Heavy holiday spiced cake | Nutmeg | Gingerbread cookie | Cinnamon powder | Oiled leather | Slight oak | Amburana finish dominates

Rye spice | Dried spiced berries | Cinnamon spice | Baking spices | Orange rind | Dry oak

Rye spice | White peppercorn spice | Dry oak | Leather | Dry cinnamon stick | Incredibly dry & short

The True Story whiskey brand is being brought to market through the newly formed Saga Spirits Group. Spearheaded by Wes Henderson, formerly of Angel’s Envy, the new brand follows in the same footsteps as what Henderson is best known for: finished whiskey. Additionally, like how Henderson’s father brought him over to Angel’s Envy when it was first formed, he has brought on his six sons to help guide the brand.  

For the brand's finished rye product, the company sourced rye whiskey from Indiana and Kentucky and aged it for 5-8 years before finishing it for 2-12 months in Brazilian Amburana hardwood, followed by Pedro Ximénez (PX) and oloroso sherry casks. The initial release of True Story comes in a finished rye and finished bourbon format, with the bourbon being finished in White Moscatel Casks. These releases are labeled as Volume 1 and Volume 2, with the implied assumption that future volumes will follow.

Amburana finishing, even when it’s only part of a blend, can be tricky to handle. Of all the finishing barrels out there, Amburana has the tendency to easily overpower. With that in mind, this rye opens with a nose that is dominated by Amburana scents. Heavy holiday spiced cake, gingerbread cookie, nutmeg, and cinnamon powder punch their way to the front and stay there the entire time. The palate is surprisingly more balanced and opens up to reveal more of the underlying base rye, along with a hint of the sherry cask influence, thanks to a note of dried spiced berries. The finish swings in a new direction, solidly showcasing various spice notes along with oak and leather, which lead to an incredibly dry and short finish.

Overall, True Story Finished Rye Volume 2 is an interesting whiskey that also feels like it’s trying to find its true self throughout its sip. It clearly highlights its Amburana influence in the nose, while the palate shows off the rye and sherry aspects. The finish showcases that this whiskey has touched a lot of different barrels thanks to its dryness. While the finish is much too short, the nose and palate add an interesting, if not segregated, experience. It’s a slightly above-average sip, but very much identifies as a first attempt at a finished rye from a new brand.