J. Rieger & Co. Debuts First Whiskey Distilled In Kansas City Since Prohibition

After six years in the barrel, Kansas City distiller J. Rieger & Co. released earlier this month into the wild their first whiskey distilled on site, its Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey.

This marks the first whiskey distilled by J. Rieger & Co. for nearly a century, and it also is the first whiskey to be distilled in Kansas City since Prohibition. The brand itself dates back to 1887.

Currently, about 6,000 bottles are available at the J. Rieger & Co. distillery and in select markets throughout the country, including AR, CA, CO, DC, DE, GA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MN, MO, NE, NJ, NY, OK, TN and WI.

J. Rieger & Co. hosted a Rieger’s Rye Release Celebration at the distillery for its release, with guests touring the tasting room, buying bottles, and visiting with founders Ryan Maybee and Andy Rieger, along with head distiller Nathan Perry.

“This product is a tribute to Dave Pickerell, the larger-than-life legendary master distiller, who was kind enough to bestow upon us his knowledge and passion for creating the finest whiskeys in America,” said co-founder, Ryan Maybee, in a prepared statement. “And to Kansas City, our hometown since 1887, for supporting us, believing in us, and rooting us on. This is your whiskey to show the world. We’re just getting started.”

The Rieger’s 2021 Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey, barreled in the fall of 2015, comes in at 100 proof. According to the distillery it is a pot distilled rye that consists of 96% rye and 4% malted barley. It was aged in new charred white oak barrels from Independent Stave, and the distilling team chose a batch of barrels from the fall distilling season of 2015 for this release.

Official tasting notes make mention of “aromas of caramelized orange and fresh baked bread. Flowery notes of orange blossom and cut grass. Flavors of toasted cedar, five spice, salty sunflower seeds & cinnamon. Mid-palate is rich with chocolate-covered cherries, buttered popcorn, and a lingering spicy fruit-jam character. A cherry-cola like quality. A long finish with drier notes of sage, mint, and a little toasted coconut. Extremely balanced and pleasant to revisit with each sip.”