Rossville Union
Straight Rye Whiskey
Barrel Proof
Rossville Distillery, Lawrenceburg, IN
Have you heard of Rossville Union Rye? This barrel strength rye is one that I think most people who are fans of spicy, citrusy ryes will enjoy.
What is the Rossville Distillery?
Rossville Union Rye is said to be made at the Rossville Distillery. So what is this Rossville Distillery? Is it just a coincidence that it is in Lawrenceburg, IN, the same city which MGP calls home? For those who might not be familiar with MGP, they are one of the premier producers of rye whiskey in the US. Much of their rye gets purchased by other distilleries or non-distiller producers, and sold under their own labels. Have you noticed that “Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana” in tiny print on that last rye you purchased? Well, that’s telling you that it is almost certainly made by MGP.
What about Rossville Union Rye!
So how does Rossville Union Rye fit into the rye whiskey picture? Well, first off, it’s a great rye. Second, the original Rossville Distillery opened in Lawrenceburg, IN in 1847. Third, it’s made by MGP.
MGP introduced this brand a couple of year ago. Their website does not state the mashbill, and maybe MGP can provide more info. The best I can tell from scouring the web is that this rye is a blend of MGP’s 51% and 95% rye mash bills, and is a blend of 83 barrels.
According to the Rossville Union website: “Bottled at a full 112.6 proof, our barrel proof straight rye whiskey has a bold, spicy, caramel-forward taste with a balanced, smoky finish. We select the best barrels of whiskey that are 5 & 6 years old to create the ultimate full-bodied whiskey for those who appreciate a high-rye taste.”
You’ll have to taste it for yourself to know if that’s true, but I really like this rye. I’ll even taste it for you:
Tasting Notes
🛏 Rested for 20 minutes in a Glencairn
👉🏻Nose: Burnt caramel, wintergreen, rye spices, citrus, molasses, light floral notes, moderate alcohol burn
👉🏻Taste: Caramel, relatively subdued rye spice, char
👉🏻Finish: The spice and citrus explode early in the finish, and then gradually fade away to more subtle flavors with some char and minty coolness at the very end. It’s a long finish, but with a fairly mild burn.
Summary
Rossville Union Rye has all of those classic citrusy, spicy rye flavors, but it also has noticeable caramel in the taste. The flavors are likely the result of the blending of the lower rye and high rye mash bills. The end result is an excellent rye whiskey. If this sounds like the kind of rye you would enjoy, you are in luck if you live in it’s seemingly random distribution area. It is currently available in AZ, CO, CT, DC, IL, IN, KS, KY, MN, MO, MT, OH, TN, TX & WI. However, in some states availability seems limited, such as in MT, where, according to the website, it is only available in a single store (in Belgrade). Cheers!🥃
Check out our review of the George Remus Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey. It’s part of the George Remus line of bourbons which were also released by MGP.
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