Traverse City Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey
Traverse City Whiskey Co. began as a venture between friends in the cherry capital of the world. The face that they’re in a rye capital wasn’t part of the plan.
Initially, TC Whiskey Co. sourced their bourbon (and later their rye) from MGP, buying already aged product as many newer companies do. Chris Fredrickson, the founder, is quite open about that and about everything else, right down to when and how their percentages of MGP-vs-TC Whiskey Co. liquid in the bottle has changed over the years.
This rye batch, from their most recent stock, is about 90% theirs and 10% MGP - MGP distillate that they had made for them and age entirely on-site in Michigan. They stopped buying aged MGP several years ago and, according to Chris, haven’t even bought unaged distillate in about a year.
Their own rye is 100%, using synthetic enzymes in fermentation. It meshes well with the 95/5 rye from MGP which, again, is aged in Traverse City, not Lawrenceburg.
The transformation from selling an already aged product to even a 50/50 split let alone 90/10 is remarkable, and has mostly taken place over the last few years. I asked Chris about the transition and whether it’s changed the rye’s profile, and it surely has.
I would argue that change is for the better.
I was able to try the earlier rye, and it was great, solid MGP 95/5 - delicious but not differentiated. As soon as TCWC started blending in their own rye, and especially when that was blended with similarly unaged MGP distillate (made to TCWC’s request), it started becoming something all its own - and that’s when the “house style” of TCWC became evident.
One other note for my fellow proof hounds and sipping drinkers alike - I love the barrel proof version of the rye, but the North Coast Rye, the 90 proof, is not to be missed. They are not simply different proof versions of the same product. The North Coast is a 50/50 blend (TC and MGP) and aged for less time at a different part of the warehouse. Consequently, it is less oaky, lighter, less peppery, and an easy sipper. The barrel proof is aged at least two years longer and in higher/more weather-affected parts of the warehouse.
This might be my favorite thing about TCWC. The products are designed, sometimes from the beginning and sometimes reverse engineered, for specific audiences. The Barrel Proof Rye is meant for people who like barrel proof rye, and if you dilute it to 90 proof it isn’t anything like the North Coast Rye. The same goes for their bourbon and cherry whiskies. Each product is unique to the other, and there’s something for each audience to find.
Thank you to Traverse City Whiskey Co. and Ro-Bro Marketing for providing this sample free of charge and without editorial constraints.
Traverse City Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey: Specs
Classification: Straight Rye Whiskey
Origin: Traverse City Whiskey Company
Mashbill: Blend of 95% Rye, 5% Malted Barley and 100% Rye Mashbills
Proof: 117.8 (58.9% ABV)
Age: 4+ Years
Location: Michigan
Traverse City Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey Price: $89.99
Traverse City Barrel Proof Straight Rye Whiskey Review: Tasting Notes
Eye: New pennies.
Nose: Savory, herbal rye that’s instantly comforting. Proof is minimal on the nose, until it shoots up the nostrils. Chicken soup-like herbaceous-ness. Spicy with a hint of sweet tarragon.
Palate: That beautiful 95/5 rye hits first, familiar and herbal without being too dilly. Then, the blending kicks in with the 100% rye adding its own flavors. Black peppercorns, warn rather than numbing. Fatty and buttery. Mouthfeel is spicy, front tongue heat that coats and builds on the chew. Dried stone fruits grow as the pour lengthens, adding in Raisinettes and milk chocolate.
Finish: Tarragon, chocolate, and a hint of those black peppercorns. Short side of medium, staying mostly on the front half of the tongue and throat with nothing in between.
Overall: At first, I thought this might be another 95/5 that’s good to great but not elevated. Then, learning more about it, the depth becomes more apparent. A great rye that rises above the more you drink it.
Final Rating: 6.8
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary
8 | Excellent | Exceptional
7 | Great | Well above average
6 | Very Good | Better than average
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary
4 | Has promise but needs work
1-3 | Let’s have a conversation
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