Leopold Bros Maryland Style Rye Whiskey

• Single barrel straight rye whiskey produced by Leopold Bros in Denver, Colorado
• Mash bill of 65% rye, 20% floor malted barley, and 15% corn
• Open-top fermented for 7 days in cypress vats using specialty ale yeast
• Double distilled in copper alembic pot stills
• Aged 5 years
• Aromas of orange marmalade, honey, black tea, red fruit, and toasted malt precede a rich, oily palate of honey, nutmeg, baby arugula, cocoa powder, yellow apple, and a touch of galangal
• Non-chill filtered; 50% ABV

Maryland rye whiskey—a style of rye distilled with corn in the mash bill in addition to rye and malted barley—was nearly lost to history after the shuttering of the last Maryland rye distillery in 1972. Todd Leopold helped recreate and revive this historic regional style by tasting through a collection of vintage Maryland rye whiskeys, over sixty years old, and cataloging their flavor profiles. He recognized that American farmers had “chased the flavor” out of modern grains in pursuit of higher starch yield, and he turned to Abruzzi—a low-starch Italian rye well suited for the Colorado climate—to better emulate the grains that distillers would have originally used. Additionally, by using a special ale yeast, the grain does not develop the volatile compounds responsible for “rye spice.” Bottled from a single barrel, Leopold Bros’ Maryland rye is fruity and floral with a soft, buttery finish.