New HAZMAT Bourbons from J. Rieger & Co.

When you think of bourbon tourism, your mind likely doesn’t take you to Kansas City. But with multiple unique bars and restaurants, a rich historical exhibit, glass windows that let you peer in on their distilling operations, and yes, even a slide to take you from their second-floor lounge back to the gift shop, there is a lot to take in at J. Rieger & Co.

We’ve had several J. Rieger releases over the years, but the fan favorites have always been these bourbons, especially when they come in at proofs like these. There’s just something magical about the combination of age, their 56% corn, 30% rye, 14% malted barley mashbill, aging location, and proof that creates whiskey that drinks significantly older than it is.

Today, we’re back with a pair of new HAZMAT single barrels.

Jacob Rieger & Company was founded in 1887 in Kansas City’s West Bottoms Livestock Exchange district. The brand offered more than 100 alcoholic products and took pride in maintaining a quarter of a million customers, including through its mail-order delivery service. J. Rieger & Co. became yet another casualty of Prohibition, only to be reborn in 2014 when its co-founders, including the great-great-great-grandson of Jacob Rieger, resurrected the brand.

Barrel 4383 is 5 years and 10 months old at a commanding 147.8 proof, and drinks with the kind of dark, intense, slightly smoky character that reminds us of 13+ year Barton barrels.

Barrel 4619 is 5 years and 7 months old at a humble 145.9 proof, drinking a bit brighter and crisper and giving us more Stagg vibes.

You really can’t go wrong with either, or both, of these barrels, and this is exactly why we continue featuring J. Rieger here at Seelbach’s.

J. Rieger & Co Private Stock Straight Bourbon Whiskey #4383 147.8 proof

Viscous. So dense and woody, yet sweet on the nose, giving the impression of a much more mature whiskey. There’s still plenty of honey-baked ham, smoked leather, black cherry, and hot fudge sundae continuing throughout.

The palate starts old and oaky but also has this torched citrus and licorice-spiced dark chocolate kiss before moving into heavy blackberry cobbler and rich espresso.

Ultimately, everything leads back to this smoky leather and deep, dark fruit, with a long, gripping finish of dark chocolate and seasoned oak.

J. Rieger & Co Private Stock Straight Bourbon Whiskey #4619 145.9 proof

The nose is sweet-leaning with sugarcane, Oloroso, graham cracker, and sweet oak giving it a rich, rounded depth.

The palate starts equally rounded, with Apple Jacks, spiced caramel, and sweet oak before moving into stewed apples and Luxardo cherry syrup. It feels like it’s going to drink hot, but somehow never does, with this plump, almost wine-finished mouthfeel that makes it dangerously easy to keep going back to.

The finish stays rich and fruit-forward, carrying stewed apple, dark cherry syrup, caramelized oak, and lingering spice. This is a Stagg killer.