Reviews of Minden Mill Nevada Straight Bourbon, Rye, and American Single Malt Whiskeys

 

In 1906, the Minden Flour Milling Company was established in Minden, Nevada. It was at the Virginia & Truckee Railroad railhead in the Carson Valley. A creamery was built nearby, and the railroad provided a means to transport goods out of the valley. But, in 1950, the railway was abandoned; its tracks were dug up, and its equipment, including the locomotives and cars, were sold off.

 

About a decade later, the Minden Mill, once the largest in Nevada, was shuttered. However, in 1978, it was inducted into the National Register of Historic Places.

 

In 2019, Christopher and Camille Bently founded the Bently Distillery. The mill and creamery actually belonged to Christopher’s father, who operated his own business there when he purchased it in 1975. Christopher played in the buildings when he was a kid.

 

Bently Distillery was Nevada’s first Estate distillery, which, according to Nevada law, meant at least 85% of its raw materials must come from land owned by the distillery. Bently grew corn, wheat, barley, rye, and oats on the neighboring Bently Ranch and used only those grains. All the mashing, fermenting, distilling, aging, and bottling occurred at the distillery. Even the water was sourced from the first well ever dug in Minden!

 

Then, the COVID pandemic hit, and for everyone’s safety, they closed operations. In 2021, after the danger had passed, it reopened to the public. That didn’t last long, and it was mothballed. In March 2022, the Bently’s put it up for sale along with all their other Nevada real estate holdings.

 

Two months later, the Las Vegas Golden Knights owner, Bill Foley, bought the distillery. You may have heard of Bill Foley beyond hockey – he owns Foley Family Wines & Spirits, which has Charles Goodnight Bourbon in its portfolio, among other brands. The distillery was rebranded as the Minden Hill Distillery, and in August 2023, Joseph O’Sullivan was named its master distiller. Joseph has produced spirits for the last two decades and was previously the master distiller at Clear Creek Distillery and Hood River Distillers.

 

Now that you know the distillery's history, we can explore three of its Estate-distilled whiskeys: Minden Mill Nevada Straight Bourbon, Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye, and Minden Mill American Single Malt. Per the distillery, nothing is sourced, and considering their respective age statements, we can assume these were leftover stocks from Bently Distillery. All three are non-chill filtered.

 

I must thank Minden Mill for providing me with this #DrinkCurious opportunity in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews. For the record, I’m sampling each whiskey in a fresh Glencairn glass.

 

Minden Mill Nevada Straight Bourbon

 

• Mashbill: 60% corn, 20% rye, 10% oats, 10% malted barley
• Still Type: Christian CARL hybrid
• Age: 4 years
• Alcohol Content: 47% ABV (94°)
• Cooperage: New, #3-charred oak barrels
• Price per 750ml: $44.99

 

Appearance: The Bourbon was dark brown with a slightly reddish-orange tint. A medium rim formed, which discharged widely spaced, slightly-crazed tears.

 

Nose: The whiskey’s aroma included floral rye, corn, vanilla, rose petals, and caramel. Taking the vapor into my mouth revealed pure vanilla.

 

Palate: A thick, creamy texture introduced the front of my palate to notes of cherries, caramel, and cocoa. The mid-palate included sassafras, corn, and spiced nuts. The back offered nutmeg, ancient oak, and black pepper.

 

Finish: After swallowing, this Bourbon turned into a butterscotch bomb. Beneath it was dry oak, old leather, nutmeg, and chocolate. The long-lasting duration ran 2:49.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The sassafras was a flavor that I don’t often encounter. The butterscotch on the finish came out of nowhere and was gratifying. It was a sweet, arid Bourbon with enchanting finishes, and the whole sipping experience put a smile on my face. I found it an excellent Bourbon that is sure to please, and takes my Bottle rating.

 

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Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye

 

• Mashbill: 80% rye, 10% wheat, 10% malted barley
• Still Type: Christian CARL hybrid
• Age: 4 years
• Alcohol Content: 47% ABV (94°)
• Cooperage: New, #3-charred American and French oak barrels
• Price per 750ml: $44.99

 

Appearance: The Rye was dark brown with a slightly reddish-orange tint. A medium rim generated widely spaced, medium-width, slow tears.

