Liberty Pole Spirits Cask Strength Peated Rye Whiskey Review & Tasting Notes

 

Liberty Pole Spirits was founded in 2015 by Jim Hough, his wife Ellen, and his two sons Rob and Kevin. Jim was a hobby distiller in the early 2000s, and one day, he decided to quit his day job and open his own distillery in Washington, Pennsylvania. The following year, the distillery was open for business.

 

As a hobbyist, Jim created his own mashbills, which Liberty Pole Spirits still uses. Ellen took control of branding, the colonial-themed Meetinghouse, and the distillery’s cocktail bar, while Rob and Kevin head the distilling team. They weren’t just appointed; when they were kids, they would hang out with Jim on the back porch, learning about the science behind distilling and fermentation. Both graduated with degrees in Mechanical Engineering before coming on board.

 

Liberty Pole Spirits got its name from the liberty poles that the Mingo Creek Society would place along roads in the area. It was meant to protest the 1791 Federal Excise Tax, which put a tax between six and 18 cents on each gallon of whiskey produced. Smaller distillers wound up at that higher end of the bracket, whereas large producers had the lower. The Society hung Alexander Hamilton’s picture upside-down on each pole to signify their displeasure.

 

The distillery is called Mingo Creek Craft Distillers. Jim refers to his team as Pot Still Evangelists. They utilize locally-grown cereal grains for their whiskeys. Any corn used is Bloody Butcher, a non-GMO heritage corn.  

 

“After mashing, we transfer to one of our fermenters and do a 6-day, grain-in, open-top ferment using a distillers yeast we get from Ferm Solutions. While primary fermentation is typically complete in 48 to 72 hours, we love the flavors that develop during secondary fermentation with the various wild yeasts that exist in our distillery.” – Jim Hough, Liberty Pole Spirits

 

Today, we’re exploring an American Rye. Specifically, a Peated Rye Whiskey. That right there should be an attention-getter. Few American distilleries tinker with peat; of those, Bourbons and American Single Malts get all the attention. I’ve never come across a peated Rye before. This is an annual limited-edition release, and I’ve been provided with Batch No. 6 (Spring 2024).

 

It is distilled from a mash of 60% rye, 30% heavily-peated Scottish barley, and 10% unpeated malted barley. It was twice run through the Vendome pot still, then placed in 53-gallon, new charred oak barrels at a meager entry proof (108° versus the typical industry standard 125°). The West Virginia Great Barrel Co. barrels were subjected to a heavy toast and light-to-medium char.

 

Batch No. 6 comprises five barrels, the youngest at 3.5 years old. Barrel 457 was filled on 8/20/2019, Barrels 637 and 639 were filled on 8/5/2020, and Barrels 642 and 643 were filled on 8/12/2020. The 1052 – 750ml packages are bottled at 55.7% ABV (111.4°) with a retail price of $64.00.

 

I’m grateful to Liberty Pole Spirits for providing me with this opportunity in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this unusual whiskey into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. For a younger Rye, its darker amber color was surprising. A medium rim formed thick, heavy, crooked tears.

 

Nose: What I smelled was barbequed meats. This isn’t a peat that any omnivore would find offensive. It made my mouth water. Beneath it, I found notes of caramel, rye bread, oak, and cocoa. The rye bread sensation was heavier when I inhaled the vapor through my lips.

 

Palate: This whiskey rested in my glass for about ten minutes before my first taste. The texture was medium-weighted and oily. The front of my palate encountered earthy peat, lemon peel, and chocolate. Next, I tasted bold rye bread, mushrooms, and old leather. The back featured charred oak, black pepper, and cocoa.  

 

Finish: The Energizer Bunny finish went on for many minutes. It sucked the moisture from my mouth, leaving behind rye spice, chocolate, charcoal-grilled mushrooms, earthy peat, leather, and ancient oak.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I couldn’t stop drinking this peated Rye whiskey. Part of that was due to its dryness, but mostly because I loved what was happening inside my mouth. It drank at its stated proof, and the peat was interestingly inconsistent from sip to sip: it kept morphing from smoky to earthy to spicy and back to smoky.

 

If you enjoy peated whiskeys, you’ll want to jump all over Liberty Pole’s Peated Rye. If you aren’t into peat (or you think you’re not), this is unusual enough to make it a worthwhile toe-dipping experience. Open your mind and #DrinkCurious. This whiskey commands my Bottle rating. At $64.00, I might even call it a bargain. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.