Bulleit Announces New Rye 12-Year-Old Straight American Whiskey

Bulleit Brands has announced the nationwide, limited availability release of Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old Straight American Whiskey.

This new brand is the 5th addition to the Bulleit family joining Bulleit Bourbon; Bulleit Rye, released in 2011; Bulleit 10-Year-Old, released in 2013; Bulleit Barrel Strength, released in 2016.

This new offering has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley and comes in with a 46% ABV (92 proof) and has an MSRP of $49.99 for a 750ml bottle. Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old will be available  in Colorado, Illinois, New York, Ohio, Oregon, California, Kentucky, Texas, Georgia, New Jersey, Arizona, Massachusetts, Maryland, and Washington D.C..

Ed Bello, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey US & Global Brand Director says:

"Rye remains the fastest growing North American Whiskey segment and Bulleit Rye has been the number one super premium Rye brand for the last six years. With higher-end whiskeys driving much of that sales growth and a limited number of aged statement ryes on the market, Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old is a natural way to expand our portfolio and provide a new ultra-premium offering that's absolutely delicious."

The flavor profile is listed as:

Nose: Notes of dried orchard fruits with a hint of baking spice and oak
Taste: Clean, crisp palate with flavors of dried pear, light toffee and oak with a hint of graham cracker spice
Finish: Light wood and spice notes

Our Take

This is a new product that we are extremely excited about. Having a 12 year Rye at that price point sounds like a match made in heaven. Our review of Bulleit Rye scored a 79.5, making it our highest rated product in the $20-30 price point. We think this could be an equally stellar product and are anxiously awaiting seeing this on the shelves and to do a review!

Update: We reached out to Bulleit to and learned this is, in fact, a limited release. Standard Bulleit Rye is aged 4-6 years so this is at least double the amount of time in the barrel. We finally asked how they make their products so accessible and they responded with:

"We believe consumers will respond well to Bulleit Rye 12-Year-Old, as this is a special, extra aged edition of our award-winning Rye that’s available for a reasonable price point. We hope adult consumers seeking an elevated tasting experience will give it a try and let us (and their friends!) know what they think."

If you see this out in the wild or taste it, drop a note in the comments below with your first impressions. 

Source: Diageo