Middle West Spirits Straight Pumpernickel Rye Review (2025)

 

Middle West Spirits was founded in 2008 by Brady Konya, the General Manager, and Ryan Lang, the Head Distiller. Their goal was to create whiskey the "right way" and offer exceptional products. Everything was sourced from Ohio, from the grains to the barrels to the glass bottles.

 

Middle West Spirits has expanded since then: Earlier this year, it acquired Old Elk from Colorado. Obviously, those stocks would be excluded from the Ohio-sourced materials. It has also offered a private barrel program that’s catching on around the country (incidentally, a few weeks ago, I assisted a retail chain in selecting a Middle West Spirits barrel).

 

Back in April 2021, I had the opportunity to review Middle West Spirits’ Straight Rye Whiskey. What made it unusual was its mashbill: it was made from a mash of dark pumpernickel rye, yellow corn, soft winter wheat, and two-row barley. The batch number was 024, and per Middle West Spirits, it was the nation's first dark rye pumpernickel whiskey. It took my Bust rating.

 

It isn’t unheard of for a brand to come back to me sometime later and ask me to re-review something I panned. Truth be told, I wish that kind of opportunity presented itself more often. I love experiencing how distillers continually improve their products. That’s happened, and today, I’ll explore Batch 130.

 

The most significant difference between Batches 024 and 130 is the age. The former was only three years old, the latter carries no age statement, and its website indicates it is at least four years old.

 

I want to thank Middle West Spirits for having faith in me and providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what’s changed.

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: Middle West Spirits
• Age: NAS
• Mashbill: 80% dark pumpernickel rye, 5% Ohio soft red winter wheat, 10% non-GMO open-pollinated yellow corn, and 5% two-row barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon toasted and charred oak barrels from Speyside Bourbon Cooperage
• Alcohol Content: 46% ABV (92°)
• Price per 750mL: $46.99

 

Appearance: I poured this Rye into my Glencairn glass neat. Its color was deep orange; it formed a medium-thick rim that released slow, sticky droplets.

 

Nose: After allowing about 10 minutes for the whiskey to breathe, I brought the glass beneath my nostrils and inhaled. I encountered the smells of rye bread, nutmeg, orange peel, menthol, and oak. When I drew the air through my lips, I tasted pumpernickel bread. It was interesting to experience the two different breads in the same nosing session.

 

Palate: Middle West’s was dense and creamy. Notes of pistachios, milk chocolate, and vanilla were on the front. Next came flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and pumpernickel spice. The back featured smoky oak, leather, and tobacco.   

 

Finish: What started as mild chocolate quickly ramped and became spicy, with dry oak, pumpernickel spice, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Just before it fell off, it gave a kiss of orange zest. The duration ran 2:28, and left the roof of my mouth numb.  

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Let me start by saying another year in oak made a significant, positive difference. Batch 024 had a lovely nose, and its palate was flat. Batch 130 is layered with flavors and depth. The mouthfeel was attractive, and the finish was incredibly long. The spice components were potent.

 

For $46.99, Middle West Spirits offers quite a bit of bang for the buck. I walked into this experience wondering if this would be more of the same or something completely different, and I’m pleased to report that, this time, it deserves my Bottle rating. 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.