Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey 750ml

Pikesville traces its roots to Maryland in the 1890s, where it was first produced by the L. Winand & Brothers Distillery as part of the state's once-thriving rye whiskey industry. Prohibition shuttered most Maryland rye producers, and after several changes in ownership the brand eventually landed with Majestic Distilling Corporation, which kept it alive until closing its doors in 1972. Heaven Hill acquired the name in 1982 and, after storing away extra-aged barrels for years, relaunched Pikesville in 2015 as a super-premium expression, making it the sole surviving link to Maryland's historic rye tradition.

Pikesville Straight Rye is produced at Heaven Hill's Bernheim Distillery in Louisville from a mash bill of 51 percent rye, 35 percent corn, and 14 percent malted barley, the same recipe used for the brand's sibling, Rittenhouse. What sets Pikesville apart is additional time in the barrel and higher proof: it carries a minimum age of six years and is bottled at a robust 110 proof, two years older and ten points stronger than Rittenhouse. That extra maturation is credited with rounding out the whiskey's character while preserving real intensity.

The nose brings dusty cocoa and oaky smoke layered with dried cherry and vanilla, while the palate turns dry and spicy, offering honeyed rye, clove, and black pepper. The finish is long and warming, closing on soft baking spice and a lingering cherry note