 

Nose: Coca-Cola. Strangely enough, that’s the first thing that hit my mind as I sniffed this whiskey. I could see that for a Bourbon but for an American Rye? That was shocking. My olfactory sense could also discern mild rye spice, lightly toasted oak, and a touch of powdered cinnamon. I pulled that air through my open lips, allowing mild cinnamon and caramel to roll across my tongue.

 

Palate: There was a medium-weight, silky texture. Flavors of candied orange slices, rye spice, and vanilla took the stage first. As they bowed out, powdered cinnamon and nutmeg hit my mid-palate. The back tasted of charred oak, cherries, and orange zest.

 

Finish: I ran my stopwatch three times, and each time, it wound up being only in the neighborhood at 0:45. That’s a very short finish for any whiskey. What stuck around included caramel, orange zest, and vanilla.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Minden Hill Nevada Straight Rye was un-Rye-like. It could easily pass for a barely legal American Rye (something with a 51% rye content). The wheat and barley probably contributed to that quality. Saying that this is an easy-sipper that drank five to six points under its stated proof. The alcohol burn was minimal.

 

This Rye captivated my attention from the nose through the finish and had me re-examining what I was sipping. There was so much vanilla on the finish, which I found surprising. In fact, every bit of this whiskey caused me to step back and wonder what I was drinking. That, combined with the price, makes this Rye a Bottle rating.   

 

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Minden Mill American Single Malt

 

• Mashbill: 100% malted barley (malting done on-site)
• Still Type: Scottish Forsythe
• Age: 5 years
• Alcohol Content: 47% ABV (94°)
• Cooperage: Ex-Oloroso sherry, ex-Bourbon, and American oak casks
• Price per 750ml: $59.99

 

Appearance: The Single Malt was dark brown with a slightly reddish-orange tint. A gentle swirl produced a medium-thin rim and extremely tightly spaced, thin tears that raced back to the pool.

 

Nose: I smelled plenty of malt, oak, almonds, orange zest, and toffee. Drawing the air into my mouth, I found cocoa and toffee.

 

Palate: The whiskey’s texture was thin and oily, and the inside of my mouth was completely coated. There was almost no alcohol burn, which helped when identifying flavors. The front included roasted almonds, milk chocolate, and toffee. I tasted mild oak, raisins, and coconut at my mid-palate, while the back had notes of malt, leather, and lightly roasted coffee.

 

Finish: What remained was old leather, roasted coffee, toffee, almonds, and orange zest. Its duration clocked in at 1:25, placing it squarely in the medium venue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Minden Hill American Single Malt was unlike most American Single Malts I’ve tried. It was drier; the coffee note was less prominent than many that feature that note. In some ways, it tasted like a candy bar. In others, it was savory. Overall, this is a well-balanced, tasty whiskey.

 

Many American Single Malts are two years old or less. Five years is considered much older. The price is undoubtedly attractive and can be viewed as quite the bargain when you account for all these qualities. Minden Hill American Single Malt earns a slam-dunk Bottle rating.

 

Final Thoughts: You’ll notice that the color of each of the three whiskeys was identical, and that’s because they were. I held them up to the window. I looked at them under white light. I observed them in natural light. If I hadn’t used differently-branded Glencairn glasses, I would have visually been unable to tell the difference.

 

On the one hand, this experience makes me wonder what Bently Distillery could have accomplished as its team gained more experience in the young American Single Malt category. On the other, I’m admittedly excited to see what Minden Hill Distillery's future holds.

 

What order would I place these? That’s a tricky question. These are three distinctive whiskeys that offer something unexpected. That Rye, including its quick finish, was just insanely different; thus, I’d rate it as my top choice. I’d have to flip a coin between the Bourbon and American Single Malt.

 

If I saw all three of these on the shelf and couldn’t decide, I’d close my eyes and pick whatever I grabbed. Regardless of which one I picked up, it would be a winner. 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.