The only US made 20-year old rye whiskey currently available on the market, the Lock, Stock & Barrel 20-Year is sourced from Alberta Distillers Ltd. barrels that were hand-selected by late spirits luminary, and third-generation distiller Robert J. Cooper. It’s made from a rare mash bill of 100% rye grain in copper pot stills, and a “robust cut” is then selected and aged in cold weather in newly charred - not toasted - American oak barrels. Because American whiskeys must be aged in new charred oak barrels to be labeled bourbon or rye, they run the risk of becoming over-oaked the longer they’re aged. Lock, Stock & Barrel 20-Year avoids this result due to the cold climate, 3.5 barrel char, and lack of toasting, providing a rich and robust, yet balanced, flavor.
The spirit is packed in an opaque black glass bottle that stands out on the shelf for its singular appearance with the added benefit of protecting the aged whiskey from light exposure. On the nose Lock Stock & Barrel gives warm spice, toffee and bright stone fruit. To taste, the 20yr straight rye whiskey is intensely flavorful and well balanced, with a luxuriously full bodied palate that explodes with caramel, clove, and cinnamon like a warm spiced date cake with dried apricot, cantaloupe, and peppery rye. A long and velvety finish lingers with notes of butterscotch and a honeyed rye spice dry down.
