1792 High Rye Bourbon Review

By April Manning

Rating: B

1792 High Rye Bourbon
(Credit: Sazerac)

1792 High Rye Bourbon is the creation of Barton 1792 Distillery, which is the oldest distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. The name honors the year Kentucky became a state. In 2009 the Barton distillery was acquired by the largest distilling company in the United States, the Sazerac Company. The 1792 brand is bottling a line of limited special editions, and the High Rye Bourbon is the fifth one of these rare expressions. That said, 1792 and parent company Sazerac sometimes drop hints that you can expect to see annual releases after initial release.

The 1792 brand has a reputation for using a higher percentage of rye than most bourbon, but this special edition recipe adds even more rye to the mash bill (although the actual mash bill is confidential). While no age is disclosed 1792 High Rye Bourbon was matured until the Master Distiller deemed it perfect for being bottled at 94.3 proof.

The Bourbon
1792 High Rye is a delight to all the senses. It starts by pleasing the eyes with an elegant amber hue highlighted with waves of gold washing through. 1792’s smell has a rye essence that is deeply hidden in the light, pleasant vanilla aroma that has no astringency to irritate the nose. The flavor starts with the buttery light impression of butterscotch and caramel and ends with a clean finish. 1792 gives a nice slight warming burn that dissipates quickly. This whiskey should be enjoyed neat to achieve the most pleasure… preferably on a slow, mellow night around the fire.

The Price
$35.99 per 750 ml bottle