I'm not an expert on Rye whiskey, but visited the distillery at Mount Vernon and paid $88 for a $375 ml. This whiskey is CLEAR. It is a white whiskey. After the explanation of the ingredients, I asked about gypsum, and anyone who has seen recipes on the internet (or Moonshiners) includes gypsum in the recipe. The Master Distiller at MV said there is no record of gypsum being used in the whiskies at MV. They only distill in March and November, so when it's gone, it's gone.(went inApril, got 2016 bottle #61). I'm a fan of pot distilled whiskey (and abhor column distilling). I found the novelty of this whiskeyworth the price. I will enjoy sharing it with friends who will appreciate it.