Evergreen | Light crème brûlée | Werther’s Original candy | Baked pie crust | Toffee | Peach pit | Strawberries & cream | Oak | Intriguing

Burnt brown butter | Rye spice | Creamy caramel candy | Cinnamon stick | Light tobacco leaf | Creamy mouthfeel

Rye spice | Aged oak | Leather | White peppercorn | Dash of creamy caramel | Light cinnamon crumble | Lingering building heat

M11 Rye is the inaugural release from Proof & Precedent, the new company founded by whiskey author Brian Harra, bourbon enthusiast Matt Kuesek, and Marcus Niemann, formerly of Michter’s and Four Roses Distillery. Standing for Marcus 11, M11 Rye consists of the partial contents of four barrels distilled in Illinois in spring 2015 before being moved to Bardstown, Kentucky, to age for the entirety of their time in the barrel. Niemann, the company’s Chief Blender, created the entirety of the blend in one of the original four barrels, which then rested for a month before being dumped and bottled. The remaining rye will be released as a separate blended toasted finish rye at a later date. The company states that approximately 200 bottles of M11 rye in total make up Batch 1.

Proof & Precedent M11 Rye delivers a more unique overall experience thanks to the creaminess found through its sip. The whiskey opens with an intriguing aroma that starts off with a pop of evergreen before sweeter and creamier scents swirl around and overtake it. The creaminess carries over to the midpoint and is joined by more traditional rye notes of rye spice, light tobacco, and cinnamon stick. These traditional notes carry over to the finish as rye spice and aged oak take center stage before a dash of creamy caramel and light cinnamon crumble adds a hint of sweetness as lingering building heat caps things off.

Long time whiskey personalities entering the actual product side of the market isn’t new, with the most famous examples being the creation of Pursuit Spirits by Bourbon Pursuit and Blake Riber of Seelbach’s. Expectations are elevated in these instances since whiskey enthusiasts expect these well known figure heads to deliver a whiskey that stands out among the crowd. The founders of Proof & Precedent rose to the occasion, as M11 Rye offers a pleasing sip that is easy to appreciate yet full of nuanced flavors that utilize the whiskey’s higher proof to shine. It separates itself from the standard Indiana and Kentucky 95/5 rye flavor profile that dominates the market, instead leaning into its unique combination of flavors that nicely balances creamy sweetness with traditional rye notes. The end result is a great first release by the brand and it will be interesting to see how adding a toasted finish impacts the rye for the follow-up release.

The rye in review is from Batch No. 26-01R4B.