Bulleit Frontier Whiskey has introduced a limited-edition 12-year-old rye whiskey.

Called Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old Straight American Whiskey, the beverage is one of the first extensions of the Bulleit Rye collection, which is claimed to have the highest rye percentages in the market.

This small-batch beverage is the fifth addition to the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey family and it uses the same 95% rye and 5% malted barley recipe as its predecessor.

The new offering combines dried orchard fruit, spice and oak fragrances with flavours of dried pear, light toffee and oak, with a hint of graham cracker spice.

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey US & Global brand director Ed Bello said: “Rye remains the fastest growing North American Whiskey segment and Bulleit Rye has been the number one super premium Rye brand in the last six years.

“Rye’s signature spiciness is certainly still prominent, and this extra ageing complements that without being overwhelming.”

“With higher-end whiskeys driving much of that sales growth and a limited number of aged statement ryes on the market, Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old is a natural way to expand our portfolio and provide a new ultra-premium offering that’s absolutely delicious.”

Bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV), the 12-year-aged rye whiskey will be priced around $50 per 750ml bottle.

The offering is currently available in select US markets, including Kentucky, Texas, New York and Ohio.

Bulleit Frontier Whiskey blender Andrew Mackay said: “Whiskey is heavily influenced by barrel ageing, and as a blender, one of our most important responsibilities is to taste how the wood impacts the flavour of the liquid and brings out different notes.

“The barrels we mingled to produce Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old were hand-selected for ageing based on early identification of their superior quality. Rye’s signature spiciness is certainly still prominent, and this extra ageing complements that without being overwhelming as new levels of softness, clove character and vanilla and oak notes are evident.”