Tumblin' Dice 11-Year-Old Straight Rye Bottled-in-Bond Review

 

One of my favorite whiskey categories is called Bottled-in-Bond. It is exclusively an American distilled-spirits niche created by one of the most important consumer protection laws, the unanimous passage of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897.

 

This law was necessary because bad people looking to stretch their dollars did terrible things to whiskey. They would add things to it—bad things. Things like tobacco spit, old coffee, and even turpentine, and unsuspecting folks were getting sick and even dying.

 

Something needed to be done; otherwise, no one would buy whiskey anymore, at least not with the risks involved. The Act was signed into law by President Grover Cleveland and states that any distilled spirit that carries a Bottled in Bond (or Bonded) label must adhere to strict standards:

 

• It must be a complete product of the United States
• It must be composed of the same type of spirit (whiskey, brandy, gin, etc.)
• It must be distilled by a single distiller in a single distilling season (January to June or July to December)
• It must be packaged at exactly 100° (50% ABV)
• It must be aged at least four years in a government-bonded warehouse (hence, the bonded part of the term)
• If the spirit is bottled by someone other than the distiller, it must state the name of the distiller
• It can be filtered, and it can use water to be proofed to 100°, but nothing else can be added

 

That brings us to Dave Schmier. He has a long and storied history of plucking incredible barrels from distilleries around the world. Dave started with but never lost sight of MGP. Believe it or not, there was a time when so many naysayers rolled their eyes when yet another MGP-sourced whiskey hit the market. Some of those very same people currently swear up and down about how fantastic MGP is.

 

Dave built his reputation by sourcing some of the best barrels MPG offered under his Redemption brand. After much success, he sold Redemption to Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits. He took his winnings, rolled the dice again, and in 2015, he started Proof & Wood Ventures.

 

Today, Proof and Wood has grown to include several brands. One of its most popular is Tumblin’ Dice, which has Dave doing what he does best: betting on winners from MGP (now Ross & Squibb) stocks.

 

Something that I appreciate about Proof and Wood is its transparency. Most of what you’d want to know is easily discerned from the label.

 

And, all of the above culminate as the subject of my review of Tumblin’ Dice’s Straight Rye Whiskey 11-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond.

 

I believe that, given the current market downturn, these older stocks are easier to acquire, as many brands that were sourced from MGP have fallen by the wayside. Dave has a knack for picking the cream of the crop, which means I have very high expectations for this expression. That leads to an important question: Am I being irrationally biased? 

 

We #DrinkCurious to answer that, but before I get there, I must thank Proof & Wood for providing me with a sample in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Oh, wait. One last thing! Something that I discovered earlier this year, despite all of the Tumblin’ Dice expressions I’ve reviewed, is that the face of the dice on the label indicates how old the whiskey inside the bottle is. Dave pointed it out to me because I had snapped a photo of the label, allowed AI to tinker with it, and it changed the dots on the dice. That mistake won’t happen a second time. In the photo above, those dice in front of the bottle are also real, and I made sure they add up to 11! 

 

11-Year-Old Straight Rye Bottled-in-Bond

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: MGP
• Age: 11 years
• Mashbill: 95% rye and 5% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrel
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 700mL: $84.99

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Bonded Rye neat. The whiskey’s ginger color greeted me, while the liquid formed a medium-thin rim with cramped, pencil-thin, slow tears.

 

Nose: I let the whiskey breathe for about 15 minutes before delving into the nosing. I smelled cinnamon, dill, floral rye, brown sugar, and older oak. When I pulled the air through my lips, I found dried tobacco.

 

Palate: I encountered a thick, buttery mouthfeel with a shock of dried tobacco with my initial sip. The next one allowed me to discern brown sugar, older leather, and rye spice on the front of my palate. My mid-palate plucked flavors of dried tobacco, dark-roast coffee, and cocoa. I experienced notes of cinnamon, French oak, and clove parked on the back.

 

Finish: After I swallowed, any moisture that might have been left in my mouth evaporated. In its place, I tasted brown sugar, cocoa, clove, French oak, old leather, dry tobacco, and rye spice. The buttery mouthfeel continued despite my mouth’s aridness, which perhaps contributed to the very even, levelness of the finish. Each sipping session lasted 2:38, and just as things were closing out (at about 2:04), there was a wave of dark chocolate that rolled across my tongue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: For whatever reason, I expected a nuclear spicebomb, and, yes, while it was full of spice, nothing was overly aggressive or overwhelming. That dryness was an interesting sensation, and perhaps, along with the bonded proof, it helped tame what was happening inside my mouth.

 

Tumblin’ Dice 11-Year Bottled-in-Bond Rye is a Rye-lover’s Rye whiskey. There are no sharp or harsh components to contend with; it performs at or a bit older than its age statement, and 100° seemed near-perfect. I loved that chocolate surprise at the close. I’d buy this one all day long; oh, that means it earned 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.