American

Hard Truth Harvest Sweet Mash Straight Rye Whiskey

$69.95

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Hard Truth Harvest Sweet Mash Straight Rye Whiskey

by Jennifer Williams
October 25, 2023

Tasting Notes:

About:

106 proof (53% ABV); 750 ML bottle; MSRP $69.95.

Appearance:

Tawny.

Nose:

On the nose are aromas of warm spices, peppercorn, toffee, lush green grass, and orchard fruit.

Palate:

The palate offers lots of spice along with flavors of cereal, malt, vanilla, nutmeg, and toasted oak. . Its well-balanced with good complexity and a lush, long finish. Overall, this is a solid sipping American rye whiskey that provides a well-balanced, terroir driven depth of character. Sending User Review 4.67 (3 votes) Buy A Bottle Share: XFacebookLinkedInEmail Drinks Aizome Island Tropical Style Minor Cobbler Strawberry Rhubarb Julep Crimson & Clover Club Wynken, Blynken, & Nog Related Articles Whiskey Review: Highline Triple Rye Whiskey Editors Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Highline Triple Rye Whiskey American / Reviews Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke American Whiskey Editors Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke American Whiskey American / Reviews Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 14.3 Editors Note: This whisky was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 14.3 Reviews / Scotch Whisky Review: Glenglassaugh 12 Years Old Editors Note: This whisky was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whisky Review: Glenglassaugh 12 Years Old Reviews / Scotch Whiskey Review: Highline American Whiskey Editors Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Highline American Whiskey American / Reviews Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke Rye Whiskey Editors Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke Rye Whiskey American / Reviews Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 14.2 Editors Note: This whisky was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whisky Review: Bruichladdich Octomore 14.2 Reviews / Scotch Whisky Review: Glenglassaugh Sandend Editors Note: This whisky was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whisky Review: Glenglassaugh Sandend Reviews / Scotch Whiskey Review: Highline Straight Kentucky Whiskey Editors Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Highline Straight Kentucky Whiskey American / Reviews Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke Bourbon Editors Note: This whiskey was… READ ARTICLE ? about Whiskey Review: Savage & Cooke Bourbon Bourbon / Reviews Jennifer Williams Jennifer Williams is a former Dallas, Texas bartender of 15 years where she developed an appreciation for patrons with a healthy respect for great whiskey. She moved to Portland, Oregon in 2019 where she graduated from Portland State University as an English Literature major with a minor in Writing. While… More by Jennifer Williams Follow us on Twitter Find us on Facebook Follow us on Instagram Connect with on on LinkedIn About Advertise Subscribe Editorial Standards Privacy Policy Terms of Use

Finish:

Comments:

This is a good rye whiskey with a broad flavor profile that has a rustic and earthy quality. It has a smooth mouthfeel once you get past the high proof bite on the palate. Its well-balanced with good complexity and a lush, long finish. Overall, this is a solid sipping American rye whiskey that provides a well-balanced, terroir driven depth of character.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link in this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.

In collaboration with Mellencamp Whiskey Company, Hard Truth Distilling Co. launched their Harvest Sweet Mash Straight Rye Whiskey in September of this year. This expression is the first in a four collector series of whiskeys from the Nashville, Indiana based distillery.

Hard Truth was founded in 2015, and after quickly outgrowing their first distillery they started construction on a new one in 2017. The new 50,000 square-foot facility comes complete with a state-of-the-art Vendome Copper & Brass distilling system. Their second rackhouse, completed in June of 2023, is capable of holding 4,000 to 20,000 barrels of their sweet mash whiskies.

Bottled at 106 proof, Hard Truth Harvest Sweet Mash Straight Rye features a new mash bill of 100% grains grown by Hard Truth’s state of Indiana farmer partners located near the Brown County based distillery. Hard Truth’s Master Distiller Bryan Smith worked in partnership with Mellencamp Whiskey Company founders Hud Mellencamp and Levi Collison to hand select and then combine each whiskey expression in the series.

“By supporting and collaborating closely with our local farmers we are able to offer the highest quality and hyper-regional flavor profile in our whiskeys,” said Smith in a prepared statement. “It is our farmer’s dedication to sustainable farming that inspired us to create our new ‘Grounded in Truth’ campaign that provides funding to educate others on how to grow the highest quality grains, while at the same time being good stewards of the land.”

The original artwork featured on each bottle is created by American singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, himself a native of Indiana. Set for release in the spring and fall, the four-part limited-edition collector series will feature Hard Truth’s award-winning Sweet Mash Rye whiskey.

Hard Truth Harvest Sweet Mash Straight Rye is available at select retailers across the U.S. for an MSRP of $69.95 for a 750ML bottle. A portion of sales from each bottle will be donated via Grounded in Truth, Hard Truth’s cause platform, to support Indiana’s sustainable farming initiatives and local farming families.