Stoll & Wolfe Pure Rye Single Barrel Cask Strength

I’d like to thank Stoll & Wolfe and their PR partners for providing this sample bottle with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Stoll & Wolfe Distillery Pennsylvania Single Barrel Rye Whiskey, 100% Pure Rye, 107 proof, photographed on a snowy deck with warm amber whiskey glowing in winter light.

Hello my friends. Tonight we have a real treat for you. Stoll & Wolfe Pure Rye Single Barrel Cask Strength is described by the distillery as an interpretation on the historic Monongahela-style of Rye Whiskey that was once much more common than it is today. It was a rye whiskey developed along the Monongahela River, which flows through West Virginia and Western Pennsylvania before joining the Allegheny at Pittsburgh to form the Ohio River.

Now, being in Lititz, PA, Stoll & Wolfe aren’t necessarily very close to that Monongahela River Valley (being about as close to it as I am to the U.P. of Michigan from here in the Twin Cities of Minnesota), but that doesn’t mean they can’t have a lot of state pride in their regional whiskey style. I know I would.

But, to me as a history nut, the most intriguing thing about this whiskey is the guy who helped start the company—and has his name on the bottle. Dick Stoll was the last distiller at a (now) pretty famous Pennsylvania distillery. It went by many names over the years, but the two that are most well known these days are Bomberger’s Distillery and Michter’s Distillery (this was back before the current owners of the Michter’s name acquired the lapsed trademark and started making their own pretty darn tasty whiskeys under the name). Here is the brief synopsis quoted from the Stoll & Wolfe website:

Dick Stoll’s roots stretch back to his tenure at the historic Pennsylvania Michter’s Distillery. There, under the mentorship of Master distiller C. Everett Beam, Stoll honed his skills and mastered the particular style of Pennsylvania whiskey distillation.

Despite Pennsylvania Michter’s closure in the 1980s, Stoll’s passion for both whiskey and the region has endured. As a capstone to his career, he partnered with Avianna and Erik Wolfe to revive the historic legacy right here in Lititz, Pennsylvania.

I’ve been reading a lot about Mr. Stoll over the course of the last couple of days in preparation for this review. I’d do a hell of a lot worse than these legendary Whiskey writers so I’m just going to point you to them instead. Here is Lew Bryson’s remembrance of Dick Stoll upon the occasion of his death in 2020. And of course, the book that brought my attention to the history of the Pennsylvania Michter’s Distillery and those that worked there Chuck Cowdery’s The Best Bourbon You’ll Never Taste (I also reviewed said book shortly after it was released, in case you wonder what I thought of it back in 2012).

Now, before you go read all those links, let’s get into the reason we are all here. The actual whiskey. Stoll & Wolfe Pure Rye Single Barrel Cask Strength was made from a mash bill of 80% Rosen Rye and 20% malted rye. This rye strain was almost lost to history until local farmers worked with the distillery to recover it. The rye is made using a sweet mash process that doesn’t use any “setback” from previous runs to help maintain pH levels. It’s a trickier process, as without the proper pH levels the mash could get infected by undesirable non-yeast organisms. It’s a much older mashing process, but it was the one most often used in Monongahela-style rye. The whiskey is bottled at 107 proof and is available from the distillery website for $78.15 per 750 mL bottle. Now let’s see how it tastes.

Stoll & Wolfe Pure Rye Single Barrel Cask Strength

Purchase Info: This sample was provided to me at no cost for review purposes. This item is available for nationwide shipping on the distillery website for $78.15 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $5.21

Details: Barrel 1225. Aged 34 months. 53.5% ABV. Mashbill: 80% Rosen Rye, 20% malted Rye.

Nose: Butterscotch, cedar, almond, and a faint note of wintergreen.

Mouth: Spicy & hot in the mouth with notes of allspice, cedar, wintergreen, peppermint, and almond.

Finish: Medium in warmth and length. Notes of butterscotch, cherry, mint, and baking spice.

IMAGE: a hand-drawn smiley face that denotes I like the product.

Thoughts: I'm really digging this one. The nose is super sweet, sweeter than most ryes. The mouth and finish bring more traditional rye notes to the party. Mouth is spicy and hot but the mint on the finish is almost cooling. It' is less than three years old, too young to be called whiskey in many countries, but is still a fully mature product. Young? Yes. Brash? At times. Delicious? Absolutely. I like this one a lot.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Rye Whiskey, 2nd Edition

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Bottle of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass 2nd Edition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, 105.2 proof, sitting on a wooden railing with a green yard and trees in the background.

