rye / 5% malted barley mash bill, MGP’s recipe built labels like Templeton, Bulleit, High West and Redemption, while also being used by the likes of Angel’s Envy, Smooth Ambler, George Dickel and more. 

From the beginning, however, one of the ways Sagamore distinguished itself was utilizing a unique mash bill philosophy. Instead of leaning solely on MGP’s now-classic “high-rye” 95% rye, Sagamore uses two recipes—adding a “low rye” (52% rye, 43% corn, 5% malted barley) to the mix. By blending this other rye that hovers close to a bourbon in its high-corn grain bill, Sagamore creates a whiskey with rye’s spice but also a softer, sweeter profile. “We’re trying to educate the consumer,” Ryan Norwood, the brand’s Vice President of Operations, tells Maxim. “At the same time we’re trying to bring bourbon drinkers into rye.”

Those barrels gave the fledgling brand a foundation while their own Baltimore distillery took shape. In 2017, steel and copper finally met in Sagamore’s Patapsco River waterfront home, and the brand began laying down its own whiskey—mostly replicas of those twin MGP high- and low-rye whiskeys which built the Sagamore name. But the team made a deliberate choice: instead of flipping a switch, they slowly transitioned, blending their own whiskey into the MGP juice until Sagamore’s flagship Small Batch and Cask Strength expressions were fully Maryland-made—an achievement the former only achieved last year, and latter earlier this year.

That approach comes to full expression in Sagamore’s latest Reserve Series release: a 10-Year Rye, bottled at just over 110 proof (55.4% ABV). Made from some of the earliest MGP stock Sagamore ever purchased, the whiskey is both a farewell and a milestone—one of the last sourced barrels before the brand fully transitions to its own distillate. For Norwood, it’s a fitting capstone: “For me, rye kind of has that sweet spot between about six and ten years.”

Despite being sourced from Indiana, Maryland’s climate leaves its own fingerprint on the spirit. With humid summers and frigid winters, the state’s seasonal swings push whiskey deep into the oak barrels’ wood and back again, extracting flavor in bold strokes. Unlike Kentucky or Indiana, Norwood reveals Sagamore’s rickhouses often see proof rise during maturation, adding another layer of character. The result in the 10-Year is a whiskey the VP describes as “super balanced… with notes of peach crumble, roasted nuts, rye spice, with just enough sweetness to round it out.”

The 10-Year release is limited, and rye aficionados will likely snap it up for its SRP of $80. But for Sagamore it’s less about chasing hype than telling a story—about water and wood, about Maryland’s forgotten past, and about a decade-long gamble slowly paying off. Beyond being Sagamore Spirits oldest rye to date, the newest addition to its award-winning Reserve Series is also both an ending and a beginning, a tribute to the barrels that carried them this far, and a promise of what’s to come as more of their whiskey carries the unmistakable mark of Baltimore.

Follow our Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.

“I like to say that Woody Creek Distillers make the finest spirits in America—and I’m not just being cheeky,” says William H. Macy while twisting a glass of whiskey in his hand. It’s a wild feeling sitting across a dinner table from a guy like Macy, someone you’ve idolized most of your adult life. You can’t help but think of Jerry Lundegaard, the bumbling Minnesotan kidnapper/car salesman from one of the greatest films of our time, Fargo. Other moments he’s talking and all you imagine is Frank from Shameless addressing you. So you shake your skull to clear the daydreams and try hard to pay attention to what the hell he’s saying. 

“I know there are other great spirits, but I am saying there are none better,” Macy continues earnestly. Then he pauses, considers our small table of journalists for a moment. “And I’ll also say there are a whole lot that are worse.” 

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We’re all gathered deep in the forest wilderness of Woody Creek, Colorado, in a deliriously charming abode dubbed the Hobbit House. Crafted of hand-stacked stone, stained lead glass and ancient repurposed wood, the Hobbit House acts as a sort of symbolic home base for Woody Creek Distillers. The plucky spirits venture was birthed here in this rural outpost outside Aspen and now distills in nearby Basalt, celebrating 13 years of existence in a very tough industry.  

Founded in 2012 by engineers Pat Scanlan and Mark Kleckner, and aided by Pat’s wife Mary, you’d be excused for assuming Woody Creek Distillers recruited Macy as a hired celebrity goon. But the two-time Emmy Award and four-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner’s entrance into the fold is about as organic as it gets. You see Macy’s wife, the Desperate Housewives, Transamerica and Sports Night actress Felicity Huffman, grew up right here in Woody Creek. In a decision Macy jokes was “an excellent husband move,” the couple bought Huffman’s childhood home. One morning while gazing out their back window, Macy saw their pasture carpeted with snow-white flowers, which he assumed were petunias. Felicity’s brother informed Macy those were actually potatoes—and that he’d made a trade with their neighbors, the Scanlans, that in exchange for haying the family’s fields they’d allow the Scanlans to grow potatoes in one of the pastures.

 “About a week after that Mark knocks on the door and says, ‘Bill, I don’t know if you know this, but Mary, Pat and I have started a distillery. It’s down in Basalt,’” Macy recalls of the origin story as we cut Wagyu ribeye and sip tumblers of Woody Creek Bourbon. “So I said, ‘I’m going to stop you right there. I’m in.’ And that is how I became the ‘Spokesdude’ for Woody Creek Distillers.”

The Woody Creek team struck gold immediately out of the gate with this auspicious potato vodka, winning Double Gold, Best Vodka and even Best Overall Spirit at their first prize fight, the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Now the brand offers a suite of spirits including two gins (traditional Colorado Gin and butterfly pea blossom and rhubarb-infused Mary’s Select Gin), along with a slew of rye and bourbon whiskeys. All made with grains 100 percent sourced from Colorado (with the exception of some gin botanicals), distilled in their towering German-made Christian Carl copper stills. Numerous limited-edition bottlings fill out the roster, such as a wondrous LTO bourbon made exclusively with rare heritage Butcher’s Blood corn we would later sample at the Basalt distillery. 

