Lock Stock & Barrel Rye Whiskey Drifts Into 18-Year-Old Range

Lock Stock & Barrel Rye Whiskey, as we’ve explored in the past, is one of the oldest rye whiskeys on the American market these days. It last year was showcased as a 16 year old expression that won best rye whiskey at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and now Cooper Spirits, a non-distilling whiskey producer, is debuting a bottling that’s two years older.

The new Lock Stock & Barrel 18 Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey, according to those behind it, is the third and newest release in this series. It is a sourced expression, double distilled from a mash bill of 100 percent rye grain that’s been aged in “new charred American Oak barrels in cold weather for 18 years and bottled at 109 proof.”

“At 18 years of age, this limited release is one of the oldest rye whiskies available today,” said Robyn Greene, SVP of Marketing and Innovation at The Cooper Spirits Company, in a prepared statement. “It’s truly special, bold yet perfectly balanced, smooth and flavorful.”

This whiskey, like those before it, comes in a matte black glass bottle that sports a embossed label and wood cork closure. It will be available in very limited numbers across the US for around $230 a bottle, and you’ll find limited official tasting notes below for your consideration.

A deeply intense, yet harmonious straight rye, with rich and unified notes that suggest hot, buttered gingerbread, dried peach, toasted pecan, ripe honeydew and tobacco leaf.