Five point four inches of rain fell into my rain gauge last night. In twelve hours! That’s right, I’m the kind of old guy who now has a rain gauge. It’s handy for knowing whether I need to water the new tree in my front yard, but honestly, it’s also just satisfying to see how much that so-called “heavy” rain actually amounted to. You know, typical old guy stuff. Though I think this is still within the limits of acceptable behavior for an almost 50-year-old, but if my yard starts looking like a scientific outpost before I hit 68, someone step in, okay?

Anyway, as I wait for the waters to subside in my backyard, we might as well talk about whiskey. And tonight’s whiskey is a doozy. I’m just going to come right out and say that I was debating the rating of this one right up until I started typing.

See, tonight’s whiskey is the Second Edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, a limited release for 2025. This rye is made from a mashbill of 63% rye, 24% corn, and 13% malted barley. And they’re quick to point out that this is a higher rye content than Heaven Hill’s traditional rye whiskey. The corn used was Beck’s Hybrids 6225, sourced from Peterson Farms in Nelson County, Kentucky. The whiskey was distilled in 2018, entered the barrel at 107 proof, and was aged for over six years at Heaven Hill’s Cox’s Creek rickhouse. It is non-chill filtered and bottled at barrel proof, 105.2 proof (52.6% ABV).

Here is what the company has to say about the release:

“With this second edition of Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye, we’re proud to showcase not only the art of rye whiskey making but the full story behind every drop—from seed to barrel to bottle,” said Conor O’Driscoll, Master Distiller at Heaven Hill Distillery. “The unique mashbill and higher rye content bring a bold complexity, while the transparency we provide—from the corn varietal to the barrel entry proof—gives whiskey lovers an authentic connection to the process. This is a rye whiskey that speaks to our team’s dedication to precision and passion for innovation.”

Let’s dig in, shall we?

Heaven Hill Grain To Glass 2025: Rye Whiskey, 2nd Edition

Purchase Info: This sample was sent at no charge by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $99.99 for a 700 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.14

Details: Mash bill: 63% rye, 20% corn, 13% malt. Corn varietal: Beck's 6225. Barrelled at 107 proof. Bottled at 52.6% ABV. Distilled in 2018. Six years old.

Nose: Oak, almond, black tea, and orange zest.

Mouth: Oak, cinnamon, black tea, orange zest

Finish: Warm and on the lounger side of medium length. Notes of black tea, orange zest, a hint of peppermint, oak, and vanilla.

IMAGE: A hand-drawn smiley face. This denotes that I liked the product.

Thoughts: Halfway through the tasting, I checked to see if any of the local liquor store websites had this listed as "In Stock." There is one, and I’ll be picking it up if it remains there. (Notice I’m not saying where that is…)

This is a very, very good rye whiskey. It has enough sweetness to accent all the lovely flavors, but not so much that it overpowers them. I’m really digging the notes of black tea and orange zest. As far as I’m concerned, this is my favorite rye that I’ve had in a very long time. I don’t love the price, but if you can swing it, this is a worthwhile splurge. It is very interesting in the best way possible.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.

Townie Regular Bourbon, Townie Fine Rye, & Townie First Class Bourbon

I’d like to thank the folks at Bluebird Distilling and their PR partner for sending these samples with no strings attached.

IMAGE: Three bottles of Townie Whiskey on a wooden surface outdoors: Regular Bourbon (84 proof), Fine Rye Whiskey (86 proof), and First Class Bourbon (100 proof).

It has been a rough week since we last spoke. My wife’s grandmother passed at the age of 99, and one of my dogs may or may not have had a stroke. I’m pretty sure those two things are unrelated, as they never met each other. But there has been a lot of stress in the household as we worked through grief on two fronts.

The good news is that my pup seems to be getting better, even if she does currently need to be hand-fed like a baby. But the vet thinks it should be a temporary thing, so I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep my pup living a good life, even if that good life now seems like it will be shorter than it did at this time last week. So since I am not in a great headspace at the moment and because we have a lot to cover, let’s jump straight into the whiskeys, shall we?

Townie Whiskey is a brand of “procured” whiskey put out by Bluebird Distilling in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania. The line is not distilled in-house—at least not entirely—but are instead a line of less expensive offerings that are intended to be…they don’t explicitly say “well bourbon,” but that’s the vibe I’m getting from their marketing. Here is what the brand has to say for themselves:

The brainchild of Jared Adkins, founder and owner of Bluebird Distilling, Townie Whiskey is an approachable and economic counterpart to his scratch-made craft spirits. An unpretentious whiskey line made to be enjoyed straight up or paired with a light beer in a boiler maker. Adkins and his distillers hand selected barrels and blended each expression (with their own scratch-made juice) in order to deliver a high quality yet affordable product.

So, now onto the important part, how do they taste?

