Review #461 - Starlight Single Barrel Rye Finished in Honey Barrels
Starlight Distillery - this relatively young craft distillery began production in the year 2000 with the purchased of a pot still. In fact, their involvement in the spirits business went back much further than that: in the mid-1800s, the farm, under the ownership of the Huber family, began producing fruit for spirits; at the time, Indiana had a bustling industry of brandy and wine production.
Though the distillery was established officially between 1998 and 2000, they didn't actually produce any whisky until almost 15 years later. Instead, they focused on brandies - as the largest fruit farm in the state of Indiana, they had surplus of materials with which to make the brandy.
The main reason that Starlight produced no whisky when they began distilling, though, was actually due to Indiana laws - before 2013, the barriers to creating a new craft distillery in the state were very challenging, as these potential new distilleries were not allowed to sell grain-based spirits to consumers on their premises. Instead, they would be required to gain traction with a distributor and other retail locations to move their product.
In 2013, in some part due to pressure from potential distillers in the state, Indiana passed laws creating the Artisan Distiller’s Permit, which allowed licensed distillers to sell to the public more easily. This change saw a wave of new distilleries established in the state - Hard Truth, West Fork, Hotel Tango, and Old 55, to name a few. Because of the rule change, Starlight also began distilling whisky, in addition to their brandies.
Now, in the whisky space, Starlight produces mostly bourbons and ryes. What they really specialize in, however, is finished whiskies - they've tried just about every cask type that we can think of. Sherry finish, port finish, Amburana, double-oaked, rum, Armagnac, Mizunara, Cabernet, toasted barrel, Vino de Naranja, maple syrup - you name it, Starlight has tried it and released it as a single barrel.
The rye that we're reviewing today was finished in honey barrels. The honey barrel, in this case, is to be taken in the literal sense; while the term 'honey barrel' is a subjective designation often used in the bourbon industry to signify an 'exceptional' or 'special' single barrel of (unfinished) whisky, that's not what we're talking about here. Starlight opted to finish this rye (and some barrels of bourbon) in barrels which had literally been used to age honey. Those honey barrels themselves were actually used before the honey, too, previously aging Starlight bourbon.
This single barrel was bought in 2024, and it comes with an unusually high strength for a spirit from Starlight: 60.55% ABV, or 121.1 proof. For these finished whiskies, the distillery generally ages the bourbon or rye for at least 4 years in the standard new American oak barrel first; afterward, for this honey finish style, it was an additional 3 to 8 months of aging, depending on the barrel. In total, the length of maturation comes out to a little over 5 years.
Starlight Single Barrel Rye Finished in Honey Barrels
USA - Rye
Price Paid: USD 75 (2024)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 75 (2025)
Age Statement: 5 Years
Strength: 60.55% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in an ex-bourbon ex-honey barrel
Details: Barrel 24-8032-1
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 5 times over 7 months; bottles at 50%, 90%, 80% (blind tasting), 70% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: A strong mix of sweet notes and herbal rye scents: wildflower honey, cinnamon, coconut, white sugar and brown sugar, cinnamon, pepper spice. There is a bit of an ethanol note in this nose, hinting at the strength; with time, maple syrup and sweet oatmeal notes develop, and it becomes slightly more floral.
Palate: Warming, spicy, with lots of rye grain character. The sweet baking notes are strong, too - brown sugar and honey, baked bread, cardamom, chai spices, cinnamon sugar. All of that is balanced by peppery spice, earthy flavors, wildflowers, and smoked paprika. With time, we found Golden Grahams cereal, vanilla, and a hint of sharpie marker; the mouthfeel is medium-thick.
Finish: Warming, with a mix of cinnamon, anise, sassafras, and peppery tannins - this is a bit spicy. We also get some dill, mint, and eucalyptus from the rye grains, and sweetness comes from brown sugar, though that part is more mild. It's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: This is a fun whisky, strongly flavored and full of different elements. While we did get some honey notes, the sweetness wasn't really overwhelming on this single barrel; the rye character from the grains was still strong, bringing lots of that spicy and herbal flavor. There were some hints of youth with the occasional alcohol notes, but that could also be due to the high strength.
Value is alright, as well - this bottle sits in a nice place between the entry-level bottles and the higher-priced premium bottles. If you like trying new or interesting finishes in your whisky journey, a honey-finished single barrel like this might be a good pickup.
Our Average Rating: 6.7 / 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: 6.36
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
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