Review #71 - Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye

Specialty Rye Mini-Series: Part 2 of 3

The second rye in our specialty rye mini-series is from Hard Truth in Nashville, Indiana. Instead of a specialty rye grain used in this whisky, it's the process that's different: as opposed to most American whiskies, which are mashed using a sour mash process (the addition of spent grains and back set from previous mash batches), this rye is made using a sweet mash process, which does not involve adding additional ingredients from previous batches. Because of this, the pH levels in the mash will differ, and the mash will be more vulnerable to infection/contamination; there are also supposedly changes in flavor - possibly a lighter and more delicate spirit being produced as a result of sweet mashing.

This Sweet Mash Rye also has the distinction of being Hard Truth's first shot at the full fermentation, distillation, and aging process - previous products released were generally sourced. This was batch 3 of their Sweet Mash Rye, aged in rackhouse #1, and came from a batch of 30 total barrels, which were dumped in February of 2022. With a strong ABV of 57.65%, as well as being uncut and unfiltered, we're looking forward to a full strength, full of flavor whisky.

Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye

USA - Rye

Price Paid: USD 70 (2022)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 70 (2023)

Age Statement: 2 Years

Strength: 57.65% ABV

Details: Mash bill 1, 30 barrel batch size, batch #3 (dumped in February 2022), uncut and unfiltered

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 6 months; bottles at 100%, 70%, and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: Big new charred oak notes here: lots of brown sugar, char, vanilla, caramel, and sugar to start out - it's generally pretty sweet. There's a bit of a sharper tannin to go along with that significant oak influence, too, or a black pepper kick; then we find some coconut, even pushing toward white chocolate. There are some fruits here, too, mainly orange zest or candied orange peel, a hint of pineapple juice, and later on, hints of cherry creep in. The spirit itself (regardless of oak aging) is adding some heat and a little bit of prickly youth, and we get some mineral notes, as well as earth and herbs, that classic rye taste. We finish off with cinnamon spice, which bridges toward red hot candies with time.

Palate: Big time spice on this palate, and more of a return to normal younger rye notes. It's punchy with black and white pepper, licorice, waves of aniseed, herbal eucalyptus, oak tannins, and also wet oak. In general, this palate is more dry than the nose: we have wood smoke as well, a hint of ash, and a very strong mint note. There is sweetness, though, from baking spices and fruits - we have a subtle cherry once more, orange, molasses, vanilla, and a thicker syrup or maple sugar. There is a caramel candy notes, and the cherry fruit turns toward cherry candies, as well; overall, it's round and quite warm, with a medium-thick mouthfeel.

Finish: The finish is medium in length, and the new oak influence is still pretty strong here, with vanilla, brown sugar, prickly anise, and simple syrup. The rye grain contributes is peppery notes, but the herbal taste is gone now. We end with dry oily oak, some heat, and some caramel.

Final Note: Decent stuff, not exactly your run-of-the-mill rye, but not terribly far off either - there are still many of those spice and herb notes you expect with a rye. Is it a good value? Hard to say; it is more of a specialty product bottled at barrel strength, which is good, but the maturity and flavor delivery doesn't necessarily match up as much. We'll say the value is okay, might be worth picking up, though Hard Truth has already moved on to later releases with other twists on the usual recipe. We're not sure how big the distribution of this product is, either, as Hard Truth was established in 2015 - it's available all around us, but it might take time to creep out to markets further from home.

Our Average Rating: 6.5 / 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: 6.30