Our favorite recent expression, however, is the single barrel of rye hand-picked by their “Spokesdude,” the aptly named Woody Creek Distillers William H. Macy Reserve, Batch 2. Distilled from 100 percent rye, a very rare and difficult process due to the foamy nature of distilled rye, the juice was washed a full decade in new American oak barrels before being bottled at 100 proof (50 percent ABV). The extra aged, bottled-in-bond rye coats the palate with honey crisp apple, singed orange peel and yellow raisin; yet the 10 years in wood doesn’t diminish the rye’s clove, cinnamon and baking spice finish. 

“When Mary, Pat and Mark started this thing they had two abiding principles: One, they wanted to make the spirits that they wanted to drink, which I so applaud,” Macy tells us at the Hobbit House, just before he busts out his ukulele to serenade us with song. “In my business, I know a lot of big producers who are trying to figure out what the audience wants. And as smart as they are, for every time someone’s figured it out they have failed a hundred times. I think the only way to please the world is to start with yourself: Do you like it?” he asks no one in particular. 

“Then put it out there. The second principle they had was to make the finest spirits possible without cutting corners and without shortcuts. And that has continued to be the abiding first principles, and we’ve not varied from it.” You can find Woody Creek Distillers William H. Macy Reserve, Batch 2 for its SRP of $199 at their Basalt distillery, as well as finer spirits retailers. 

Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday. 

The guys from the classic comedy movie Super Troopers and WhistlePig whiskey are once again celebrating 4/20 with a limited-edition, cannabis-infused, cocktail-ready maple syrup. WhistlePig Limited-Edition Non-Psychoactive Troopers Edition Sticky Icky Natural Cannabis Terpene Infused Barrel-Aged Maple Syrup—a name I am absolutely not typing out a second time—was officially announced this morning, but Vermont’s finest slipped me a bottle ahead of time.

For those of you asking, “what the hell is going on?” the Super Troopers guys (also known as the Broken Lizard comedy troupe) are in their second year of syrupy collaboration with Vermont-based WhistlePig distillery. But this is a major advance in collaborative shenanigans from 2024’s barrel-aged maple syrup. The “plot” of this partnership sees the guys evicted from WhistlePig’s Sugar Shack and, in their own words, “selling out for an endorsement deal.”

So how is this stuff, and how does it taste and feel to drink one? It’s complicated. I tasted the syrup on its own first, to get my bearings. While the bottle was pleasantly aromatic with terpenes, the flavor was very subdued on the palate. I packed a mini-cone of some sativa-leaning hybrid that a buddy gives me by the jarful, made my cocktail, put on some Phish for the hell of it, and took a couple of puffs after my first sip. 

A word on maple old fashioneds: they’re kind of mid. Even with the normal sugar-to-whiskey ratios, they can be way too sweet. That’s the problem with “flavorful” sources of sugar—they just cover up too much of the whiskey’s character, including the good parts. A maple old fashioned can also taste terrible if you use the wrong whiskey—something without a lot of spice. So I liked that the WhistlePig folks keep pushing PiggyBack Rye—a 6-year-old 100 percent rye whiskey—for this cocktail. PiggyBack is absolutely a “mixing” whiskey, but such a great one to balance maple syrup against—just enough spice to cut through the sweetness and just enough time in oak to bring some tannins to bear on that gooey consistency. 

The good news is that it’s a delicious drink for your weed-heightened sweetness sensory awareness. Frankly, that’s the absolute least you should expect from a company making their own whiskey and their own syrup. But they deliver with this drink every time once you get the ratios right. I generally found two ounces of whiskey and a heaping bar spoon to be the right ratio, but you can tune it to your palate. As for the bitters, I tried a few variations: first Angostura, then orange, before finally settling on grapefruit bitters as a surprisingly enjoyable “brightener” to this otherwise dark drink. They brought out a sort of citrus-hops character, or at least that’s what I told myself.

As for the “Sticky Icky” of it all, I don’t know, man. Supposedly, my high might have become enhanced in some way. The science on terpenes is still pretty vague, but studies have shown that certain ones may alter the effects of THC and CBD via what is hilariously called the “Entourage Effect.” In other words, the terpenes in that maple syrup probably do very little on their own, but if you “smoke the whole bag” you’re going to have a very different experience if you chug (this) syrup afterwards. They did, to a degree, but the difference was subtle. I don’t think enough terpenes are “in play” in one cocktail to make much of a difference—think more “extra voice in the choir” and less “extra note on the piano.” 

But by the third round, the alcohol was definitely more “effective” than whatever terpenes had made their way into my system. My high was very pleasant, but the music and the cocktail contributed to the vibes more than the terpenes. If you’re smoking or vaping flower, chances are that you’ll never taste the terpenes again after your first hit, but even with distillates or waxes, maple is the dominant flavor. Is it worth your time to track down the Maple Old Fashioned Troopers Edition Sticky Icky Bundle for $75? Absolutely, if you enjoy cannabis or regularly drink with someone who does. And with an increasing selection of THC and CBD “spirits” on the market today, infused beverage ingredients are a whole area of experimentation that I’m going to indulge in next fall when it’s maple old fashioned season again. Of course, I might need to get a second bottle (WhistlePig once again failed to release a “Large Farva” version of this collaboration.) It’ll take me a year or more to burn through this maple syrup on cocktails. But the next time I get out the waffle maker, I’m going to find out what snozzberries taste like.

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for snozzberry tasting notes, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.

“In this case, the whole focus of our Spring 2025 Collection is on how American distilleries are pushing finishing into a new era,” Nora Ganley-Roper explains to Maxim. “We’re showcasing something that is happening in real time.” The concept of ‘finishing’ being, after a whiskey has matured in its initial barrel (usually American oak, always virgin wood for bourbon), using second and sometimes third barrels to tweak flavors and dial in certain notes without using any artificial processes or ingredients. “It’s an area where we’re seeing constant innovation as producers continue to explore new flavors and new types of casks that are rooted in their local area,” she adds. “All of that means that this collection has the widest range of flavors we’ve ever done.”

