Shortbarrel Rye 101

The Basics: 

MGP Sourced Rye 

101 Proof

NAS - 5 year blend

$60 MSRP

Nose:

Pineapple upside down cake and mint. 

Palate: 

Honey, mint, herbal note, chalky, lemon, cardamom, and nutmeg. 

Finish:

Creamed honey, pineapple, maraschino cherries, maple syrup and white cake. 

Shortbarrel Founders Reserve

The Basics: 

Kentucky sourced bourbon 

114.7 Proof

Batch 1450

15 year Age Stated

$200 MSRP

Nose:

Honeydew melon, cantaloupe, brown sugar, stewed cherries, and raisins. 

Palate: 

Green Apple Jolly Ranchers, cinnamon sticks, pralines, cherry, and cayenne. 

Finish:

Long finish with notes of pumpkin pie spice, honeydew melon, vanilla custard, and leather. 

Final Thoughts:

Shortbarrel Whiskey is the recent brainchild of three whiskey enthusiasts based in the Atlanta market. Together, they founded Shortbarrel in 2020 as a way to find and pick great whiskey from around the country to release in their own blends and single barrel releases. These two whiskies represent release #2 (Founder’s Reserve) and release #3 (101 Rye), which are great starts to such a new company! The 101 Rye is 5-years old and sourced from MGP which is undeniably pineapple upside-down cake to me. It is sweet, fruity, but also brings the classic mint that is found in most MGP ryes. The herbal tea quality coming through on the palate keeps this pour feeling light even with a higher proof point. The Founder’s Reserve is a 15-year bourbon sourced from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery that brings all of the rich complexity you would expect from a cask strength highly aged whiskey. It is oak forward with notes of stewed cherries, cinnamon, pralines, leather, and a surprising Green Apple Jolly Rancher. Of the two, I definitely lean towards the Founder’s Reserve as I prefer more bold and rich whiskies, but the 101 Rye certainly holds its own. Both pours are very enjoyable and something to look out for as Shortbarrel expands into more markets.