Old barn wood | Faint star anise | Rye grain | Touch of brown butter | Vegetative

Rye spice | Spiced syrup | Oak | Vanilla | Green & white peppercorn spice | Salt water taffy | Unique

Rye spice | Baking spices | Slight syrup | Oak | Light buttercream frosting | Gentle lingering spice

There are many different styles of American rye whiskey, ranging from Kentucky to Pennsylvania/Monongahela to Maryland. While each distillery has their own interpretation of a particular style, in general, Maryland-style rye tends to be known for a slightly sweeter and creamier profile, in part due to the use of corn and malted barley along with rye grain in its mashbill. The Maryland Distillers Guild (MDG) describes itself as “a community of craft producers, dedicated to developing quality spirits and delivering a dynamic experience for visitors.” To help bring attention to Maryland’s official state spirit, MDG has brought together three distilleries to collaborate and blend a limited edition whiskey.

The initial release of Rye Curious is a blend of rye whiskeys from three of Maryland’s rye whiskey distillers, which are each aged for no less than 3 years. MGD states that “the initial release of the ‘Rye Curious’ blend will feature rye whiskey from Baltimore Spirits Co., McClintock, and Sagamore, however, the goal of the campaign is to highlight all of the nearly 20 rye whiskey producers in the state.” The whiskeys are blended at Baltimore Spirits Co., with the goal of showcasing the different approaches the various distilleries take when creating their ryes.

Flavor is one thing that Rye Curious isn’t lacking. The sip starts with a noticeably strong vegetative aroma that tries to dominate the other scents. Once you work past this initial scent, intriguing aromas of old barn wood, star anise, and rye grain reveal themselves. It’s the rye grain that transitions over to the unique palate, helping to highlight a trio of spices along with an odd, yet complementary, salt water taffy note. The finish pulls forward more spice, aligning with a slight syrup note and light buttercream frosting, which adds a hint of sweetness before culminating in a gentle lingering spice.

Rye Curious is a love letter to Maryland through and through. Even the bottle label was printed by Hub Labels in Hagerstown, Maryland. The resulting pour is a rye lover's rye, highlighting its prominent grain nicely while also pulling in sweet and intriguing notes throughout the entire sip. While future releases will taste different, as distillates from various distilleries will be blended together, the MDG may be onto the next new and exciting trend: blending the same whiskey category from various in-state distilleries.