Hard Truth Distillery recently released the 2022 edition of their Master Distiller’s Reserve Collection, a limited-time bottling of three rye whiskey mash bills.
All three expressions come under Hard Truth’s Sweet Mash Rye label and will be available in limited quantities in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Florida, Michigan, Missouri, Massachusetts and Louisiana.
A statement from Hard Truth notes that the new collection includes a Chocolate Malt (RW-3), Caramel Malt (RW-4) and Malted Rye (RW-6). Each is mashed, distilled, aged, and bottled by the distillers at Hard Truth in Brown County, Indiana.
The distiller’s notes show that each mash bill uses specialty roasted malts to impart the flavors of each expression.
The chocolate malt is malted barley roasted to a dark color, which brings flavors of espresso and chocolate (like in a porter or stout beer).
Caramel is roasted half as long and is more like caramel corn or sticky toffee in its flavor contributions.
The Malted Rye is a 100% rye whiskey, which uses a portion of the mash bill in rye grain that’s been malted or sprouted and then kiln dried.
Each of these barrel-strength whiskeys comes from a group of eight to 10 barrels at the Hard Truth rackhouse.
Trending Stories
Hard Truth Master Distiller Bryan Smith said this will be an annual tradition at the distillery, as “moving forward, we’ll be releasing special sweet mash offerings in the Master Distiller’s Reserve collection every year at about this time.”
The 2022 Hard Truth Master Distiller’s Reserve Collection distiller’s notes:
Chocolate Malt Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey (RW-3):
Brings the deep, roasted chocolate espresso notes from chocolate malted barley to play with the sweetness of corn and the baking spice of rye grain. Batch 001 of mash bill RW-3 is a blend of eight barrels. A total of 300 six-pack cases will be available to all markets with the 2022 release. SRP is $89.99.
- Appearance: Oloroso Sherry.
- Aroma: Rich mocha, rye spice, and sweet cream with Dutch cocoa.
- Taste: Buttered brownie, toffee, and rye spice with a jammy layer of dried fruit.
- Finish: Bold lingering spice with fresh cracked black pepper and stone fruit that fade to coffee and a hint of oak.
Caramel Malt Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey (RW-4)
Exchanges the chocolate malt of Chocolate Malt Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey with caramel malted barley, providing caramel corn and sticky toffee notes to match the whiskey’s sweetness and rye spice. Batch 001 of mash bill RW-4 is a blend of eight barrels. A total of 300 six-pack cases will be available to all markets with the 2022 release. SRP is $89.99.
- Appearance: Oloroso sherry.
- Aroma: Caramel-draped vanilla custard with subtle hints of shortbread.
- Taste: Rich caramel, mocha, and maple lead to sweet cream and rye spice.
- Finish: Warm, lingering, and sweet with custard and apple that fade to light oak and bold spice.
Malted Rye Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey (RW-6)
A 100 percent rye whiskey, showcasing the depth and richness that comes from the malting process, Batch 001 is a blend of 10 barrels. A total of 300 six-pack cases will be available to all markets with the 2022 release. SRP is $89.99.
- Appearance: Auburn.
- Aroma: Sweet maple and butterscotch lead into bold spice and jammy fruit.
- Taste: Rich fruit, rye spice, and butterscotch with subtle notes of vanilla, oak, and cracked black pepper.
- Finish: Warm and lingering spice notes shift to toffee and dried fruit.
For more information or to find a bottle, check out www.hardtruthdistilling.com.
Latest News