Review of Bleier Family Whiskey Straight Rye

 

Back in the colonial days, American whiskey was predominantly made from rye. Rye grew well in the cold, rocky farmland, making it an ideal choice. Rye whiskey was used as currency; during the Revolutionary War, George Washington, himself a distiller, compensated his troops with it.

 

There were two types of Rye whiskey being distilled: Monongahela (or Pennsylvania) and Maryland. The former, which is made with 80% to 100% rye and malted barley, was bold and spicy, while the latter, which typically included 20% to 30% corn in the mashbill, was sweeter.

 

American Rye was incredibly popular until Prohibition killed it. When that horrid mistake was repealed, Rye experienced a tougher comeback than did Bourbon and Vodka. In the 1970s and 1980s, Rye whiskey was an afterthought.

 

It wasn’t until about 2009 that American Rye was rediscovered, mostly due to the popularity of cocktails such as Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, and Sazeracs. Demand outstripped supply, which prompted distilleries to increase their stocks. Between 2009 and 2020, the distillation of American Rye whiskey increased by 1,500%!

 

There are other subcategories of American Ryes, but today we’ll concentrate on Monongahela-style Rye, and in particular, Iron City Distilling, located in Creighton, Pennsylvania, and founded in 2019. 

 

Iron City’s Master Distiller is Matt Strickland. Matt began his journey in microbiology research for Oregon’s wine industry while still pursuing his graduate degree at Oregon State University. Strangely, he didn’t stick with wine; instead, he found himself fixated on distilling. He’s not only a distiller; he’s a consultant, teacher, and author of Cask Management for Distillers (White Mule Press, 2020) and Batch Distillation: Science and Practice (White Mule Press, 2021).

 

That brings us to Bleier Family Whiskey, a straight Rye aged at least two years from an undisclosed mash of rye and malted barley. It is named for Pittsburgh Steelers running back, four-time Super Bowl champion, and Vietnam veteran Rocky Bleier and his cousin, New England Patriots quarterback Bob Bleier. The 102° was deliberately chosen to honor their jersey numbers: Bob’s was 10, and Rocky’s was 20.

 

“We wanted to establish a foundation of what Bleier Whiskey was all about and build the reputation on good products, not because we have celebrity names. I think that becomes very important to our story. We don’t just want to be a name on a label. We want it to be an excellent product.” – Rocky Bleier

 

Bleier Family Whiskey was founded by Rocky, Bob, and Rocky’s son, Adri Bleier, and is distilled by Iron City Distilling. It carries a suggested price of $75.00.

 

The biggest unknown factor is how this Pennsylvania Rye tastes. We’re able to #DrinkCurious thanks to Bleier Family Whiskey, which provided me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s get to that now.

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: Iron City Distillery
• Age: At least two years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 51% ABV (102°)
• Price per 750mL: $75.00

 

Appearance: I poured Bleier Family Whiskey into a Glencairn glass and explored it neat. The liquid was the color of an orange sunset. A thin rim produced slow, tightly packed, pencil-thin tears that worked their way back into the pool.

 

Nose: After 15 minutes, I began my sniffing journey and realized another 5 minutes would be appropriate. Initially, the aroma included bold rye, cinnamon, dill, and allspice. The second round retained those notes, while adding figs and dates. When I pulled the air into my mouth, I found dill and rye spice.

 

Palate: My first sip revealed a thick, dense texture and a shock of roasted malt. My next sip allowed me to taste rye spice, tobacco, and roasted malt on the front of my palate. The middle included dill, mint, and black tea. There were flavors of allspice, barrel char, and cinnamon on the back of my palate.

 

Finish: Dried figs made a very brief appearance during the finish, lasting perhaps 20 seconds. Allspice, black tea, dill, rye spice, and roasted malt were carried for the entirety, which ran 1:21 as it slowly faded into nothingness. Additional sips seem to encourage black tea to hog the spotlight.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: There was a surprising lack of youthfulness in this Monongahela-style Rye. The more I sipped it, the older it seemed. I’m assuming some older barrels were blended into the batch.

 

That, in turn, forces us to address the price. Normally, $75.00 for a 2-year-old whiskey would be a huge, inappropriate ask. It is paramount to remember that the age statement reflects the youngest whiskey in the blend and doesn’t necessarily tell the whole (or even most) story. Forget the age; in this case, it is meaningless.

 

What I found is a well-matured, fascinating, flavorful American Rye that doesn’t mimic anything I’ve tasted from, say, MGP’s 95/5 mashbill. My best advice is to have plenty of patience: give it at least 20 minutes between pouring it into your glass and starting to sip it, and you’ll be rewarded appropriately.

 

Bleier Family Whiskey is the first thing I’ve tried from Iron City Distilling, and you can color me impressed. I’d pay the price of admission and am thrilled to have this one in my whiskey library. Yes, it takes 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.