Townie Regular Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.33

Details: 42% ABV.

Nose: Green apple, dried grain, and fresh cut hay.

Mouth: Baking spice, apple and dried grain.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of green apple and fresh cut hay.

IMAGE: A neutral face because this isn't bad, but it isn't for me.

Thoughts: Not a fan of this one when poured neat. That said it does ok in a highball or an Old-fashioned. It's a little more expensive than I'd want my cocktail-only pour to be (almost 1.5 bottles of Wild Turkey 101) but pricing tolerance is a personal issue. I'm giving this one a neutral rating. It's not for me, but it isn't like there is anything objectively wrong with it.

Townie Fine Rye

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $34.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.33

Details: 43% ABV.

Nose: Cedar, wintergreen, and cinnamon

Mouth: Cedar, molasses, caramel, and a subdued cinnamon spice.

Finish: Bright and of medium length- Notes of cedar, molasses, cinnamon, and caramel.

IMAGE: A neutral face. This one isn't for me, but others may like it.

Thoughts: Neutral on this one too. I think the lack of proof on this dilutes it a little too much. It doesn't have the spicy burn I expect from a rye. This is not to say that it is bad; it is just that it isn't for me.

Townie First Class Bourbon

Purchase Info: This was sent by the producer for review purposes at no charge. The suggested retail price is $39.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $2.67

Details: 50% ABV.

Nose: Caramel, baking spice, and dried grain.

Mouth: Caramel, vanilla, baking spice, and green apple.

Finish: Medium in length and warmth. Lingering notes of floral vanilla, green apple, baking spice, and dried corn.

IMAGE: This is a smiley face. Because I like it.

Thoughts: This is much better than the 84° proof version of their bourbon. The online description says it is made from their favorite barrels. Which makes sense based on the increase in quality. I do think the added proof helps too. It has a nice burn throughout the tasting process. Just a touch more green apple and corn than I'd like on the finish, but this isn't bad. Much like all of these, I will probably set it aside for cocktail use, but this one especially would also be ok if it were just poured neat and served to me that way.

If you enjoy BourbonGuy.com, consider supporting us! Make a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. You can also shop our custom merch—tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more—at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER for 5% off orders of $50 or more!

Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Sazerac 18 Year Old Rye Whiskey

I’d like to thank the folks at Buffalo Trace for sending this sample with no strings attached.

IMAGE: A bottle of Sazerac 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, set outdoors on a wooden surface with a snowy background.

It’s a gloomy day today. We had a touch of snow, but it doesn’t look like any will stick around. Still, it feels cold and dreary—the kind of day when you wish your house had a fireplace so you could curl up under a blanket, watching the flames dance. And as evening sets in, if you were to pour yourself a glass of wine or a couple of ounces of something brown, well, who could blame you? Let’s be honest: on a day like this, that hypothetical glass might pair perfectly with tonight’s whiskey.

It’s been six years since I last reviewed a member of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Back then, the suggested price hovered around $100; now, it’s climbed to $150. But really, what whiskey hasn’t gone up in price over the last six years? Not many. This time, I got my hands on a sample of the 18-year-old Sazerac Rye. To put it into perspective, this stuff has been aging in a barrel longer than I’ve been writing about whiskey. Heck, it’s been in that barrel longer than I’ve been drinking whiskey—I only started diving seriously into the whiskey world around 2010.

So, let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Sazerac 18 Years Old

Purchase Info: This 100 mL sample was sent to me at no charge for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $149.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $10.00

Details: 45% ABV. 18 years old

Nose: Oak and leather lead the way, with notes of cinnamon and plum underneath.

Mouth: Leather, stone fruits, vanilla, cinnamon, and a hint of cedar.

Finish: Medium warmth and long. Notes of oak, cedar, cinnamon, and just the suggestion of anise.

IMAGE: This is a tasty rye whiskey. It gets a smile rating becasue I like it.

Thoughts: The barrel really takes the stage on this one—which makes sense, given that the whiskey sat in there for the better part of two decades. In fact, the barrel influence is so prominent that it wasn’t until a couple of sips in that I started picking up the cedar notes I associate with rye spice. That said, even though I’m sensitive to overly oaky whiskies, I really enjoy this one. If I happen to see it in a local liquor store lottery, you can bet I’ll be adding my name to the list.

If you want to support our work at BourbonGuy.com, please consider a one-time donation at ko-fi.com/bourbonguy or paypal.me/BourbonGuy. Or you could buy some merch that I’ve designed and/or built (tasting journals, t-shirts, stickers, pins, signs, posters, and more) at BourbonGuyGifts.com. Use code BOURBONGUYREADER at checkout for 5% off any order of $50 or more.