Silverthorn Reserve 10 yr Port Finish Rye Whiskey 750ml

Silverthorn Reserve was founded by Drew Thorn, who spent over a decade at Sagamore Spirit rising from COO to CEO before launching this independent Maryland venture as his next chapter. The brand takes its name from a blend of family surnames, and Thorn oversees every stage of production personally, sourcing whiskey from Indiana, blending it by hand, and working with Old Line Spirits in Baltimore for aging and bottling.

This release marries two ten-year-old straight rye whiskeys, a 95 percent rye mash bill and a 51 percent rye mash bill, blended together before finishing in casks that previously held ten-year-old Tawny Port. Thorn developed a proprietary conditioning system for the finishing process, using an atomizing tip to coat each barrel's interior with a fine mist of port, allowing precise control over flavor extraction. The whiskey is bottled at 100 proof from a small batch of just six barrels and left unfiltered through cellulose sock filtration rather than chill filtering.

The port cask brings toffee, fig, and hazelnut into contact with the rye's natural cinnamon, anise, and oak character, producing a profile that leans savory rather than the fruit-forward sweetness typical of many wine-finished whiskies. On the finish, oak and baking spice compete with dark chocolate and dried fig, with a brief burst of mint appearing partway through before fading into the background.