AUSTIN, TEXAS — Garrison Brothers Distillery, the first bourbon distillery in America opened beyond Kentucky and the first legal whiskey distillery in Texas, has announced the release of Hye Rye, the company’s first-ever rye-based bourbon. This limited-run, experimental expression is a 98-proof rye bourbon whiskey that pays homage to the deep roots rye whiskey has in American distilling history.

Rye, known as the “flavor grain,” yields spicy and savory notes that are unique amongst Garrison Brother’s portfolio of ultra-premium, Texas-born bourbon whiskies. Where bourbons tend to be sweeter and smokier with hints of caramel, rye whiskey is spicier, including notes of pepper, grass, and grain. It has been distilled in America since the late 1700s.

For Garrison Brothers, the production of Hye Rye dates back to 2012 when Master Distiller, Donnis Todd, sourced several hundred bags of organic rye from Justin Crownover’s Lonestar Family Farms in Sunray, Texas. His goal was to create a sweet mash bill of 52% south Texas corn and 37% organic rye and 11% barley. Todd aged the test barrels for two years, tasting them at six-month intervals to assess flavor development. Although he was initially pleased with the progress of Hye Rye’s aging, Todd wanted a more robust flavor profile, so he decided to mature the bourbon for five additional years. In the summer of 2015, Todd and his production team strategically placed 14 barrels in rickhouses throughout the ranch to allow the flavors to evolve.

Every expression of Garrison Brothers bourbon is made from a sweet mash bill and barrel-aged in the intense Texas climate. Hye Rye is no different. The extreme heat creates multiple aging seasons in a year, resulting in a darker, richer, and fuller bourbon; bolder than almost any other bourbon on the market.

Read more at source: bevnet

Image source: garrisonbros