Liberty Pole High Rye Bourbon: 40% Rye, Bloody Butcher Corn

Liberty Pole Spirits has added a High Rye Straight Bourbon to its permanent core lineup. It launched Friday, Oct. 23. The mash bill is 51% Bloody Butcher corn, 40% rye and 9% malted barley, which puts nearly as much rye in a bourbon as the 51% minimum required for a rye whiskey.

The idea came from those “barely legal” 51% ryes. For a distillery rooted in Pennsylvania’s rye whiskey heritage, they raised a playful question: why not put nearly that much rye into a bourbon?

“Speaking as Pennsylvania rye lovers, we take a little offense at all those 51% ryes on the shelf,” said Jim Hough, co-founder of Liberty Pole Spirits. “So we decided to have some fun with the idea. With 51% Bloody Butcher corn and 40% rye, this is unmistakably bourbon, but it wears its Pennsylvania rye influence proudly.”

Liberty Pole High Rye Bourbon: Mash Bill, Proof and Price

Mash bill: 51% Bloody Butcher corn, 40% rye, 9% malted barley
Age: a blend of barrels aged at least 4.5 years
Proof: 100
Price: $55 plus tax
Availability: permanent core release, on sale since Oct. 23

A Side-by-Side With Liberty Pole Wheated Bourbon

High Rye has the same minimum barrel age, proof and price as Liberty Pole’s Wheated Straight Bourbon. Tasting the two together shows how rye or wheat shapes a bourbon’s character.

“We love the idea of putting these two bourbons next to each other,” Hough said. “The Wheated Bourbon and High Rye Bourbon give people two different expressions of Liberty Pole, with the same minimum barrel age, proof and price. We’re excited to make both a permanent part of our lineup.”

Liberty Pole Spirits is a craft distillery in Washington, Pennsylvania, that celebrates the region’s whiskey-making heritage through its whiskeys and visitor experiences.