Rossville Union Rye Whiskey Review

ROSSVILLE UNION MASTER CRAFTED STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Rossville Distillery (MGP)
• MASH BILL: Blend of MGP’s 51% and 95% rye mash bills
• AGE: Blend of 5-6 year old whiskeys from a total of 159 barrels
• YEAR: 2018
• PROOF: 94 (47% ABV)
• MSRP: $39.99
• BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com

POPS' NOTES

NOSE: Crisp Rye | White Pepper | Buttery | Mint

TASTE: Caramelized Sugar | Rye Spice | Hint of Mint – surprisingly sweet for a rye whiskey

FINISH: Sweet sugar flows into a short finish accompanied by pepper and oak notes. Not only was the finish shorter than expected, it wasn’t followed up by any type of throat surge or burn.

SHARE WITH: Anyone who enjoys rye whiskey or is wanting to give rye whiskey a try.

WORTH THE PRICE: At $39.99 for a bottle of solid MGP rye you can’t go wrong.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: If you enjoy rye whiskey don’t hesitate to grab a bottle. It won’t change your religion, but it’s a solid rye whiskey that won’t break the bank.

OVERALL: With this release, I continue to be happy with MGP’s foray into releasing their own brands. None of them will be winning whiskey of the year accolades, but they’re all solid expressions of what MGP has been doing well for decades. (I’m still waiting for that MGP label that blows my mind. I just hope MGP hasn’t been letting their barrel sourcing clients take all of the great barrels resting in their rick houses.)

Rossville Union Straight Rye whiskey proudly displays what you’d expect from an MGP rye at 94 proof. It works well in a cocktail or can be enjoyed neat if preferred. For the latter, though it’s not robust enough to be part of my regular drinking rotation. But for those that don’t have a preference for 100+ proof bottles, Rossville Union might be perfect served neat.  But, based on personal experience, I can attest to the fact that it’s tasty over ice on a hot and humid evening. I recommend grabbing a bottle and taking it for a spin to find out how you like it best.

BRAND NOTES

Rossville Union Master Crafted Rye Whiskey Overview:

Rossville Union Master Crafted Rye Whiskey combines the finest rye whiskeys we distill and have aged 5-6 years.

What age is Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey?

Rossville Union Master Crafted Rye Whiskey is a combination of our finest 5-6-year-old rye whiskeys.

What is the mash bill of Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey?

We produce a variety of rye whiskey mash bills and have mingled (or combined) them to provide a complex and smooth rye whiskey experience. We have focused this bottling on a combination of our 51% and 95% rye mash bills.

ROSSVILLE UNION MASTER CRAFTED BARRELK PROOF STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY BOTTLE DETAILS

• DISTILLER: Rossville Distillery (MGP)
• MASH BILL: Blend of MGP’s 51% and 95% rye mash bills
• AGE: Blend of 5-6 year old whiskeys from a total of 83 barrels
• YEAR: 2018
• PROOF: 112.6 (56.3% ABV)
• MSRP: $69.99
• BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com

POPS' NOTES

NOSE: Black Pepper (big pop upfront) | Dill | Black Tea

TASTE: Vanilla |  Bitter Oak  | Smoke  |  Burnt Sugar

FINISH: Medium finish with more oak and burnt sugar notes and a dash of orange zest. Unfortunately the bitter oak remains and keeps distracting me from the sweet caramel and orange flavors crying to get out.

SHARE WITH: I’d hold this one for your friends that know their rye whiskey well and are well versed in MGP stocks.

WORTH THE PRICE: At around $70 I would expect better balance and limited tannins in the whiskey. I keep hoping it opens up more as the bottle is open but it’s already been two weeks and its not getting better. For my palate it’s just not worth the price.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Your first taste of this one should be at a bar. If it suits you, buy a bottle. It’s not cheap but compared to other recent releases it’s by far a better value.

OVERALL: Mark this down on your calendar folks. Today is the day I tell you that I prefer the non-barrel proof expression of a whiskey. Strange, right? I’ve tried both whiskeys multiple times and I keep returning to the same place. The lower proof release is better balanced and doesn’t have the bitterness of the barrel proof release. I’m definitely disappointed about this one. Here’s hoping that future batches are more balanced and with less tannins in the mix.

BRAND NOTES

Rossville Union Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey Overview:

Rossville Union Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey is a high proof rye whiskey aged for 5-6 years.

What age is Rossville Union Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey?

Rossville Union Barrel Proof is a 5-6-year-old straight rye whiskey.

What is the mash bill of Rossville Union Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey?

Rossville Union Barrel Proof features some of the highest rye whiskey we make and is extremely smooth at 112.6 proof. As with our Master Crafted expression, we used both our 51% and 95% rye mash bills, averaging 6 years in age, to deliver a bold, but surprisingly smooth Rye whiskey.

MGP INGREDIENTS LAUNCHES ROSSVILLE UNION MASTER CRAFTED STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY, ADDING TO THE COMPANY’S BRANDED PORTFOLIO

AVAILABLE IN TWO EXPRESSIONS, MASTER CRAFTED AND BARREL PROOF STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEYS SHOWCASE GENERATIONS OF EXPERTISE AND BOLD CHARACTER FROM THE HISTORIC DISTILLERY IN LAWRENCEBURG, INDIANA

May 9, 2018 (Lawrenceburg, IN) – MGP Ingredients is proud to announce the launch of Rossville Union, their first proprietary Rye Whiskey label. Named after the founding distillery in Lawrenceburg, Rossville Union represents a historic return to the home of crafted rye whiskey and honors a spirited tradition that dates back more than 170 years in America’s original “Whiskey City.” Known as the “Masters of Rye,” the expert distillery team in Lawrenceburg brings generations of craftsmanship, heritage and passion to the making of the highest quality rye whiskey.

“With Rossville Union we deliver two unique, perfectly-balanced rye whiskeys that shows our distilling and blending expertise and character – at its boldest,” says Andrew Mansinne, Vice President of Brands, MGP Ingredients. “Rossville Union is crafted in the heart of rye whiskey country, in one of the most storied distilleries in the nation that has been in continuous production for almost two centuries.”

Rossville Union is available in two expressions: Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey and Rossville Union Master Crafted Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey. In keeping with the historic legacy of the brand, the bottle design is a flask shape molded in an apothecary style with the Rossville Union name and “1847” distillery-of-origin date embossed into the glass. Both products are expertly blended from the extensive barrel reserves at MGP Ingredients, a distinction which is cited on the label with the number of “barrels used” in each release, notably 159 for Master Crafted and 83 barrels for Barrel Proof.

Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey offers a balance of sweet oak with rye spice. Aged at least four years, this crafted rye delivers a sweet caramel nose, a fruit forward palate and a smoky, spicy body that finishes clean. At 94 proof, Rossville Union Master Crafted is perfect on the rocks or in cocktails. The singular craftsmanship of the Masters of Rye takes centerstage with Rossville Union Master Crafted Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey. Drawn from 83 of the distillery’s finest barrel reserves, Barrel Proof over-delivers with a spicy, vanilla nose, wood and caramel notes, and an exceptionally balanced oak and spice finish. Boldly bottled at 112.6 proof, Rossville Union Barrel Proof is a full, but balanced cask-strength rye whiskey experience, crafted to enjoy neat, on the rocks or with a splash of water.

Rossville Union Master Crafted Straight Rye Whiskey retails for $39.99 per 750-ml bottle. Rossville Union Master Crafted Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey is available for $69.99 per 750-ml bottle. Both products will launch in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio and Wisconsin as of June 2018.

Disclaimer: Rossville Union & MGP provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.