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The co-founder of the always curious and inspiring Lost Lantern whiskey label is sharing the creative vision behind their latest collection of whiskeys. The Vermont-based duo of Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski are known for their artistry in blending and highlighting the best of American whiskey from across the country—taking the idea of ‘craft whiskey’ to the next level by sourcing casks from lesser-known distilleries and small, family-run operations, and elevating them into one-of-a-kind releases. Consider last year’s Spring 2024 Collection which focused on ryes sourced from across the Midwest, the highlight being the Spirit of the Week Far Flung Rye. 

“All of our collections have a unifying theme — so far we’ve done collections that focus on regions, styles, or ages. When we decide to do a collection, our goal is to showcase a trend that we’re seeing in our work sourcing whiskey for Lost Lantern,” the former sales director of New York’s landmark Astor Wines reveals. “There’s honestly so much more that we could have included in this collection, like local wine and beer finishes, but we had to stop somewhere.“This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the new tradition of finishing in the US. We hope that people will use this as a jumping off point to explore the full landscape.”

Initially unplanned, the Spring 2025 Collection includes a sub-collection of apple-influenced expressions — two with apple brandy barrel finishes (New York Distilling Co. (NYDC) rye and Santa Fe Spirits New Mexico single malt) and a Finger Lakes Distilling rye single cask finished with pommeau, a traditional French mistelle that blends unfermented apple cider with apple brandy. Ganley-Roper explains that while the trilogy all have the apple influence, luckily the three were different enough from one another that none feel repetitive or overlapping. She credits the versatility of apple as a finish, comparing it to the various Sherry categories (e.g. Oloroso, Fino, Amontillado, PX, etc.) and their wildly different finishing effects on whiskey. 

“Adam and I are both hoping that apple brandy will become one of the more common finishes in the US,” Ganley-Roper reveals. “If done well, apple brandy rounds out and enhances the flavors of the spirits and it lends a rich, full mouthfeel. And it is a spirit with a very long history in this country.” The Spring 2025 Collection reflects this philosophy, presenting a diverse range of whiskeys that each tell a unique story of place, terroir, and craftsmanship. In addition to the trilogy above there’s a single cask of peated Texas single malt from Andalusia finished in tequila barrels, a single cask of 4-year-old Indiana bourbon from Starlight finished in honey barrels, and a last single cask of 8-year-old Ohio bourbon from Watershed finished in Nocino barrels.

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But it’s the aforementioned NYDC rye dubbed Opulent Orchard that stands out most, offering an indulgent and evocative drinking experience that sets the bar even higher. The latest entry in Lost Lantern’s ‘Single Distillery Series,’ the Opulent Orchard expression is coincidentally an older version — aged 7 years — of the very first rye Lost Lantern ever released. That NYDC-sourced apple brandy finished rye was so popular it partly inspired this Spring Collection.

“What I love about Apple Brandy is that it integrates so well with all different types of whiskey! It adds roundness and often some fruitiness, but generally doesn’t overpower the underlying spirit or add too much sweetness,” Ganley-Roper shares. “That being said, I am especially partial to the combination of rye and apple brandy. Rye very often comes across as spiky on my palate and apple brandy fills in all the nooks and crannies and really makes the rye sing. It’s as much about the texture and the mouthfeel as the flavor. “When I set out to blend Opulent Orchard, this was what I endeavored to showcase: I wanted to show the best parts of rye with a little apple brandy boost.”

This longstanding collaboration with NYDC is no coincidence, as the co-founder of the distillery, Tom Potter, was among the very first people Ganley-Roper and Polonski pitched when first dreaming up the concept of Lost Lantern. Potter was so enthusiastic and helpful out of the gate, they credit NYDC with being integral to the young label’s success. “He not only said yes, he insisted that he wanted to be our very first rye. It was such a huge early win for Lost Lantern and an early validation of what we wanted to achieve,” Ganley-Roper reveals. “These early partners are an important part of what Lost Lantern has become today. Every early ‘yes’ made the next ‘yes’ more likely. We do not take the trust these distilleries put in Lost Lantern lightly!”

Only 410 bottles of Lost Lantern’s Opulent Orchard New York Distilling Co. Apple Brandy Finished Straight Rye Whiskey (57.45-percent ABV) are available, at a very approachable $100 SRP.

Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday. 

Kentucky’s growing field of excellent barrel-strength ryes, but one of the harder to find bottles on the market is back this month: Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye. Barrel Strength is a regular production whiskey in the brand’s Limited Release series, along with the toasted barrel whiskeys and the distillery’s Barrel Strength Bourbon. It’s hard to say that anything is overlooked in this whiskey day and age, but you could make one of the most compelling cases for this collection at this distillery.

Michter’s has an impressive lineup of whiskeys that come out once a year, bur what makes Michter’s somewhat different from other Kentucky brands is that they sometimes make the difficult decision to not release a particular whiskey every year if the supply simply doesn’t meet expectations. Barrel Strength Rye hasn’t missed a year recently, but it did ruffle some feathers here and there when it debuted later in the year. What’s up with that? Well, it’s complicated. It would be fair to say that larger competitors in the market simply have larger stockpiles of aging whiskey to pull from when creating these batches, and indeed Michter’s still suffers a bit from the “little guy” status here and there.

That has led to some late arrivals, and some skipped vintages even among the Limited Release collection and the Limited Production vintages. But ultimately the courage to sell less whiskey is one that’s rewarded by current market trends: rarer is better in 2025, and in every year for more than a decade. But Michter’s earns the clout — their releases of 10-Year bourbon and rye, 20-year bourbon, 25-year and celebration have been stunning pours since the beginning. 

As for Barrel Strength Rye, the whiskey’s more common appearances say more about the brand’s growing mastery of stockpiles than any compromise to meet demands. Barrel Strength Rye hasn’t been skipped in recent years, and I’m comfortable letting them tell me when something is ready, rather than demanding a tight schedule. This year’s bottle ($120) delivers a restrained 110.5 proof, with flavors and aromas of dark fruit, toffee, citrus, and baking spice.

