Review #263 - Hard Truth 4 Year Indiana Straight Rye
A product designed to celebrate the Indiana rye designation - this was a set of rules approved in 2021, which adds onto the standard federal rye rules. Generally, a rye needs to contain at least 51% rye grain in the recipe, must be distilled no higher than 160 proof, and must be filled into the barrel at a strength no higher than 125 proof; Indiana added these regulations:
The rye must be mashed, fermented, and distilled in the state of Indiana
It must be aged for at least 2 years in the state of Indiana
Because of that 2 year minimum, products claiming to be Indiana Rye will generally also have the 'straight' designation, as long as no additives are involved.
This Hard Truth Indiana Straight Rye has been aged for at least 4 years, and it's bottled at 100 proof, similar to the bottled-in-bond rules, though the bottle itself bears no such designation. This distillate wasn't made at Hard Truth - instead, it was sourced from other distilleries in Indiana and blended by Hard Truth. All of the sourced whisky meets the Indiana Rye designation's rules.
Hard Truth 4 Year Indiana Straight Rye
USA - Rye
Current Locally Available Price: USD 38 (2024)
Age Statement: 4 Years
Strength: 50% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 years; bottles at 90%, 100%, and 40% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Hints of ethanol before herbal, minty flavors arrive; menthol, pepper, and prickly vanilla, before some very sweet hard candies. Tiny hints of anise and nutmeg, white pepper, and wood smoke; occasional scents of caramel and... cactus.
Palate: Spiced and herbal, with menthol flavors, cinnamon, black pepper, and eucalyptus; nutmeg and white pepper come later. There are bits of sweetness, like molasses and brown sugar; hints of acetone and red pepper flakes come and go, too. The mouthfeel is medium or so.
Finish: Lots of baking spices: cinnamon, brown sugar, hints of grain, and molasses. There's a nice kick from the strength and spice, and we still get herbal notes as well. It's a medium length finish, ending with some drying oak.
Final Note: A bit of a standard entry-level, straight forward rye whisky - grain flavor-forward, and no finishing casks adding sweetness or fruit. Very much based in the baking spice and herbal side of the flavor spectrum, and pleasant enough to sip on, if slightly spicy. Because of that spice, we enjoy using this in a cocktail - it stands up to the other ingredients well.
Value is still decent, as the price is between $30 and $40, and if you like your ryes, you can definitely sip this one neat, too.
Our Average Rating: 5.7 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.78
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