The fast-growing brand Pinhook Bourbon has debuted their Vertical Series Rye 7-Year, blended from 28 of Pinhook’s barrels.
The Vertical Series follows a single group of bourbon and rye barrels sourced from Midwest Grain Products (MGP) as they mature from four to 12 years of age. Made with a set mash bill (95% rye and 5% malted barley), barrels and similar fill dates, the only thing that imparts new flavor in this liquid is the aging process itself.
For example, the 4-Year version of this rye was 97 proof. It had a nose of tangerine peel, cinnamon stick and toffee, the company reports, with a palate of dried apricot, molasses, toasted cedar and clove. The 7-Year release comes proofed at 105.12. It has notes of caramel, orange zest, cedar and clove on the nose, followed by a palate of chocolate, root beer, cardamom and tobacco.
“It has been amazing to see how this rye has matured throughout the years,” says Sean Josephs, founder and master blender, Pinhook. “From its first rendition to this most recent release, the liquid has been transformed. We’re no stranger to pushing boundaries and this series might be our biggest boundary-breaker yet. We only wish we made some more.”
Sticking with its racehorse theme, Pinhook depicts Tiz Rye Time on each of the Vertical Series Bottles. Tiz Rye Time is a thoroughbred colt that competed at Churchill Downs, Keeneland and Saratoga Springs racetracks. With the same horse on each bottle representing this series, the different vintages can be identified by the geometric shapes on their labels, which change every year, as well as the age statement on the top label.
The Vertical Series casks are aged and blended at Castle & Key, the former Old Taylor Distillery, in Frankfort, Kentucky, with which the brand has held a distilling partnership since 2017.
Pinhook 7-Year Vertical Series has a suggested retail price of $77.99 per 750-ml. bottle. It is available through Breeze, Pinhook’s text-to-buy platform, as well as select retailers nationwide.