The round finish is typically controlled for Kentucky ryes — something Master Distiller Dan McKee says often surprises people with an aversion to spicier rye styles. “We often have people at a tasting that say they are not rye drinkers, but when they taste Michter’s they are surprised by home much they like it.” For people who don’t love a dominant rye grain, bottles like this can be hit or miss, but if you’re a bourbon drinker trying to brave the bottles outside your comfort zone, it’s hard to think of another great place to start.Besides, you never know for sure how long it’ll be before you’ll see it again.

G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stuff for perspectives on drinks, and stuff.

“The intent of Case Study was and is to be a program that allows Frank August to push the boundaries of traditional American whiskey, through exploring various finishing, blending and maturation methods,” explains Johnathan Crocker. “All in an effort to create truly ‘one of one’ world-class whiskey expressions.” 

The Frank August co-founder goes on to explain how beyond their two core bourbon releases, Small Batch and Single Barrel, the label developed their Case Study series as an homage to the American architecture program launched in 1945 by Arts & Architecture editor John Entenza. 

The Los Angeles-based magazine commissioned starchitects like Richard Neutra, Charles and Ray Eames, Pierre Koenig, Eero Saarinen, et al. to design sustainable, affordable and efficient housing to tackle the post-WWII housing boom. 

Akin to other labels’ experimental series, Frank August’s Case Study program allows the relatively young label to stretch its whiskey-blending wings in creative ways—such as with their first two Case Study releases, 01: Mizunara Oak and 02: 1948 XO PX Brandy Cask. 

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Like so many blenders Frank August hunts whiskey barrels to sculpt a profile distinctly theirs. They must’ve done something right—since launching in only 2020 they’ve racked up awards: their Small Batch earned Double Gold and Best of Class Finalist at the New York World Spirits Competition, Platinum at the Ascot Awards and a 91/100 International Wine & Spirit Competition (IWSC) score. Similarly its Single Barrel expression scored a San Francisco World Spirits Competition Double Gold and Best of Class Finalist, with a 92/100 IWSC score. 

And the sales have followed the recognition. Part of Frank August’s success lies in the brand’s supremely elegant presentation: the minimalist sleek glass that holds the whiskey, the clean sans serif gold lettering and restrained labeling. Even the black-and-white photography they consistently use to celebrate American icons. 

“As with all things for Frank August, we are inspired by ‘America’s Spirit’ and as a result, everything we do is meant to showcase and celebrate all things American,” Crocker explains of his brand’s extremely clean and precise marketing. “Every piece of content we’ve ever created, or will ever create, will always deliver on this brand ethos.”

Of course, it all comes down to the juice. For our Spirit of the Week we turn our lens to their Case Study: 03 | Winter Cover Rye, the brand’s first rye release. 

“Personally, I love rye and have wanted to release a core rye product since we launched the brand. But our focus when we first launched was on our core/flagship Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; I wanted to ensure we had a strong foundation built before introducing a core rye expression for the brand,” Crocker explains. “But I was getting a bit impatient, so I had the idea to introduce a rye whiskey under our Case Study program. I thought it would be a strategic opportunity to test the market’s appetite and interest for a rye from Frank August.” 

So Crocker, who leads the brand’s efforts on a daily basis, spent a few months blind tasting their entire inventory of rye barrels. What he discovered at the end of that long process was that the barrels he gravitated to most were all from winter distillations. 

Since the nine barrels came from winter distillations, and rye is used by sustainable farmers as a “cover crop” to restore soils over the colder months, the “Winter Cover Rye” moniker was selected.

Blending three different batches of three barrel marriages, and bottling them at a potent 53.13 percent ABV (106.25-proof), Frank August’s third Case Study is an incredibly luxurious rye, richly sweet with plum, toffee and candied apple notes balanced by a hint of dark chocolate bitters and rye spice. The finish is as long as the oily rye coats your mouth, good enough to score Frank August “Best Rye Trophy” and a 95/100 score at the IWSC. $125

Follow our Deputy Editor on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday. 

Jack Daniel’s is offering up a new edition of its Distillery Series line of “experimental whiskeys” with a Tennessee straight rye finished in High Toast Maple Barrels. Distillery Series Selection No. 14 begins with Jack Daniel’s traditional grain bill of 70 percent rye, 12 percent malted barley and 18 percent corn and is charcoal mellowed before entering into a new, charred American white oak barrel, according to the whiskey brand.

Once fully matured, the newfangled rye was entered into a second high-toast, no-char maple barrel for an additional three years. Initially released in 2022 as part of the Distillery Series, the whiskey was finished in a high-toast maple barrel for an additional 20 months from that original release. 

The brand’s latest limited-edition whiskey “has an aroma of tobacco and clove” and “rich flavors of rye combined with notes of dried fruit, chocolate and caramel to build on a sweet maple finish, softening the peppery rye spice,” according to a Jack Daniel’s statement announcing the release.

Selected by Whiskey Taster Clint Bailey, Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in High Toast Maple Barrels is bottled at 107-proof (53.5 percent ABV) in 375-ml bottles. It’s available exclusively at the White Rabbit Bottle Shop at the Jack Daniel’s Distillery, with a suggested retail price of $43.99. There will only be 3,300 bottles offered, making it the most limited Distillery Series release yet. 

Best New American Rye Whiskey Of 2024: Proof & Wood ‘One Term Presidential Dram Single Barrel’ Rye Whiskey

No matter which side of the political aisle you’re on, one thing we can (almost) all agree on is the consistent quality that comes out of Proof & Wood founder Dave Schmier’s label. Whether it’s their Tumblin’ Dice expressions or LTO one-offs, if you see the Proof and Wood label you can count on that whiskey delivering. Part of their DC Collection, which also includes The Cabinet Blended Whiskey, Representative Bourbon and Senator Rye (all barrel-proof), the rare Presidential Drams fittingly only come out during POTUS election cycles. Now in its third edition (the first, in 2016, was highly limited), the 2024 Presidential Dram offers two options: the 8-year-old Two Term Presidential Dram Straight Bourbon and 4-year-old One Term Presidential Dram Single Barrel Rye. 

