Buffalo Trace Kosher Straight Rye

This is a straight rye from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky. It is made from a rye-dominant mash bill and aged in specially designated kosher barrels, in partnership with the Chicago Rabbinical Council. It comes out once a year, after Passover, which gives it a seasonal rhythm collectors tend to watch for. In the glass it is unmistakably rye. Fresh dill, clove and cracked pepper lead on the nose, followed by a bold, peppery palate layered with anise, mint and a little vanilla, then a long, dry, warming finish. At 94 proof it has enough backbone to hold its own in a Manhattan or Old Fashioned, yet it rewards slow sipping neat or with a splash of water. It suits the rye fan who wants a bottle with a story, the kosher-observant drinker looking for a serious American whiskey, and the collector tracking annual releases. We carry it because a kosher straight rye from a distillery of this stature is a distinctive bottle to have on the shelf. The whiskey itself earns its place on spice and character alone.