Rising
Tide Spirits was founded in 2018 as a non-distilling
producer (NDP), and its name comes from the adage, “A rising tide raises all
ships,” which is the philosophy of its founder, Ed Bley. That’s what Ed does; he tries to make
the world a better place with everything he touches. A philanthropist and
former MA for a neurosurgeon, Ed takes the time to get to know everyone he
interacts with. There’s nothing phony about him; what you see is what you get -
a man with an incredible, well-respected palate.
What
are Ed’s credentials? In only four years, he’d picked over 250 barrels for the
famed Covington, Kentucky’s Cork N’
Bottle, making him the #1 private barrel
customer in 2017 for Wild
Turkey worldwide with 21 barrels selected. Ed
has built a following and has blended some of the most coveted Bourbons,
including Old Baldy and Old
Stubborn. Ed isn’t a distiller, nor does he want
to be. He’d rather leave that to the professionals while he blends.
He
has three new releases: the first is Old Swagger 13-year-old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. Distilled by MGP, it is blended from only 15 barrels and
packaged in a gorgeous, hand-blown decanter; each one takes 14 minutes to
produce!
“It’s a long walk from the barrel to the bottle, a journey that takes insight and confidence to navigate. Along the way, there are many forks in the path that can greatly change the outcome of the final pour. Every decision in the process is a chance to demonstrate a command of control. When each step moves in rhythm, it’s no walk at all, it’s Swagger.” – Rising Tide Spirits
Before
I get further, it is crucial to understand what Bottled-in-Bond means. While
there could be a million things going through your mind, the short version is
this:
To
carry Bottled in Bond on the label, the spirit inside must be distilled from a
single distiller in a single distilling season (January to June or July to
December) and be 100% American-distilled. If the brand is not the distiller,
the bottle must clearly state who the distiller is and where it was bottled.
The whiskey must be packaged at 50% ABV (100°) and can only be proofed with
pure water. It must mature at least four years in a government-bonded
warehouse.
The
second is Old Swagger 12 Cask
Strength Rye. Also distilled by MGP, this is the
first cask-strength Rye that Ed has released under the Old Swagger moniker.
The
third is Old Stubborn Cask
Strength Single Barrel Rye,
a/k/a OS4 Rye, which Smooth Ambler Spirits distilled. There are
only 7 barrels available, and it is very much a one-and-done thing. Ed indicates
this is the final bottling.
It
is almost time for the #DrinkCurious thing. First, you should be aware of a few
things:
Rising
Tide’s whiskeys sell out very quickly. Ed is a great marketer with a huge fan
base, and these are always one-offs in short supply. Generally speaking, The Bourbon Concierge and Revival tend to be the best places to find them, but Rising
Tide’s website lists the
retailers it works with. While you’re there, you might as well sign up for his
email blasts so you don’t miss the boat on future releases.
I
did explore each of these whiskeys from a fresh Glencairn glass and waited 15
minutes before nosing them.
Finally,
I am grateful to Ed for providing me with these whiskeys in exchange for my
no-strings-attached, honest reviews. Let’s get at it, shall we?
◊◊◊◊◊
13-Year
Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
- Whiskey Type: Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
- Distiller: MGP
- Age: 13 years
- Mashbill: 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
- Price per 750mL: $179.99
- Non-chill filtered
- >1700 bottle yield
Appearance: In my
glass, I observed a deep, ginger color. The Bourbon created a medium rim with a
variety of tears; some were thick and syrupy, others were thin and fast.
Nose: While I
was waiting, the air in my whiskey library had a fruity smell. When I was ready
to explore Old Swagger, the nose included notes of caramel, cherries, plums, crème
brulee, and oak. Inhaling the vapor through my mouth exposed me to leather and caramel.
Palate: Old Swagger
13 had a buttery texture and a palate-shocking tobacco-and-mint profile. The
second sip unveiled flavors of dark chocolate, torched brown sugar, and vanilla
on the front, which transitioned to ancient leather, roasted almonds, and cola mid-palate.
The back included dry oak, mild clove, and tobacco. Notably missing was the
mint from the initial palate shock. Go figure.
Finish: Long
and lumbering, this Bourbon’s finish included cola, dry oak, old leather, tobacco,
dark chocolate, and spiced nuts. Cinnamon came out of nowhere and stole the spotlight.
Dark chocolate was the last to fade away. The experience lasted 1:16, making for
a medium-to-long duration.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Between
2025 and 2026, with another year in oak added, Old Swagger’s price only
increased by $5.00. These days, that’s rather generous.
I have some of the 2025
left, and decided to compare the two. The 2025 was definitely sweeter and the
2026 spicier. There were three more barrels in the 2026 version, and, as I understand
things, some of the original dozen were used in this blend. If you blindfolded
me, I couldn’t tell you that these even came from the same distillery, and
there’s nothing wrong with that. Honestly, I might have been disappointed if
these had been nearly identical.
Back to the 13-year-old, I
found it perfectly proofed. There were no off-putting notes, and while something
this old can easily become overoaked, that’s not the case with Old Stubborn 13-Year
Bottled-in-Bond.
There aren’t a ton of 13-year
Bottled-in-Bond Bourbons on the market, and I don’t find the price offensive.
There’s a ton of quality here, and I enjoyed every second of this sipping
session. My Bottle rating is more than adequate. It is a shame I can’t
grant it something higher.
