Bartenders, both home and professional, love rye. Its unique taste is perfectly suited to cocktails, and eight years ago our friends at Bulleit Bourbon answered the prayers of mixologists nationwide with the release of Bulleit Rye.
It was a game changer.
The expression, from one of bourbon’s biggest players, not only elevated cocktails but also took home Double Gold Awards in 2011 and 2013 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, cementing it as a gold standard in the new rye boom.
Now, Bulleit is raising the standard for rye once more with its newest limited edition, Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old Straight American Whiskey. This is the fifth addition to the Bulleit lineup, and the first extension of their beloved Bulleit Rye. And like the original, the new 12-year expression goes heavy on the rye with the same 95% rye and 5% malted barley mash bill that mixologists already love.
A Long Time Coming
Good things are worth waiting for, and great things are worth waiting 12 years for, as Bulleit has proven with this rye. This small-batch bourbon was fully aged and matured to perfection over more than a decade, resting in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of 12 years to strike a balance between smoothness and the characteristic spice that made Bulleit Rye such a beloved, award-winning bourbon.
“When we introduced Bulleit Rye, it changed the game for the category, and positioned us as a brand willing to take chances and try new things. We're constantly experimenting and striving to satisfy consumers' growing appetite for bold, new American whiskeys,” said Ed Bello, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey U.S. & Global Brand Director.
“Rye remains the fastest growing North American Whiskey segment and Bulleit Rye has been the number one super premium rye brand for the last six years,” according to IWSR data, ending December 2018.
Bello added, “With higher-end whiskeys driving much of that sales growth and a limited number of aged statement ryes on the market, Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old is a natural way to expand our portfolio and provide a new ultra-premium offering that's absolutely delicious.”
The Ryes Have It
Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old is positioned to be a leader in the growing rye category, offering bartenders and cocktail creators a pleasantly dry, bold rye with notes of dried orchard fruits, a hint of baking spice, and oak on the nose. And, at 92 proof (46% ABV), Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old delivers a clean, crisp palate of rich flavors such as dried pear, light toffee and oak with just a hint of graham cracker spice, finishing with light wood and spice notes.
Creating a rye with such depth and complexity is no mean feat, as Bulleit’s blender, Andrew Mackay explained in a recent statement.
“Whiskey is heavily influenced by barrel aging,” he said. “The barrels we mingled to produce Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old were hand-selected for aging based on early identification of their superior quality. Rye's signature spiciness is certainly still prominent, and this extra aging complements that without being overwhelming as new levels of softness, clove character and vanilla and oak notes are evident. It's a beautiful whiskey to sip slowly and responsibly.”
Talk to your Breakthru Sales Consultant about adding this new and exciting rye to your business today.