I’ve sampled a lot of sourced MGP of Indiana ryes from small craft distilleries over the years. I mean a LOT of them, to the point that I could probably sort those sourced MGP ryes into various subcategories by strength, age statements and whatever post-purchase maturation the distilleries may have attempted. Most, though, simply cut the MGP juice to their desired proof and send it out to the market. It’s not that there’s something inherently wrong with that—MGP makes excellent bourbon and rye, but it does result in a lot of the MGP ryes in the market being noticeably similar to one another. As a result, I find I’m often partial to the companies that take MGP’s rye whiskey and then go a step further in transforming it.
Today, I can happily report that there’s another young distillery out there doing exactly that, and doing a better job of it than most. Buzzard’s Roost Rye Whiskey is based in Louisville, the brainchild of Jason Brauner, a longtime Kentucky whiskey industry booster. Brauner is the co-owner of Bourbons Bistro, a staple restaurant and whiskey bar that presaged the brown liquor revival and boom of the 2000s, becoming one of the more influential Louisville whiskey destinations in the process. There, Brauner pioneered now common concepts such as whiskey flights, while dreaming of one day launching a whiskey brand of his own. Now, he has one in the form of Buzzard’s Roost, which focuses entirely on rye.
This is a small company of modest means, tightly focused on their proprietary process for taking MGP rye and turning it into something that is more uniquely their own. Currently, they’re doing this across three similar brands Buzzard’s Roost Rye Very Small Batch, Buzzard’s Roost Rye Single Barrel (both are 105 proof), and Buzzard’s Roost Rye Barrel Strength, which is closer to 115 proof. All share one key distinction: They’re younger (around three years old), sourced MGP ryes that then go through a second maturation period in Kentucky, aging in the company’s proprietary toasted barrels designed by Independent Stave Company—the same company that designs proprietary staves for Maker’s Mark. As Buzzard’s Roost puts it:
We start by sourcing the best aged whiskey we can find, but the real magic is in our barrels. We use only brand new, 53-gallon white oak barrels that are carefully toasted and very lightly charred. Each one is designed from the ground up to deliver a specific flavor profile. We work closely with our cooperage to tweak every parameter of the barrel—from the seasoning to the charring to the development of our custom toast profiles. All of our barrels are unique and proprietary to our company, giving Buzzard’s Roost a truly one-of-a kind flavor.
This is a process you’ve likely seen before at this point, as “double oaked” bourbons and ryes have become increasingly common and popular. The closest direct comparison would likely be Sagamore Spirit’s Double Oak Rye Whiskey, which is likewise MGP whiskey that is nicely transformed by a second maturation in a new barrel. With Buzzard’s Roost developing its own proprietary barrels, though, they can make an honest claim on having a product that no one else can exactly replicate. The 105 proof point of the Small Batch and Single Barrel variants is also interesting—higher than the vast majority of other “baseline” ryes on the market, and only 10 points lower than their own cask strength example, which makes one wonder if those separate brands can really distinguish themselves enough to be distinct.