The Story

When Justin and I sat down to review the Middle West Cask Strength bottles, I was pretty excited.

Our introduction to Middle West Spirits came from their Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey – Michelone Reserve. We were pleasantly surprised by what that bottle had to offer for the price tag. Recently, we also got our hands on a bottle of their regular (non-cask strength) Straight Rye Whiskey. We won’t do spoilers (that review is coming soon) but we’ll just say it wasn’t disappointing.

Then, a rare opportunity presented itself where Middle West Spirits was releasing cask strength versions of their regular whiskey lineup. After having a couple bottles of theirs already, we knew this was worth our while. So we got in the car and drove the 3+ hours to Columbus, where they were selling their distillery exclusive cask strength vertical.

It was an absolutely beautiful location; the Service Bar and Bottle Shop was meticulously designed, the staff was incredibly kind (even to a couple Michiganders) and the whiskey was, of course, delicious. Overall a tremendous experience.

But let’s get to the bottle at hand…this is a cask strength version of their Straight Dark Pumpernickel Rye expression. Where the normal rye expression is at 96 proof, the cask strength version we tried as part of this flight clocked in at 112.56 proof. A little bit more ‘oomph’, eh?

The rye is aged at least 36 months in White American Oak casks.

Alright, now that we’ve got some specifics out of the way, let’s get into this one.

Nose

Dark fruit, pumpernickel and spearmint. It has a pleasantly sweet aroma as well.

Palate

A great balance of spice and sweetness on the palate, featuring baking spice and caramel. This transitions quickly to pumpernickel bread notes, followed by molasses.

Finish

It ends with a nice array of intriguing notes including black licorice, coffee, and spearmint – with undertones of that pumpernickel bread and base sweetness throughout.

Verdict

There’s not much left to be said here – bottom line is, we loved this bottle.

It’s a unique take on a rye; I’ve had my share of rye bottles and I can’t say that I’ve experienced another rye that had flavors as specific and unique as these. I can image this one being an excellent base in some very creative cocktails.

The cask strength aspect really puts a lot of the regular expression’s notes on steroids, but adds a touch of something extra.

Overall, we’re giving Middle West Spirits Cask Strength Straight Dark Pumpernickel Rye an 8.5/10.

Do you own this bottle? Then surely you’ll want to add it to your inventory using our web app! It’s free to use. Sign up here to get a handle on that unruly home bar.

Cheers friends!