Age: 7-Years-Old

Mash Bill: 95/5 Rye/Malted Barley

Proof: 113.4 proof

Finish: forty-two days in Ruby Port-Rum casks

Bottle Count: 1,444

Tasting Notes: 

Nose: Fruit cake, tart gum drops, lemon and orange zest, and spicy rye.

Taste: A sweet-tart red berry note greets the tip of the tongue with a spicy black pepper flowing down the center palate. Raspberries and blueberries surround the periphery with a hint of citrus rounding out the taste.

Finish: Medium-to-long, the black pepper, and sweet red fruits dominate the start, with sweet molasses rounding out the viscous mouthfeel.

Four Gate Whiskey is releasing its 11th batch of whiskey, and once again presenting a popular 7-Year Old Indiana Straight Rye Whiskey, this time finished for forty two days in Ruby Port-Rum casks.

This is the third presentation of the same underlying Rye Whiskey, following River Kelvin Rye (Batch 7) and Split Stave™ by Kelvin (Batch 10).

This latest release showcases the citrus and spice character of the sourced base spirit while adding a fruity sweetness from the Ruby Port-Rum Casks.

The secondary casks originally were originally used to mature ruby port, a fortified wine from Portugal in which the wine is removed from barrels and stored in tanks to prevent further aging, leaving the resulting product sweeter and brighter on the palate than other styles of port wine. The barrels found a second use with Virago Spirits in Richmond, VA where the barrels were used to age a blend of rums, imparting them with a lush molasses sweetness that pairs excellently with the bright red fruit of the ruby port.

“The moment we found these barrels, we knew what we were doing with them,” Said Chief Blending Officer Bill Straub, “They were crying out for rye whiskey, and I really think this is one of the best products we’ve bottled.”

“These barrels were off the charts,” Said Chief Barrel Officer Bob D’Antoni, who sourced the barrels in collaboration with Kelvin Cooperage. “This rye is so good,” he said, “I know you’re going to love it.”