Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) Announces Rossville Union Single Barrel - Available November 22nd

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the availability of Rossville Union Single Barrel beginning at select locations (list below) at 9am on Friday, November 22nd. This is the State's first ever single barrel selection of Rossville Union.

For this release, the State worked with distiller MGP to select three unique profiles, spice, savory, and sweet. The bottles come in at 100 proof (50% alcohol), are aged 5-7 years, and have an will retail for $54.99 + tax. Rossville Union is a rye whiskey with a blend of MGP’s 51% and 95% rye mash bills (source). Additionally, each bottle is individually labeled and numbered for Ohio. The taste profile is:

Nose: Sweet caramel
Taste: Fruit forward, smoky and spicy
Finish: Clean

Spice: Bold rye with slight fruit and malt sweetness
Savory: Sweet caramel, malted chocolate, rye spice
Sweet: Sweet rye with malt and fruit

My Take

This is an odd release. On the positive side, I like that there are three distinct flavor profiles... I like that each location gets a good amount of bottles so people who really want this, should be able to pick it up fairly easy... and I like that each bottle is individually labeled and numbered for Ohio...

What I find odd, is why they brought the proof down to 100 (50% alcohol).... regular Rossville union has a 94 proof (47% alcohol)... Additionally, Rossville Union sells for $39.99 + tax in Ohio so you're paying a $15 premium to get an extra 3% alcohol and a slightly different taste profile. For me, that's not enough of a difference to justify the effort to show up at opening to pick up a bottle.

However, if you are a Rossville Union fan, or a fan of rye whiskey, this is a release you should definitely check out. Additionally, with the holiday's right around the corner, this could make a good gift for the whiskey lover in your life.

If you end up picking up a bottle, drop a note in the comments with your thoughts.


Locations (alphabetical by city)

Acme 
3979 Medina Rd., Akron           
114 Bottles, Spice

Food Center Emporium
100 Olive St., Caldwell 
54 Bottles, Savory

Weiland's Market         
3600 Indianola Ave., Columbus
114 Bottles, Sweet

Giant Eagle     
2687 State Rd., Cuyahoga Falls
114 Bottles, Savory

Giant Eagle     
6700 Perimeter Loop Rd., Dublin           
114 Bottles, Spice

Jungle Jim's Fruit Market           
5440 Dixie Highway, Fairfield   
114 Bottles, Sweet

Kroger
5965 Hoover Rd., Grove City   
114 Bottles, Sweet

Arrow Wine Stores       
2950 Far Hills Ave., Kettering   
114 Bottles, Spice

Cappy's Wine & Spirits 
309 West Loveland Ave., Loveland         
114 Bottles, Savory

Pat O'Brien's Fine Wines           
30800 Pine Tree Dr., Pepper Pike           
114 Bottles, Sweet

Kroger
27322 Carronade Dr., Perrysburg           
114 Bottles, Sweet

Kroger
1510 Covington Ave., Piqua     
114 Bottles, Sweet

Giant Eagle     
15919 Pearl Rd., Strongsville     
114 Bottles, Spice

Joseph's Beverage Center         
4129 Talmadge Rd., Toledo     
114 Bottles, Savory

Giant Eagle     
30275 Detroit Rd., Westlake     
114 Bottles, Sweet

A & C Southway Beverage         
45 South Ave., Youngstown     
66 Bottles, Sweet


Source: OHLQ