◊◊◊◊◊
Small
Batch Cask Strength Rye
- Whiskey Type: American Rye
- Distiller: MGP
- Age: 12 years
- Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 55.4% ABV (110.8°)
- Price per 750mL: $179.99
- Non-chill filtered
- >1700 bottle yield
Appearance: Inside
my glass, Old Swagger 12’s color presented as a true butterscotch. The thin rim
jettisoned tightly packed, medium-thick tears that raced back to the pool of
whiskey.
Nose: Initially,
I found this to be a floral bomb, so I gave it a few more minutes. That’s when
I discovered orange peel, vanilla, soft, even sweeter oak, and mild mint. It
was still very flowery, almost like perfume. Drawing the aroma through my lips,
I encountered a rather significant note of toffee.
Palate: The Rye’s
mouthfeel was creamy with a medium weight. The palate shock featured mint and
dill. With the second sip, I discerned flavors of dark chocolate, dry tobacco
leaf, and black tea on the front of my palate. The middle became caramelized,
with floral rye, and a bit of toffee. I discovered notes of charred oak, newer
leather, and
Finish: Oak, floral
rye, dark chocolate, dried tobacco leaf, rich caramel, and toffee were on the
back, along with a tiny bit of wintergreen hiding in the background. There was
a mishmash of notes that, for whatever reason, worked. I found no ramp-up of
intensity; it was a bold, steady finish lasting 1:07. It seemed longer in my
mouth than it did on my stopwatch.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Old Swagger 12 Rye was weird (in a good way). It started very spicy and ended sweet. In my years of enjoying Rye whiskey, that’s completely backward. I will also say this Rye was stunningly delicious and a mindgasm. It is expensive, but also unique, and worth the cost of admission. That equals my Bottle rating.
◊◊◊◊◊
Old
Stubborn Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye
- Whiskey Type: American Rye
- Distiller: Smooth Ambler Spirits (assumed)
- Age: 12 years
- Mashbill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley (pot still distillate)
- Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
- Alcohol Content: 63.97% ABV (127.94°)
- Price per 750mL: $279.99
- Non-chill filtered
- Barrel #: 751 - Bottle #: 094/163
Appearance: Deep
and dark, this Rye was the color of burnt umber. An almost microscopic rim formed
tightly-packed, thin, very slow tears. Interestingly, the rim stuck around long
after the initial tears flowed away.
Nose: Old
Stubborn’s nose was a snootful of caramel, oak, mint, cocoa nibs, rye spice, tobacco,
and maple syrup. Yes, it was that complex. When I took the vapor into my mouth,
I found a healthy dose of almost creamy, dark chocolate.
Palate: On my
first swallow, I encountered a thick, creamy texture. There was an explosion of
mint and cocoa, yet at nearly 130°, it lacked heat. I don’t mean it was still
hot, just not that much; I mean it lacked any heat. The second sip revealed notes
of maple syrup, dark chocolate, and mint on the front of my palate (far less
than the palate shock suggested). The middle included caramel, leather, and
pipe tobacco; then came the back with sweet charred oak, rye spice, and brown
sugar.
Finish: Brown
sugar, sweet oak, leather, dark chocolate, mint, and dried tobacco leaf remained,
with leather being the last to depart. I wouldn’t classify the finish as soft;
it was more unassuming. At 1:38, I’d classify it as a longer duration.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Old
Stubborn 12 is expensive, especially compared to Old Swagger 12. Granted, they’re
sourced from different distilleries, and one is a single barrel, but that
latter factor alone shouldn’t run an extra c-note.
Where the pedal meets the
metal is everything else. This American Rye drank I-don’t-know-how-many-points
below its published proof. It was an easy drinker. Easy drinker? You read me
right.
Ed explained to me that, due to a non-disclosure agreement, he could neither confirm nor deny that Smooth Ambler Spirits was the source of Old Stubborn. I get that. I also get that Smooth Ambler is the only West Virginia distillery old enough to be the one involved.
Like MGP, Smooth Ambler has
a long history of producing some incredible American Ryes. They’re both probably
in the Top 5 of all the Rye distillers out there. I don’t recall having a Smooth
Ambler Rye this mature; if memory serves, most of them were between 6 and 8
years old. They disappeared, only to be replaced by younger shelf bottlings.
Is Old Stubborn Rye worth
an extra Ben Franklin? Shrug. Is it a fabulous pour? Without a doubt. I enjoyed
the hell out of it, and I believe you will, too. Once this is gone, it is gone.
That may be due to Rising Tide Spirits taking the last of Smooth Ambler’s oldest
stocks.
Ed swears that this one won’t
be repeated. My experience is that he is absolutely a man of his word. Take a
chance; buy a Bottle. Assuming that there’s any left, I don’t think you’ll
suffer from buyer’s remorse.
◊◊◊◊◊
Final Thoughts: Today
was one of those rare sipping experiences that involved all top-shelf pours. In
today’s economy, the prices are tough for many Americans. Yet, there’s
something to be said for paying for experiences rather than for things. In the
case of the 2026 Rising Tide Spirits’ expressions, you get both, and, even
better, these can be shared with friends.
In order, I’d choose the Old Swagger 13, the Old Stubborn 12, and the Old Swagger 12, but assuming that you won’t see all three together, you can’t go wrong with any of them. 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.
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