A Collaboration Of Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey

I received a press release the other day from Liberty Pole Distillery and they are collaborating with Dad’s Hat Distillery to release a rye whiskey in the Monongahela style. They are two of my favorite Pennsylvania distilleries. Both make excellent rye whiskeys that are unique in flavor from each other. A few years ago, Matt and I made a video on YouTube tasting each distillery’s rye and we loved them both.

This was about five years ago and the Liberty Pole was only two years old, yet it held its own against the Dad’s Hat Rye, which I believe was a four year old rye. I have tasted older, more mature Liberty Pole Rye since then and it was even better. I look forward to this release and will have to see if I can get a bottle from one of the distilleries.

This is the result of a very friendly rivalry between Jim Hough of Liberty Pole and Herman Mihalich of Dad’s Hat. They sent three barrels from each distillery to try a blend of the barrels. They had nine combinations from the three barrels to choose from and they each agreed, without the other knowing what the other found to be the best combination of barrels, on the same two barrel combination as the best. They have married these two barrels together and are selling the whiskey exclusively at the two distilleries. The whiskey is a four year, seven month old rye from Liberty Pole Distillery and a six year, four month old rye from Dad’s Hat Distillery. It is bottled at 119.6 proof and is selling for $79.99 a bottle.

I met Herman Mihalich about ten years ago at a dinner featuring Dad’s Hat Rye in Washington, D.C. It was a very good dinner and the rye was still young, but very good. I have been in correspondence with Herman since and always take time to review his excellent whiskey when I get a bottle of their latest release. I have never met Jim Hough in person, but I have been in correspondence with him for several years. He reached out to me when they released their first whiskey and wanted to know if I would review it on my blog. I said I am always looking to support new distilleries and he sent me a bottle of their rye. I was impressed with it as a young rye and it has gotten even better as they had more mature rye whiskey to bottle.
This is going to be an excellent collaboration from two fine Pennsylvania distilleries. I am hoping to see more such collaborations in the future. Pennsylvania distilleries need to do more of such friendly collaborations as it proves that you can be competitors, yet maintain friendly relations in the whiskey industry.