Hard Truth Distilling recently announced the upcoming release of Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye, the first whiskey distilled, aged and bottled on the distillery’s 325-acre campus in Indiana.
The inaugural batch will be a small batch of 30, two to three-year-old barrels, uncut, unfiltered and bottled at barrel strength. It will be available in limited quantities on Black Friday, Nov. 25.
This is the first release in what will become a series of sweet mash whiskeys that Hard Truth offers. In the coming years, Hard Truth will introduce whiskeys from four unique rye mash bills and unique bourbon mash bills, bringing a variety of new flavor profiles to market.
“We’re on the forefront of a new era of whiskey-making as sweet mash pioneers here in the state of Indiana, ” said Hard Truth Master Distiller Bryan Smith in a prepared statement. “There’s a small, but mighty group of distillers making sweet mash whiskey and celebrating this innovative way of making whiskey. I feel honored and proud to be in such great company,” Smith added, nodding to the quality whiskeys they are creating.”
Most whiskies are made using the sour mash method, which uses leftover mash from previous distillations in every new batch of whiskey.
“The standard sour mash process can mute some amazingly complex and pleasant grain flavors that the sweet mash process tends to highlight. It’s a more expensive and labor intensive process to make whiskey this way, but the final product speaks for itself,” explained Smith. “Our sweet mash rye whiskey has a layered and complex flavor profile and the sweetness of the grain features more prominently on the palate. Most people expect savory and spicy only from a rye whiskey, but with our sweet mash, expect bright fruit, complex brown sugar and mocha with baking spice in the finish.”
The Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye is described by the brand as having an aroma featuring bright notes of mocha, nutmeg and ripe orchard fruit. It offers rich toffee, brown sugar, and peach flavors and a smooth finish with lingering notes of chocolate, oak and pepper.
Available in 750 mL bottles, Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye whiskey Batch #001 is bottled at 115.2 proof with a 57.6 percent ABV. Bottles will be available for purchase at the distillery and in select retailers throughout Hard Truth’s distribution area with a suggested retail price of $69.95.
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