Most rye whiskey is built on a 95/5 mash bill: 95 percent rye, 5 percent malted barley. It's a reliable formula, and a lot of great bottles have come out of it. But it produces a very specific profile: spicy, herbal, minty. The flavor most people picture when they say “rye.”
Red Top Rye isn't that. The mash bill is 100 percent rye, a rarity for a Kentucky rye — distilled and aged for seven years, stored at the top of the rickhouse where temperature swings are more extreme. Higher heat means more interaction with the wood and a higher average proof at cask strength. The result is a rye that's fruit-forward in a way that'll pleasantly surprise even experienced rye drinkers.
When Andrew English, Old Commonwealth's founder, and his team tasted these barrels, the call was easy. “We knew we had to have them,” English says. “This isn't the rye people expect. But it’s one they'll remember.”
