K&L Exclusives: A Pair of Intriguing Indiana Rye Discoveries
“These two exceptional casks of rye whiskey really took me by surprise.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer

Even with all the outstanding exclusive single barrels we bring in, it’s still a rare treat to find a straight rye that impresses us as much as these two casks from Clyde May. Distilled at the famed MGP facility in Lawrenceburg, they’re excellent examples of this renowned Indiana distillery’s signature rye profile, yet they each offer a distinct character all their own.

Clyde May’s “K&L Exclusive” Batch #913 Indiana Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml) ($54.99)

K&L Notes: A renowned Alabama moonshiner who perfected the art of distillation and became infamous for his apple-flavored whiskey, Clyde May’s story is one of the most interesting and intriguing in the whiskey world. The modern version of his recipe has been produced legally since 2001, but along with that the company has been buying and bottling straight bourbon for some time now. Like so many of the other independent bottlers of American whiskey, they’re working primarily with the great distillery in Lawrenceburg. While many of our bottlers have lovely bourbons from the excellent distillery, it’s in fact the rye whiskey that makes MGP/Lawrenceburg/Ross & Squib distillery so special. They are exceptionally suited to distilling top-notch rye and have been for many decades. Now Clyde May’s is offering us single barrels of the truly delicious Straight Rye whiskey for the first time ever. These stocks are distilled from the classic 95% rye/5% malt mashbill that MGP made famous. These excellent barrels were distilled on Valentine’s Day of 2017 and bottled on September 15th, 2022 at a wonderful 104 proof.

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: January 20, 2023

These two exceptional casks of rye whiskey really took me by surprise. There are so few people offering single barrels of great rye whiskey right now and finding two such high quality yet distinctly different barrels was what really intrigued me about these stocks. Let’s taste! Wow! this barrel is so pungent and open, it’s hard to believe its only five years old. Big notes of sweet oak, dark baking spice, gorgeous citrus oil, sweet herbs, cracked black pepper, subtle dried fruit. On the palate, it’s punchy and dense with big, sweet spice and a tense, heady, herbal character. Expect the richer softer side of rye offering tons of dense baking spice balanced with sweet oak and dried fruit. Not too peppery or dark and surprisingly bright with lots of citrus and pungent poached pear. A very vibrant and exciting new barrel.

Clyde May’s “K&L Exclusive” Batch #914 Indiana Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml) ($54.99)

David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: January 20, 2023

This cask is the more herbal, rich, earthy side of MGP rye. If you like the dilly, minty side of Indiana rye, this is the one for you. Let’s taste! Oh, a big oily spice, wild yellow flowers, exotic bark, crushed rock, and sweet vanilla bean. Hints of dill and wild herbs, dark peach compote, tanned hide, gravel, and caramel candies. On the palate, red fruit, licorice, herbal tea, mint, and dried grass. This one is balanced between wild exotic flavors and dark herbal rye. It’s a stark contrast from the sweet, rich notes of the other cask and a welcome departure for those who like a bit more dense dark character in their ryes. This is really solid stuff and hopefully most people will get to try one of each.

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