We’ll happily polish either one to forget the hair-pulling limitations of our two-party system, but we lean slightly more towards the latter as that was what we found ourselves pouring copiously in early November. The Single Barrel expressions come from two options, a 95 percent rye/5 percent malted barley from MGP and a Minnesota-sourced 85 percent rye/15 percent barley recipe with a bit of a softer, smoother palate. Both aged at least 4 years, or one presidential term. While its potency should be able to strip red, white and blue paint, the barrel being 59.25% ABV (118.5-proof), the rye is so luscious and smooth you’ll hesitate adding even a drop of water to dilute its wonder. But fret not, slowly proofing on your own will slowly reveal layers of flavors as arcane as bureaucratic legalese.

Schmier selected the name for his Proof & Wood endeavor to underscore what many believe are the two most critical factors in a whiskey’s final result: the particular wood and barrel quality used to age it, and offering it without dilution. Only available for a limited spell, Proof and Wood’s One Term Presidential Dram Single Barrel Rye accomplishes the mission. Buy here

Michter’s ’10 Year’ 2024 Rye Whiskey

This spring Michter’s offers its 2024 10-Year Rye, a globally anticipated vintage that is widely considered one of the best ryes released annually. Michter’s mastery of the category cannot be overstated, as they’ve been releasing their US*1 Rye since 2003, and the 10-Year Rye since 2000.

“When we restarted Michter’s [in 2000], we had a real passion for rye and believed that people who tasted a high quality American rye would like it. With the support of many great bartenders across the globe, well-made American rye was introduced by Michter’s to a new generation of whiskey lovers,” Master of Maturation Andrea Wilson says, highlighting how renowned spirits authority Robert Simonson credited Michter’s Rye for why so many American rye brands incorporate a Michter’s-aping green on their label. 

Rye boasts a rich American heritage dating back to the 1700s, but Wilson points out very few American ryes remained in production after Prohibition. As time passed the category virtually disappeared with the exception of stalwarts like Wild Turkey and Indiana’s MGP. While the US market is much more accustomed to MGP’s widely distributed 95 percent rye/5 percent malted barley recipe, as well as that of Canadian rye, Michter’s proudly produces what they dub a “Kentucky Rye,” which they see as deeper and more complex thanks to the malted barley. Think baking spices, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove coupled with citrus, honey, and caramel—“without the distraction of excessive pepper notes,” adds Wilson.

“Michter’s rye is beautifully integrated with layers of flavors that dance across the palate, creating a truly delicious whiskey experience… our house style is to create a rich and balanced rye with a nice warmth on the finish.” The 2024 edition of Michter’s 10 Year Rye comes bottled at 46.4 percent ABV (92.8-proof). $200 SRP

Wild Turkey ‘Master’s Keep Triumph’ 2024 Rye Whiskey

Once again Wild Turkey’s halo Master’s Keep series returns with its 2024 expression: Triumph. The collection can get experimental, such as 2022’s version Unforgotten, which blended a 13-year-old bourbon with 8- and 9-year-old ryes. Triumph, however, keeps it simple. For the 10th edition of the series (but only 9th available in America) Wild Turkey does nothing less than offer a 10-year rye, the oldest age statement ever used by the Lawrenceburg whiskey makers for a rye bottle. 

When most other American whiskey makers abandoned rye during whisky’s lean years, Wild Turkey never did—and hence are considered masters in the form. Which is noteworthy that this is only the second rye in the Master’s Keep vertical, after Cornerstone in 2019, despite launching the series back in 2015. But they saved a hell of a juice to represent the 10th anniversary. 

Utilizing Wild Turkey’s relatively low rye mash bill (51 percent rye/37 percent corn/12 percent malted barley) compared to say MGP’s signature 95 percent rye/5 percent malted barley recipe, you get the extra corn sweetness manifesting in interesting ways with fig, caramel, raisin, and blackcurrant adding texture over the cinnamon, dark chocolate and ground black pepper of the rye. Master Distiller Eddie Russell credits the influence of his famously rye-loving son Bruce in this year’s Master’s Keep, which is bottled at 57 percent ABV (104-proof), offering luscious texture along with unexpected smoothness in the only slightly proofed final product. Buy here

Distillery 291 ‘Experimental Batch #14’ Rye Whiskey

“What I wanted to do with these two Experimental Batches [#14 and #15] was to get some note of Kentucky in my whiskey,” Distillery 291 founder Michael Myers revealed to us at Wally’s, one of Los Angeles’ premier spirit retailers. “My whiskey is so Colorado, so big, so different than Kentucky whiskey, I was like, ‘Well, it’d be interesting if my rye and bourbon had this little Kentucky note to it.’”

So what his Distillery 291 team did, led by Myers and Head Distiller Eric Jett, was to take their two main recipes—80 percent corn/19 percent malted rye/1 percent malted barley bourbon mashbill and 61 percent malted rye/39 percent corn rye mash bill—and age them normally in their traditional barrels: first-fill, deep-charred virgin American white oak sourced from Barrel Mill in Avon, Minnesota. Then, the rye (Experimental Batch #14) and bourbon (Experimental Batch #15) were each poured into used bourbon barrels from Kentucky. In total each whiskey aged over 4 years in its twin casks.

Both of 2024’s Experimental Batches are bottled in 291’s signature Old West saloon-style glass with cork stopper. The Colorado-style ruggedness was assured with their 67 percent and 64.6 percent ABV respectively. Distillery 291 ‘Experimental Batch #14’ Rye is certainly powerful enough for an OK Corral gunfight, but smooth and caramel bodied like only the finest American whiskeys achieve. $108 SRP.

