I like what Hard Truth Distillery is doing. They are making a sweet mash rye whiskey at their distillery in Brown County, Indiana. They sent me a couple of their finished rye whiskeys the other day and Matt and I sat down to taste them. The first is the French oak finished rye that they are doing in collaboration with Hud Mellencamp, John Mellencamp’s son, and Levi Collison. The next is their Maple Brulee’ Rye, finished in maple syrup barrels. They are both very good rye whiskeys. Here are our tasting notes.

Hard Truth French Oak Harvest Rye (Made with the Mellencamp Whiskey Company)

Proof: 104

Age: Three Years Old

Nose: 

  • Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, caramel, apples, baking spices and oak wood.
  • Matt: Caramel, chocolate, brown sugar, raisins and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: Rye grass, vanilla, apples, cardamom, allspice and oak wood. Tasted with a dried cranberry and a citrus note comes forward. Tasted with a pecan and the caramel becomes a rich butter caramel with a note of dark chocolate and pepper spice.
  • Matt: Caramel, chocolate, raisins, lemon zest and oak wood. The dried cranberry added a note of toasted pine nuts. The pecan enhanced the rye grass and caramel.

Finish:

  • Mike: Medium long with oak, vanilla and baking spices. The dried cranberry made the finish longer and sweeter. The pecan made the finish long and spicy with oak wood, black pepper and a little lingering chocolate.
  • Matt: Medium long with oak wood and chocolate. The dried cranberry added toasted pine nuts to the finish. The pecan made the finish long with oak and leather.

Hard Truth Maple Brulée Rye

Proof: 101.4

Age: Four Years Old

Nose:

  • Mike: Caramel, maple syrup, apples, baking spices and oak wood.
  • Matt: Caramel, buttered corn, and oak wood.

Taste:

  • Mike: Caramel, apples, maple syrup, pears, cardamom and oak wood. The dried cranberry enhanced the apple and made the spice a white pepper. The pecan added lemon zest and black pepper to the flavor.
  • Matt: Caramel, buttered corn, cardamom spice and oak wood. The dried cranberry made the caramel a nice, rich toffee flavor. The pecan enhanced the cardamom and caramel.

Finish:

  • Mike: Medium long with oak, caramel, cardamom and maple syrup. The dried cranberry made the finish longer and added white pepper. The pecan made the finish long and spicy with oak, black pepper and lemon zest.
  • Matt: Medium long with oak and maple syrup. The dried cranberry added lingering toffee. The pecan added a note of pipe tobacco.

I would pair these fine rye whiskeys with a cigar that has vanilla, cedar spice and rich tobacco in the smoke. I would reach for a Rocky Patel Decade cigar.

Photos Courtesy of Rosemary Miller