Hochstadter’s Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey Its Own Blend

Cooper Spirits is an independent American whiskey bottler perhaps best known for its Hochstadter’s Slow & Low, a rock and rye bottled cocktail, and Lock Stock & Barrel, a 13 year old premium rye whiskey that’s sourced. It is now dipping back into the sourced whiskey waters, unveiling this time Hochstadter’s Vatted Straight Rye.

Hochstadter’s Vatted Straight Rye, according to Cooper Spirits, is a blend of five straight rye whiskies, ranging in age from 4 to 15 years, which have been “sourced from distilleries across North America— Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Alberta, Canada.” What’s rather interesting here, at least from the spin perspective, is that this new bottling is being called the “first rye whiskey to officially designate its blend of straight rye whiskeys as vatted.”

As to what exactly this means, founder Robert Cooper is said to have studied

the creation process for vatted malts [out of Scotland] and applied the time-honored techniques to produce the best possible straight rye whiskey. Each of the five whiskeys in the blend was curated from Cooper’s extensive collection of more than 50 straight rye whiskeys of various ages. They were married together in vats, further aged until the flavors were optimally harmonized and then bottled in Philadelphia.

Now whether American consumers will find this to be of interest enough to shell out around $35 for a 750 ml bottle remains to be seen. It could, perhaps, be a good mixing whiskey in cocktails such as Manhattans, Sazeracs, Old-Fashioneds and Juleps.

Those wanting to seek out a bottle of the 100 proof Hochstadter’s Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey can try to hunt down one for sale online here. Limited tasting notes are below, meanwhile, courtesy of Copper Spirits.

Round and concentrated on the palate, Hochstadter’s Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey exudes notes of blackstrap molasses, nutmeg, mace, clove, German-style rye bread and sour cherries.