Lost Lantern ‘Far Flung’ Rye Whiskey

For the first time Lost Lantern decided to focus one of their collections entirely on a region of spirits, their Spring Collection 2024 strictly highlighting Midwestern whiskeymakers. While six highlight single distilleries, the seventh, Far Flung Rye, rises to the top. This Goldilocks solution cherry-picks many of the above single-distillery’s best ryes, all aged between 4-9 years, and blends them to perfection, creating a beautiful rye that we believe is better than the sum of its parts. The multi-distillery up-level rye consists of whiskeys from Cedar Ridge, Middle West Spirits, Starlight Distillery, Tom’s Foolery and Wollersheim.

“The flagship release of our Midwest Collection, Far-Flung Rye encapsulates why we at Lost Lantern are so very excited about Midwest whiskey—it showcases the depth and breadth of flavor that rye whiskey can have,” Lost Lantern co-founder Nora Ganley-Roper tells us. She credits the region’s cooler climates for its nuanced complexity, the lower temps allowing for a slower aging that builds a “delicacy” that’s harder to achieve in the hotter, more accelerated climates of Texas and the south—especially when barreling in virgin oak.

“This release has all of those things,” co-founder Adam Polonski vows. “Far-Flung rye has bright rye spice and fresh-cut grass on the nose. The palate is spicy, with rich oak and hints of dark chocolate and warm bread.” The Midwest collection is available for purchase at the new Lost Lantern Tasting Room in Vermont, as well as online. Only 486 bottles of the 121.6-proof Far-Flung Rye are available. $100 SRP

Bhakta ‘1928’ Rye Whiskey (with Calvados and Armagnac) 

Raj Bhakta made his name in the spirits world by helping forge WhistlePig, which can be credited with elevating the once dismissed Rye category into the luxury space it enjoys today. While he doesn’t deserve sole credit for the explosion of Rye, Raj most certainly had his place in its trajectory. After selling WhistlePig in 2019, the flamboyant entrepreneur’s next venture was purchasing a chateau in Condom, France whose cellar happened to contain one of the largest collections of ancient Armagnac in the world, with glass bonbonnes and barrels dating as far back as 1868. There in that cool Gallois cellar, Bhakta Spirits was born. 

Beyond selling doses of rare Armagnacs, single barrel bourbons and even whiskey from India, the most interesting of Bhakta Spirits experimentations begin when they take their rare beakers of ingredients and begin feverishly blending them to create entirely new flavor profiles the likes the world has never seen. It is in this vein that one of the best spirits we tried this year was born. Named for the oldest vintage in the blend, Bhakta 1928 is a rye unicorn blended with an ultra-rare (nearly) century-old spirit distilled in the Roaring Twenties. 

The base of the expression is a 5-year-old rye distilled in 2018, casked first in American oak and then second-finished in Virgin French oak. They then fortified the whiskey with two French brandies with drastically different flavor profiles: 30 percent Calvados—an apple brandy from Normandy—and 10 percent Armagnac, a cognac-adjacent grape brandy renowned for its luxurious mouthfeel. 

Beyond the eponymous 1928 vintage, other ages of the Armagnac date to 1941, 1962, 1973 and 1996. The end result is a spirit with a firm foundation of cinnamon and red pepper spice from the rye, balanced with sweet North Shore-size waves of ripe apple and rum-soaked raisin vanilla ice cream from the twin French brandies. All blended and bottled at their giant campus in Poultney, Vermont. And when we say campus, it really is a campus—as in, the 155-acre compound was formerly known as Green Mountain College; the brick buildings and towering oaks will remind you of every New England prep-school movie ever filmed. 

Raj Bhakta has a reputation for at times playing fast and more than a bit loose with the rules (for instance, the admittance of only a “drop” of the 1928 spirit it is named after), and that can earn its fair criticisms. But when Bhakta comes through with a spirit of such substance and unique flavor spectrums as his 1928 expression, you have to offer proper salute. Bhakta 1928 Rye comes bottled at 50 percent ABV (100-proof). $70 SRP

Sagamore Spirit ‘9-Year-Old’ Straight Rye Whiskey

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This year Baltimore’s Sagamore Spirit upped their game by releasing two of their oldest expressions to date: a 7-year-old 100-proof Bottled in Bond Rye, and Sagamore 9-Year-Old Straight Rye, both part of Sagamore’s Reserve Series. Launched in 2016 from a 5-acre waterfront distillery in Baltimore’s Port Covington neighborhood, the existential goal of Sagamore was from day one to reanimate the legacy of Maryland Rye—which, along with Pennsylvania and New York, was a premier hub of rye whiskey decades before Kentucky began making waves. And they’ve done a damn fine job, for as their juice ages it grows in complexity, heft and flavor spectrum. 

Sagamore blends two straight rye mash bills—one high-rye, one low—for a unique confluence of flavors, and aged them for nine years in new charred American white oak barrels. Wonderful oily viscosity, with notes of orange peel, pecan pie, hot chocolate and apricot jam before the rye spice takes you to the finish line. Delicious stuff that leaves us eager to see if Sagamore’s juice has peaked at 9 years or if it’s still got legs to grow. $79 SRP

New Riff ‘8-Year Old’ Rye Whiskey

As New Riff celebrates its 10th anniversary in the whiskey game they’ve made two big moves. First, elevating head distiller Brian Sprance to Master Distiller, giving the man behind the juice the juice he’s earned since being at the Newport, Kentucky distillery since day one. Second, adding two more SKUs to their core portfolio: 8-year-old versions of both their core bourbon and rye. They’ve been fully committed to the Bottled-In-Bond ethos since the beginning, bottled at 100 proof, sans chill filtration, with consistent mashbills. In the rye’s case, 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted rye, a tweak on MGPs famed recipe that uses 5 percent malted barley. Since we regularly stock our personal bars with their BIB expressions of both, it’s little surprise that doubling the aging time has only improved the New Riff whiskeys—and we give a tip of the hat to the Rye expression. 

