Pine | Fresh dill | Dill pickle potato chips | White peppercorn | Faint oak | Hay | Raw oats | Intriguing

Gentle rye spice | White peppercorn | Fruit-filled oatmeal bake | Slightly vegetative | Underlying creaminess

Vanilla powder | Buttery oak | Gentle rye spice | Green peppercorn spice | Lingering creamy and spice-filled finish

Bendt Distilling Co. was founded in Lewisville, Texas in 2012. Sourcing local grains, distilling their own products, and of course aging in Texas’ hot summers have helped them produce unique tasting whiskeys. Their flagship product, Bendt No. 5, is a blend of five individual whiskeys all distilled, aged, and bottled on-site. Unbendt Unblended Bottled in Bond Rye joins the company’s other trio of bottled in bond whiskeys including Bourbon, Malt Whiskey, and Wheat Whiskey. The company explains that “Triticale is a Wheat-Rye Hybrid Grain that provides a sweet and spicy component, as well as a bit of the creamy mouthfeel generally associated with wheat whiskeys.” Currently only available in Texas, more information can be found in the company’s press release.

Unbendt Unblended Straight Rye Bottled-In-Bond is one of the most intriguing ryes I’ve tasted in 2023. Opening with pine and dill scents blended with faint honey and hay, the nose sets the stage that this is not a traditional rye. Gentle spices and a fruit-filled oatmeal bake prop up the midpoint and are cloaked with a slight creaminess that you don’t typically associate with rye whiskey. Ending on notes of buttery oak and mixed spices, the rye slowly fades away riding a wave or spice and cream filled notes. This isn’t your standard rye profile by any means, instead, Unbendt Unblended Straight Rye Bottled-In-Bond delivers a whiskey that will redefine what you envision when you think about rye whiskeys. My only complaint is that this is sold only in Texas, as more whiskey drinkers need a chance to be exposed to this rye.