Liberty Pole Spirits, situated in Washington, PA, takes their history seriously. Located near the events of the late 18th century Whiskey Rebellion, the distillery aims toward making Western Pennsylvania a seat of whiskey production again as it once was. (They also don’t hide their feelings for Alexander Hamilton – which you’ll notice if you have the chance to visit the distillery.) Whiskey Rising also reviewed Liberty Pole Peated Rye and Liberty Pole Bourbon. Today is the Liberty Pole Rye Whiskey review.

In many ways as the above histories show, Rye whiskies capture the spirit of Pennsylvania distilling. The mash bill for this particular rye consists of 61% rye, 13% red winter wheat, 13% rye malt, and 13% six-row distiller malt. The distiller notes the rye comes from within 20 miles of the distillery itself. Aged for a minimum of 24 months in new American Oak barrels, it is non-chill filtered and bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV). Finally, with the basics out of the way on to the review.

Bottle and Appearance

In the bottle, Liberty Pole Rye exudes a rich maple. However, it’s a bit more amber than most ryes and maintains a small degree of haziness. In the glass, it retains its color and simultaneously clears up. Giving it a swirl reveals a thin nature. Nice legs start to form but ultimately fall apart before reaching maturity. This rye whiskey utilizes Liberty Pole’s standard bottle and labeling. As such, it maintains an easily recognizable facade with timepiece scripting. The front and back label combination provides plenty of information on the whiskey without leaving many questions. This, of course, is always welcome as it allows one to go into the purchase with eyes wide open.

Nose

Lifting Liberty Pole Rye to the nose causes an initial prickling effect. Upfront a cutting and odorous Sharpie marker note bursts forth. This remains broad yet brief and clears out for a medley of grains. Nearly all grains seem to play a part in the procession – oats, wheat, barley, and rye most prominently. After the grain parade, the distant yet somehow familiar scent of a river emerges. Its a tree lined river that’s shallow and nearly dry as it brings dark green to mind. Liberty Pole Rye hits a sweet note on the way out with honeysuckle surfacing as it exits. The nose comes across as decent. A little confusion upfront rounded out by some standard notes that ultimately work better than they should due to the play and the movement within.

Palate

Liberty Pole Rye brings a mouth coating effect with it as it enters the palate. Initially this rye puts forth notes of oiled black leather. A smokey character doesn’t necessarily accompany it, but rather seems to haunt it with the specter of eventually fully emerging. After this clears out, a sort of herbal grassiness fills in that ultimately resembles white clover. Overlaying the moderate and respectable clover is a spicy ginger that brings a spark and some heat. Finally, everything begins dissolving only to leave hints of hazelnut in a mildly sweet, nutty flourish. While the flavors hit some interesting notes and the speed both races and meanders, this rye truly flourishes in its body. It delivers a smooth, nearly velvety experience as it envelops the mouth and issues forth in all directions at once. This characteristic makes it very enjoyable.

Finish

The finish on this rye starts off with a crisp yet sustained generic pepper spiciness bordering on high levels of heat. Though this maintains its presence, milk chocolate weaves it way in. Vanilla also comes through toward the end while yet inclusive of the spice that draws on throughout. This finish does a mild drawdown on intensity throughout and provides a good transition period to allow reflection on the overall experience. Though it’s somewhat basic, it may be the best part of the drink due to the refined simplicity it delivers.

Drinkability

Liberty Pole Rye works either neat or on the rocks. Water mixed in brings forward a noticeable Bartlett pear note. Additionally, it serves to button up the entire affair that otherwise suffers from mild disjointedness throughout. When serving or drinking this rye whiskey, be prepared to talk. From personal experience in drinking this with other people, one glass seems to have the effect of causing a detailed life story to spill out of everyone’s mouth.

Food Pairing

Serve Liberty Pole Rye alongside cajun food. Either jambalaya or gumbo would work well, just ensure they’re spicy and loaded with meats. The comforting, spicy and satisfying nature of these cajun classics mirror the sweet and spicy nature of the whisky. Furthermore, the dishes’ spiciness will serve to really highlight the otherwise bashful sweet half of the whiskey’s profile and really allow it to work its way out.

Facial Hair Rating

Liberty Pole Rye receives the Mutton Chops Facial Hair Rating. There is something that feels so old and distant about the Mutton Chop style that makes it seem like it should only be found in old movies about the 19th century. In other words, outdated and currently non-existent. But every once in a while someone wears the style and it’s hard not to silently applaud the effort. It’s anachronistically classy and time bending, yet somehow in a non-ironic sense. (Meta hipster or beyond?) That alone speaks volumes about it.

Overall

To conclude the Liberty Pole Rye Whiskey review – a curated and refined rustic sensibility. Liberty Pole Distillery claims to model this rye whiskey on the Monongahela style whiskey. While it’s impossible to say for sure whether or not it nails it since no original Monongahela ryes survived to today, it does share similarities toward other Pennsylvania ryes that claim the same such as Wigle Rye and Dad’s Hat. It’s not exactly a complex whiskey, nor does it necessarily run through a wide range of flavors. However, it does progress slowly yet meaningfully through a nice sampling of notes that hit on some classic rye flavors while introducing one or two less than common ones. It’s a somewhat thoughtful experience that slows time down. All of this is great and dandy, but Liberty Pole Rye truly shines in one area – its body. The experience running through the mouth can only be described as creamy and velvety. It’s this robust nature that allows the medium range of flavors to truly express themselves. I certainly wouldn’t mind having this one on hand for daily drinking and bringing it out on special occasions as well to demonstrate this particular style of rye.

Final Grade: A-

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