It’s important to highlight that while New Riff earned no less than 10 medals at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, their 6-Year-Old Malted Rye claimed the highest prize of Double Gold. Best yet, Sprance has said neither whiskey has yet peaked even after 8 years in the barrel, suggesting a barrel of New Riff rye at 8 years old “has a long life of aging ahead of it.” While we look forward to future New Riffs, we’ll take the time to enjoy a baking spice and cinnamon rich glass of their 8-Year-Old Rye. $70 

Buffalo Trace ‘Antique Collection Sazerac 18-Year-Old’ Rye Whiskey

If we keep our karma clean, wave hi to our neighbors and act like decent human beings all year, we may be lucky enough at the end of said year to receive samplers of the latest Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The arrival is akin to being 8 years old and waking up on Christmas morning, a chrome Mongoose BMX bike gleaming under the tree lights. Initiate braingasm. 

This year was especially tickling because the package Buffalo Trace sent was worthy of saving forever: a stout wooden box stacked with beautiful examples of each whisky, this year with all five of the collection: the bourbon triumvirate of Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old, George T. Stagg and William Larue Weller, along with the twin ryes of Sazerac 18-Year-Old and Thomas H. Handy. 

While each of the BTAC is a gem, almost inevitably one of the bourbon offerings is usually crowned the best in show by the collective bourbonista hive mind. But 2024 may be the rare year where the pick of the litter goes to one of the two ryes—specifically the Sazerac 18-Year-Old. Quite simply the distillery’s low-rye Sazerac mash bill, normally bottled at 6 years, is allowed to triple its time chilling in virgin American oak in the Frankfort, Kentucky’s Warehouses K, L and M. And what delicious gains this extra maturation bestows. 

This chewy delight feels like a Michelin-starred pastry chef’s dessert, featuring flavors of blackberry jam, marmalade and tobacco. Of course with a near two-decade casking there’s going to be a strong framework of oak, but within that architecture lies layers of brown sugar and a cinnamony spice. A superb rye from America’s oldest continuously —but that’s to be expected. If you’re going to splurge on one BTAC for 2024, you may want to consider the Sazerac 18-Year-Old Rye—not a firestarter like others in the collection, proofed down to an eminently smooth 45 percent ABV (90-proof). Buy here

Rabbit Hole ‘Boxergrail Rye’ Founder’s Collection

This year Rabbit Hole label gave their widely loved Boxergrail Rye the Founder’s Collection treatment. Previous editions of Rabbit Hole’s annual halo Founder’s Collection editions like Mizunara and Nevallier made us swoon, so it’s little surprise that the extra-aged version of one of Kaveh Zamanian’s best pillar whiskeys, the Boxergrail Rye (95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley), would become another staunch favorite. The concept is simple: The core portfolio Boxergrail Rye normally aged 6-years is aged another two and bottled at cask strength (51.9 percent ABV / 103.8-proof). Presto blammo, excellence in a glass. 

Only 1,200 bottles of Rabbit Hole’s Boxergrail Founder’s Collection were made, so it’s not easy to find. As with the previous Founder’s Collections, the Boxergrail Rye comes beautifully packaged in a magnetically sealed wood box, individually numbered with heavy crest-engraved gold cork, ready for happy consumption (and display). $300 SRP

Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.

Buffalo Trace’s annual Antique Collection has returned for Fall 2024, representing a squad of stellar whiskey releases from “America’s Oldest Continuously Operating Distillery.” This year’s boozy portfolio includes all five Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles, including Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon, George T. Stagg Bourbon, Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey, Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey and William Larue Weller Bourbon.

Each Antique Collection whiskey is housed in a clear glass bottle with a back label offering detailed descriptions and histories. The limited edition Buffalo Trace Antique Collection bottles are sold individually and available nationwide at $149.99 each—although that relatively low price point is sure to skyrocket on the resale market once whiskey collectors start hunting for them. Drink in more info from Buffalo Trace on their latest Antique Collection releases below:

William Larue Weller Bourbon

The 2024 William Larue Weller barrels aged over twelve years on the lower floor of a rick warehouse at Buffalo Trace Distillery at a barrel entry proof of 114. The Antique Collection’s uncut, unfiltered wheated recipe bourbon is hand-bottled at 125.8 proof and honors W.L. Weller, who pioneered the wheated bourbon recipe, substituting wheat for the traditional rye grain. On the nose of the 2024 William Larue Weller, a blend of new leather, light pipe tobacco, and caramel, enveloped by the warm sweetness of marshmallow and hints of ripe fruit. Rich caramel and toffee notes coat the palate with a long finish and oak, caramel, and fruit notes. The 2024 Global Whisky Challenge awarded last year’s William Larue Weller Bourbon “Best of Class” North America during the 2024 Global Whisky Challenge. Buffalo Trace master distiller Harlen Wheatley said in a statement that this year’s William Larue Weller Bourbon is a standout, saying in a statement that it “shines with its caramel notes and long, creamy finish.”

Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon

Bottled at its initial strength of 101 proof in tribute to the original Eagle Rare brand launched in 1975, this year’s Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old Bourbon was distilled in the spring of 2007. On the nose, Eagle Rare 17 delivers complex notes of oak and caramel intertwined with subtle undertones of vanilla and pepper spice with a caramel sweetness evened by the spiciness of rye, toasted oak, and tobacco on the palate. A combination of caramel, pepper, leather, and oak, paired with roasted tobacco and dried fruit finishes this 17-year and 4-month-old whiskey. Last year’s Eagle Rare-17-Year-Old Bourbon marked the oldest release of the spirit since its inclusion in the Antique Collection. Several well-respected spirits competitions recognized the expression, including the 2024 Whiskies of the World Competition, where the 19-year-old whiskey won a Double Gold, Best in Class medal.

