Kentucky Owl expands its rye batch portfolio with the release of Kentucky Owl 10-Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Batch #3 expression.

With 57% alcohol by volume (ABV), the new Kentucky Straight Rye whiskey variant has been produced using citrus, orange juice, grapefruit, oak, anise and barbeque spice on the nose.

The new expression offers a combination of barrel sweetness, caramel candy, creamy vanilla, toffee and hazelnut coat and has been finished using liquorice, absinthe, nutmeg and a mild flash of cayenne pepper.

Kentucky Owl master blender Dixon Dedman said: “There is a lot of older juice in Rye #3 but it’s the 10-year-old stocks that give it the richer, thicker, syrupy mouthfeel and bring the blend forward.

“This batch was a fun process because you have to look at it for what it will become, not what it is at barrel strength. I experimented deeply to find the right profile, while adjusting the proof through blind tastings but kept gravitating back to 114-proof, almost exactly where I started.”

Beginning this month, the company will release its Kentucky Owl 10-Year Old Straight Rye Whiskey Batch #3 across various states in the US in limited numbers for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $199.99 per 750ml bottle.

Last June, Kentucky Owl Bourbon announced that it would release its Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Batch #2 following the release of Kentucky Owl Rye Batch #1.

Handcrafted by Kentucky Owl’s Dedman, the second batch is expected to further strengthen the company’s credentials and brand footprint within the bourbon and rye whiskey categories.

With 50.9% alcohol by volume (ABV), Kentucky Owl Straight Rye Whiskey Batch #2 delivers a combination of baking spices, honey and red pepper.