Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye

Young, wet oak and grain nose. Flower petals, bright citrus, candied grains, spice, honeyed toast. Solid Indy hug.

This whisky is copper colored in the glass. It cost me $69.99 for a fifth at the Mountain Run location of Kelly Liquors here in Albuquerque. It's 117.6 proof, and the age statement - in fine print on the back - says AGED: OVER 2 YEARS OLD. It also says it's DISTILLED IN INDIANA, but since Hard Truth is in Nashville, IN that doesn't tell us whether it's from MGP or it's from Hard Truth's own stills. With such a young age, I'm inclined to think it's the latter (it doesn't, by the way, taste young). [edit] I realized later that the bottom strip on the front of the bottle settles this question. It says that the whisky is MASHED, DISTILLED & AGED IN CHARRED, AMERICAN OAK BARRELS/BROWN COUNTY, INDIANA. This means that it is Hard Truth's own juice. [end edit] The mash bill is 94% rye and 6% barley, which is close to, but not identical with, the famous MGP rye mash bill that Sagamore Spirit and Bulleit (and no doubt others) have used. NOSE: Cool spring water, brown sugar, honey butter, cinnamon rolls, Dove milk chocolate, chocolate cake, and something buttery and savory that I can't identify. I have the distinct impression that there's a lot more in the nose that I couldn't sort out - I kept going back and going back, even after I began sipping, and I never was satisfied that I was discerning all it had to offer. MOUTHFEEL: Slightly creamy. TASTE: I have learned that when I find a lot on the nose two things will be true - I won't be able to get nearly as much on the palate, and I'll like it. Both are true here. On the palate I get dark brown sugar, milk chocolate, cinnamon, melted butter, and a pure sugary note that makes me think of rock candy. FINISH: The finish is on the short end of medium, and gives me mint (the first time I've ever gotten that note, even from a rye), eucalyptus, and a tinge of oak. The finish is more pleasant than this description indicates - I really enjoy it, and wish it would keep going. SUMMARY: This is an extremely good rye whisky. It's almost as good as Sagamore Spirit, and it's not as aggressive with the rye notes as Sagamore is. Someone who likes bourbon and likes proof, but isn't a big fan of rye, could very well enjoy this stuff. That describes me, and I really like this. RATING: My hick scale, as I've mentioned before, has eight levels, and 1 is the lowest. This whisky gets the seventh level, Right Fine. That's the same as 4.375 stars, or 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.

Sweet, spicy, peppery, with a nice Indiana hug. This will be a staple on my shelf. I would lov to see a 8, 10, or 12 year version of this.

MASH BILL 1 RACKHOUSE // No.1 BATCH # // 002 BATCH SIZE // 30 barrels DUMPED ON // 11/23/21 PROOF // 116 ABV // 58 NEAT NOSE - Green Apple, Green Jolly Rancher, and Honey PALATE - Pretty sweet with the a touch of spice. The green apple and honey come through nicely on the palate. It isn’t very deep or bold in flavor and the youth is apparent. Otherwise, still pretty good. FINISH - Long, surprisingly. The finish is full of green apple skins, nothing more. It’s very smooth for its proof and a nice sipper. BUY? - Yes. The price is up there considering it’s age but I love supporting craft and I’m excited to see where they take this with age. BUY AGAIN? - I’d be interested in some store picks if I come across them and especially future batches as this stuff gets older.

I am really impressed with this sweet mash rye. In a market where rye varies greatly, this one is right up my alley. Spice, rich, sweet and a nice proof.

Not bad enough waste but not good enough to guy again. It sat on the shelf for a while. The ptoof is great, doesnt bring much else.