When he decided to leave his successful law practice to revive the whiskey-making heritage of his great-grandfather Augustus Bulleit, Tom Bulleit had an ace up his sleeve: an old family high-rye bourbon recipe with a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. This magical formula that establishes a perfect balance of smoothness and bite has fueled Bulleit Rye since its introduction in 2011.

Bulleit wisely leaves this formula untouched for its special Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old Whiskey, but matures the contents of each bottle for (you guessed it) 12 years in a charred oak barrel. The result is a 46% ABV spirit with a flavor profile of “pear-like fruitiness,” “buttery oakiness,” and faint spices. Sweet overtones present in this unique rye whiskey include toffee and graham cracker. Both the nose and the aftertaste of Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old Whiskey are imbued with a distinctive silky smokiness.