Menomonee Valley Straight Bourbon Lays Claim to Old American Craft Whiskey

In this stage of American craft whiskey, much of what is coming out to market is three years of age or under. It is rare to see anything at the five year mark, and as for above that, well, that is a super rare sight indeed. It is thus fascinating to learn about a very limited edition release bourbon out of Wisconsin known as Menomonee Valley Straight Bourbon which lays claim to being seven years old.

The new Menomonee Valley Straight Bourbon is produced by Great Lakes Distillery, based in Milwaukee. It was produced from a mash bill of four grains, including 52% corn, 30% rye, 6% wheat, and 12% malted barley, before being aged seven years in full size, 53 gallon barrels. Following that it was recently bottled at 90 proof.

Only 1,010 bottles of this seven-year-old craft bourbon were released recently, with it going on sale only in Wisconsin as far as we are aware of. Very limited, official tasting notes are at the end of the story for the curious. The namesake for this whiskey, Menomonee Valley, is said to have once been a wetland cut by the Menomonee River where rice grew in abundance. There was a distillery in the region at one point, in part because because there was “fresh water ideal for the production of whiskey and the cattle that devoured the distillery’s spent mash.”

Floral nose with hints of green apple. Vanilla, oak and walnut on the palate.