George T. Stagg Bourbon

Buffalo Trace Distillery first released George T. Stagg bourbon in 2002 in response to a consumer request for a well-aged, barrel-strength whiskey. The Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is known for its bold character reminiscent of its namesake, the original purchaser of O.F.C. Distillery, now famously recognized as Buffalo Trace Distillery. This year’s George T. Stagg sits at 136.1 proof and is comprised of barrels aged more than 15 years and two months. The whiskey presents a powerful aroma of deep aged wood, rich oak, and dark cherry. A layered profile of spice, oak, caramel, and a soft touch of cinnamon hit the palate. Its long and drying finish leaves a lasting impression of complexity and warmth. The 2024 International Whisky Competition awarded last year’s George T. Stagg First Place for the Best Bourbon, American, and Kentucky Whiskey.

Sazerac 18-Year-Old Rye Whiskey

Bottled at 18 years and five months and named after the official cocktail of New Orleans, the 2024 Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey has scents of oak and leather with subtle hints of ripe plum, rye grain, and earthy undertones. Rye spice, smoke, dark cherry, and a touch of licorice jump on the palate. The finish on this year’s Sazerac 18-Year-Old Rye lingers gracefully, imparting subtle hints of tobacco and charred oak. The 2023 Sazerac 18-Year-Old Rye was honored with the Gold “Outstanding” Medal in the 2024 International Wine and Spirits Competition.

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

The team at Buffalo Trace Distillery filled the barrels for this year’s Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey at 125 proof over six years ago. This uncut, unfiltered whisky is now 127.2 proof, bumping up in alcohol percentage from last year’s nearly 125 offering. Inspired by the bartender who first used rye whiskey in the original Sazerac cocktail, Thomas H. Handy is bottled directly from the barrel, honoring its traditional method from over a century ago. The 2024 Thomas H. Handy is bold and invigorating with scents of freshly cracked black pepper and cinnamon. Spice and oak flavors are prominent, with a long-lasting finish of cinnamon, pepper, and clove. The 2023 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey was awarded a Double Gold Medal at the 2024 Singapore World Spirits Competition.

“We were initially drawn to Khari Baoli as the largest spice market in Asia, knowing that unique spices tend to both balance and stretch the unique spice character of Rye Whiskey,” explains Meghan Ireland on her creative team’s exploratory trip to India for WhistlePig’s latest adventure in wild barrel experimentation.

“Even before arriving in India, we had heard about thandai and were fascinated by it. We had tried to make it with spices we could get in Vermont, but it just wasn’t right; something was missing. We needed to go to India to have the real thandai—and I’m glad we did.”

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That’s why WhistlePig’s Chief Blender and team traveled more than 7,000 miles from the bucolic forests of their 500-acre farm in Shoreham, Vermont to the deserts of India to unearth the secrets of thandai—an aromatic local drink born of nuts and spices. Spices which WhistlePig hoped would work their magic with the brand’s superb rye whiskey to craft the eleventh chapter in their halo Boss Hog annual expression.

“The thandai we were given in India was incredible—far more vibrant, aromatic and harmonious than any of the iterations we had made back in the distillery,” continues Ireland, noting the efforts they learned selecting from the heaps of fresh spices, grasping the nuances to search for among the stalls overflowing with exotic delicacies.

“By comparison to the thandai we had in India, the thandai we had tried to make back in Vermont may as well had been a cardboard cutout of the real thing. It is impossible for me to truly describe the depth of flavor I was able to experience having real thandai,” she adds. “The experience was enriched by the lush aromatic cacophony of thousands of spices from the market, the street vendors making food you could practically taste by walking by, and all the truly amazing people we had met. We did our best to distill down this experience and offer you a taste of what we had experienced through The Boss Hog XI.”

And with this exploration in thandai their WhistlePig Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut was born. But the exact alchemy of how they married the spicy Indian drink with the Vermont distillery’s oldest straight rye isn’t quite so simple.

First they poured their carefully selected thandai spices—including saffron, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, fennel, poppy and black peppercorn—into stainless steel tanks holding their foundational four-year-old rye. There they let the spices infuse the whiskey for no less than 14 days before filtering them from the spirit. Stainless steel tanks were used instead of barrels so only the whiskey and spices would interact, without influence from wood characteristics.

This newly mulled whiskey was never meant to be consumed, however—instead they filled 127 barrels with it to season the virgin oak. When the barrels were ready, the mulled 4-year-old rye was dumped out and replaced with WhistlePig’s rare 13-year-old rye, which aged an additional 21 days in the finishing barrels. Three weeks on average, that is, as they decide the finishing time by each barrel independently, not by stopwatch or days on a calendar.

“When we season barrels we are looking to accomplish a couple of things: One, we are trying to impart flavors unto the barrel that the wood varietal itself would not have. Two, we are looking to soften some of the sharper elements of that barrel,” explains Mitch Mahar, another team blender. “It’s a bit of a balancing act monitoring this seasoning process—balancing between act of love and insanity—but without this process, we could not create the whiskey we envisioned.”

As this is the first thandai-influenced rye ever made, the results are truly unique, something even the most adventurous whiskey drinkers could never have tasted. Unsurprisingly, think rushes of clove, cardamom, cracked black pepper and allspice complementing the rye spice—at times subtle, other times in deep, rich waves. Which is the exact point of the wildly creative Boss Hog series. “Each edition of The Boss Hog is a world’s-first finish, never before dreamed of in the world of spirits, let alone whiskey,” Ireland has told Maxim before.

“If the creation of a whiskey is easy, it’s probably not of a caliber to be called The Boss Hog,” says Mahar. “Every edition of The Boss Hog has allowed us to hone our craft, and make us into an even more disruptive whiskey-making force.” Bottled between 51.9 to 52.6 percent ABV (103.8 – 105.2 proof), WhistlePig Boss Hog XI: The Juggernaut comes packaged in the collection’s sturdy display case, its beloved pewter Chief Pig Mortimer Jr. topper fully dressed in the style of the majestic elephant Raja, the tallest elephant ever recorded in India.

The eleventh chapter in The Boss Hog series is available now for $600.

Follow Deputy Editor Nicolas Stecher on Instagram at @nickstecher and @boozeoftheday.