Denver’s Laws Whiskey House Releases Fourth Batch Of Bonded Rye

Laws Whiskey House has released batch #4 of their Bottled in Bond San Luis Valley Rye. The whiskey is available for tasting and for purchase in the Laws Whiskey House tasting room in Denver starting Thursday, May 11, and will be available at lawswhiskeyhouse.com and in key markets across the country starting late May for a suggested retail price of $79.99.

Laws Whiskey House releases a new batch of their Bottled in Bond San Luis Valley Rye annually, each slightly different from the last due to variation in the grains, maturation, and distilling season. The latest batch is a seven-year-old whiskey, its 24 barrels distilled between February and April of 2016. Some of the barrels were made from mash bill of 95% San Luis Valley Rye and 5% two-row barley while others were made with 100% San Luis Valley Rye. Only 4,848 bottles were produced in this limited, seasonal release.

100% of the grains in this whiskey were grown by the Cody Family Farm located near Alamosa in the San Luis Valley of Colorado. At 7,500 feet of elevation, the growing conditions of this valley contribute unique flavor profiles to the Cody’s grains including a distinct minerality that comes from the calcium and mineral rich soil of what used to be prehistoric lake.

Like Laws’ flagship San Luis Valley Straight Rye, the Bottled in Bond San Luis Valley Rye offers a unique array of flavors originating from these heirloom grains and the place and conditions in which they are grown. A fan favorite of many in the Laws Whiskey village, this is a distinctive, unapologetic rye, whose grain flavors continue to dominate the finish even after 7 years in charred oak barrels.

Aromas of cherry cola, honey, and black currant lead to flavors of hazelnut mint, salted toffee, and serrano pepper on the palate. The finish is radiant and mouth filling. After seven years of maturation time, this whiskey also developed layered notes of leather, wood tannins, caramel, and vanilla.

To qualify as a Bottled in Bond whiskey, the expression must be made by one distillery in a single season, must be bottled at 100 proof (50% abv) and must be aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse. These requirements were put in place by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 which is considered by many to be one of America’s first consumer protection laws.

Laws Whiskey House is proud to carry forward the quality standard set by the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897. In 2017, Laws Whiskey House was the first Colorado distillery to release a rye whiskey to meet the Bottled in Bond criteria.

Laws’ Bottled in Bond San Luis Valley Rye has become the distillery’s most awarded whiskey. Since 2017, this whiskey has won more than 20 medals and accolades and just last year, it won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Platinum and Consumers Choice Award from the Sip Awards, and Double Gold from the Barleycorn Awards. In 2023, Bottled in Bond San Luis Valley Rye was the category winner of “Best American Rye 12 Years and Under” from the World Whiskies Awards.

Al Laws, Founder, says, “the soul of our whiskey comes from the union of the grains and the people who grow them combined with our no-shortcuts process and the people who make up Laws Whiskey House. We love this whiskey because it perfectly represents what we strive for as a distillery: terroir-led flavors, the highest standards of quality, and distinctive flavors, all made for people around the world who love and appreciate whiskey. We hope you enjoy our Bonded San Luis Valley Rye.”