Four Gate Whiskey out of Kentucky recently released its 11th batch of whiskey: a seven-year-old Indiana straight rye whiskey. Called “Ruby Rye Springs,” it is finished for forty-two days in some rather unique “Ruby Port-Rum” casks. This is the third release of this underlying whiskey, coming after the River Kelvin Rye and the Split Salve by Kelvin.
These Ruby Port-Rum casks were first used to mature ruby port, a fortified wine from Portugal. Since the wine is removed from barrels and stored in tanks to prevent further aging in those cases, the casks are said to have a sweeter, brighter effect on the palate than other styles of port wine.
Those casks, once emptied, were then used to age a blend of rums at Virago Spirits in Richmond, VA. This second round of aging on the casks reportedly gave a molasses sweetness.
“The moment we found these barrels, we knew what we were doing with them,” Chief Blending Officer Bill Straub said in a prepared statement. “They were crying out for rye whiskey, and I really think this is one of the best products we’ve bottled.”
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Just 1,444 bottles were produced from the distillery, all at 113.4 proof. They will be sold at a suggested retail price of $185 per bottle in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia, as well as being available online through Seelbachs.com and BourbonOutfitter.com.
Official tasting notes for this whiskey are below.
- Nose: Fruit cake, tart gum drops, lemon and orange zest, and spicy rye.
- Taste: A sweet-tart red berry note greets the tip of the tongue with a spicy black pepper flowing down the center palate. Raspberries and blueberries surround the periphery with a hint of citrus rounding out the taste.
- Finish: Medium-to-long, the black pepper and sweet red fruits dominate the start, with sweet molasses rounding out the viscous mouthfeel.
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