Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey Reborn In Kansas City

Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey is one of those many pre-Prohibition whiskey labels which had a good run in its day before dying off due to the onset of tight government controls on liquor. The brand is said to have then sat dormant for nearly a century before being brought back by J. Rieger & Co, a Kansas City distillery we highlighted some time ago for their sherry-influenced Rieger’s Kansas City Whiskey. The initial release of this resurrected label is now upon us, courtesy of a limited edition bottling.

The Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey (2017 Oloroso Bota) is a 1,000 bottle run Rieger and team see as the first in a series of annual expressions which will rotate through different styles of whiskey, finishing techniques, type of barrels, proof, age, and other factors. For this year they’ve crafted a blended whiskey from sourced product that’s finished in century old Oloroso Sherry botas:

• ABV: 52%
• Proof: 104
• Blend: 9-year old Corn Whiskey, blended with 11-year old Rye Whiskey. Finished for 18 months.
• Botas: Williams & Humbert Solera Especial 15-year Oloroso Dulce. Century old, 500-liter American oak.

The resulting whiskey is said to be non-chill filtered and of natural color, with the latter the result of using well aged whiskeys and their finishing in the sherry botas. Should you seek out a bottle, expect to drop $100.

“There has never been a whiskey that tastes like this, or was made like this … ever,” said Steve Olson, a partner in the distillery and the person responsible for sourcing the botas, to the Kansas City Star in a recent interview. It is noted as well in this interview these botas are part of a solera system which houses the sherry used in the blending process for the flagship Kansas City Whiskey.