Buzzard’s Roost Whiskey Introduces New Smoked Barrel Rye

Buzzard’s Roost Whiskey recently introduced a new Smoked Barrel Rye for the whiskey market.

A statement from the distiller notes that this expression features the complex flavor profile of Buzzard’s Roost enhanced by a subtle, smoky flavor.

“We love creating new and delicious flavor profiles through the alchemy of our secondary barrel treatments,” said Buzzard’s Roost Co-founder and CEO Judy Hollis Jones, in the prepared statement. “Smoked Barrel Rye is a perfect example of how our use of Char 1 barrels, our proprietary toast profiles and a subtle pre-smoking of the barrels results in a whiskey unlike any other.”

Jason Brauner, co-founder and master blender for Buzzard’s Roost, said this rye shows what maturation of whiskey means to Buzzard’s Roost. “Our barrels are our ‘spice rack,’ bringing complex aromas and flavors to each of our whiskeys.”

The distiller’s notes show that Buzzard’s Roost Smoked Barrel Rye has aromas of cinnamon, cardamom and banana bread on the nose, layered over vanilla and caramel notes. On the palate, it has notes of sweet candied orange, vanilla, caramel and baking spices balanced with a campfire note.

It’s a four-year-old sourced whiskey that was double-barreled into new American oak barrels that were toasted and then lightly smoked. The mash bill is 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley. The Smoked Rye clocks in at 105 proof (52.5 percent ABV) and has a suggested retail price of $70 per 750ml bottle.

Buzzard’s Roost is a female-led brand launched in Kentucky in 2019, and has since expanded into Massachusetts, Ohio, New Mexico, Arkansas, Tennessee, Louisiana, Illinois, North Carolina, Georgia, and Victoria, Canada.