Liberty Pole Spirits will release its new High Rye Straight Bourbon on Friday, October 23, adding a distinctly Pennsylvania expression to its permanent core lineup. 

The inspiration came from an unlikely source: rye whiskeys made with just 51% rye, the minimum required for the category. For a distillery with a deep appreciation for Pennsylvania’s rye whiskey heritage, those “barely legal” ryes raised a playful question: Why not put nearly that much rye into a bourbon? 

Liberty Pole’s answer is a mash bill of 51% Bloody Butcher corn, 40% rye and 9% malted barley.  The result is a straight bourbon built around corn while giving rye a substantial role in its identity, a fitting approach for a Pennsylvania whiskey maker. 

“Speaking as Pennsylvania rye lovers, we take a little offense at all those 51% ryes on the shelf,” Jim Hough, co-founder of Liberty Pole Spirits, said in a news release. “So we decided to have some fun with the idea. With 51% Bloody Butcher corn and 40% rye, this is unmistakably bourbon, but it wears its Pennsylvania rye influence proudly.” 

High Rye Straight Bourbon also creates a natural side-by-side tasting opportunity with Liberty Pole’s Wheated Straight Bourbon. Both straight bourbons are blends of barrels aged a minimum of 4.5 years, bottled at 100 proof, with a suggested retail price of $55 plus tax. Their shared minimum barrel age and proof invite drinkers to explore how the choice of rye or wheat shapes a bourbon’s character. 

“We love the idea of putting these two bourbons next to each other,” Hough said. “The Wheated Bourbon and High Rye Bourbon give people two different expressions of Liberty Pole, with the same minimum barrel age, proof and price. We’re excited to make both a permanent part of our lineup.” 

High Rye Straight Bourbon joins Liberty Pole Spirits’ core range beginning October 23 as an ongoing offering. 

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About Liberty Pole Spirits 

Liberty Pole Spirits is a craft distillery in Washington, Pennsylvania, celebrating the region’s whiskey making heritage through its whiskeys and visitor experiences. For more information, visit Liberty Pole Spirits | Washington Pennsylvania Whiskey.