New Cigar Rye Whiskey was Finished in Cold-Smoked Tobacco Barrels

Finishing rye whiskey in these barrels produces the delicate sweet and smoky aromas of a fine cigar.

Buzzard’s Roost Sipping Whiskey is releasing a new batch of its popular Cigar Rye. Cigar Rye is available now in limited quantities at the Buzzard’s Roost Whiskey Row Experience and on store shelves. Additionally, Buzzard’s Roost Cigar Rye will go on sale online this Friday, November 24. You will find it on the Buzzard’s Roost website (once it goes live on Friday) by clicking the “Buy Now” button. Cigar Rye will be available while supplies last or until December. 19, so act fast!

Buzzard’s Roost Cigar Rye is four-year-old Indiana rye that is finished in new American oak barrels that were cold-smoked with aged tobacco leaves grown in Kentucky. The cold-smoking and proprietary toast level of the barrels used for secondary maturation results in a rye whiskey that offers the delicate sweet and smoky aromas of a fine cigar.

Our first batch of Cigar Rye was a bit of an experiment. We produced three barrels and people went wild for it. Our second batch was released in 2022 and it sold out fast. We’re excited to bring it back, and we made about five times as much as we did in 2022!

Jason Brauner, Master Blender


The mash bill for Buzzard’s Roost Cigar Rye remains the same at 95% rye and 5% malted barley, and the ABV is 52.5%. The SRP is $75.99, and will have national distribution in mid-November.

We’ve carved out a unique niche for our rare flavor combinations that are created through secondary barrel aging. Cigar Rye is one of our most elegant expressions and a personal favorite of mine. I love the combination of cherry and orange flavors balanced with dried herbs, and it’s especially nice paired with a fine cigar.

Judy Hollis Jones, CEO

About Buzzard’s Roost:

Buzzard’s Roost Sipping Whiskey is an independent blender and bottler of exceptional whiskies crafted using pioneering techniques. Buzzard’s Roost whiskies stand out for their exceptional flavors, which are created using a combination of break-through techniques for second barrel maturation including 18-month-seasoned oak barrels for intensified flavors and exclusive use of Char #1 over very specific toast levels to coax complex flavors from each barrel, leading to rye whiskeys and bourbons with flavors unlike any other.

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