This is the latest bottle from Liberty Pole Spirits in Washington, Pennsylvania. It is made with a mash bill of 61% rye, 13% red winter wheat, 13% rye malt and 13% barley malt. The rye is grown in Pennsylvania and does not have any corn in the mash bill so it is full of rye flavor. This rye whiskey is excellent. Matt and I sat down and tasted it the other day and here are our tasting notes.
Liberty Pole Old Monongahela Full Proof Rye
Proof: 108
Age: Three years, six months
Nose:
- Mike: Vanilla, dates, prunes, baking spices and sweet oak wood.
- Matt: Caramel, cardamom, orange and sweet oak wood.
Taste:
- Mike: Vanilla, dates, prunes, cardamom, cinnamon and sweet oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and the fruit is enhanced. Tasted with a pecan and the vanilla becomes a rich caramel with a hint of milk chocolate.
- Matt: Vanilla, caramel, orange zest, cardamom spice and sweet oak wood. The dried cranberry brought out a hint of sage herbal flavor. The pecan added the flavor of puffed wheat and chocolate.
Finish:
- Mike: Medium long with sweet oak wood and cardamom. The dried cranberry made the finish longer with lingering fruit sweetness. The pecan made the finish very long with sweet oak, cardamom and lingering caramel.
- Matt: Medium long with sweet oak wood and cardamom. The dried cranberry made the finish longer and sweeter. The pecan added a nice leather note to the finish.
I would pair this fine rye whiskey with a Padron 1964 Anniversary cigar. I think the vanilla and caramel in the smoke would pair well with the sweetness of vanilla and fruit in the whiskey.
Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller