The Latest Caleb's Crossing Release from David Jennings

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

Their first project brought Pineau des 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 des Charentes finished rye that really left an impression with me, coming in sixth on my Top 10 Finished Whiskeys of 2025 list, and we offered up their new blend of bourbon and rye back in April, but today we're back with their latest release.

The 250th anniversary of the United States of America holds great significance to Caleb’s Crossing Whiskey Co. The brand’s namesake, David’s fifth-great-grandfather Caleb Jennings, served in the Virginia Militia and later in the Regiment of Guards in the Continental Army. When crafting this special release, David set out to recognize both our nation’s 250 years of freedom and Caleb’s service and post-war pioneering spirit.

To accomplish this, he decided on a unique blend of rye whiskey, America’s original whiskey. Unlike the rye produced during Colonial times, however, this whiskey was distilled and aged in Kentucky, America’s original frontier.

Composed of a pair of exquisite, hand-selected rye whiskey barrels from two distinct mash bills, one 95/5 rye and the other an experimental 100% rye, Caleb’s Crossing 1776-2026 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey offers a reflective sipping experience and a heartfelt salute to our past.

Its 98/2 composite mash bill, a once-popular though seemingly forgotten historical rye recipe, combined with eight years of maturation in two of Owensboro, Kentucky’s most revered rickhouses, serves as a toast to legacy and the determination of our forefathers.

The nose leads with honey, vanilla frosting, lemon squares, peppered pineapple, candied peach, confectioners sugar, and sweet herbal-floral spice.

The palate brings caramel drizzle, brown sugar glaze, dried orchard fruit, charred oak, sugar cookie, barrel-aged citrus zest, spice drops.

The finish is medium-long with grilled apple, toffee, toasted honeycomb, “rickhouse candy,” oak spice, singed lemon peel, Pixy Stix and white pepper.