Caleb's Crossing A Blend of Straight Bourbon & Rye Whiskey

While we’ve been following these releases for some time, we’re excited to share the newest release from Caleb’s Crossing Whiskey Company here on Seelbach’s for the first time.

In 2023, friend of Seelbach’s David Jennings set out to build something alongside his father. Coming from different worlds, David rooted in American whiskey and his father's interests in French wine and brandy, they found middle ground through blending and cask finishing.

Their first project brought Pineau de Charentes and Armagnac casks from France to Kentucky, adding layers of flavor while keeping the base whiskey intact. After months of dialing in the process, their first bottling was completed in early 2025, along with a name that reflects both sides of that influence. 

Caleb’s Crossing traces back to Caleb Jennings, a Revolutionary War soldier whose journey eventually led him to a French Huguenot settlement in South Carolina. That intersection of American and French culture carries through the brand, from the label artwork depicting his travels to the coin and fife-and-drum details honoring his story.

The whiskey itself follows that same spirit of exploration. It was their Pineau de Charentes finished rye that really left an impression with me, coming in 6th on my Top 10 Finished Whiskeys of 2025 list, but this new blend of bourbon and rye just may be my favorite release from the brand thus far, and a fantastic combination of the two spirits. 

Instead of leaning into the typical bourbon-forward “bourye” profile, this blend flips the script, combining 8-year Kentucky bourbon with 12-year Indiana 95/5 rye, giving the rye a more mature, expressive role.

The result is a barrel-proof blend that balances both sides, creamy caramel and aged oak layered with black cherry, spice, and a lingering, slightly candied edge. I can already tell you this will make an appearance in my end of year lists here in 2026.

The nose is vivid, aromatic, and full of life, with peach ring candies, Luxardo cherry syrup, dried pineapple, cake batter, and that beautiful push/pull of sweetly mature oak. It’s playfully fragrant yet robust and complex, growing more dense and jammy the longer it rests.
 

The palate is fantastic. You’re hit immediately with loads of spiced caramel apples and gobs of mature oak, but right after, you run into a candied juiciness akin to cherry and pineapple Life Savers and the butteriness of fresh white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, closing with a nipping mix of spice from white pepper, cardamom, and clove.

 
The finish is long and chewy, lingering with boozy cream soda, peach bitters, and heavy simple syrup, with well-seasoned oak and spice continuing on.