Wilderness Trail has announced the release of their new Small Batch Bourbon, and its a big departure from their previous whiskeys.
The new Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is not only their first small batch, it’s their first to use rye as a secondary grain. Their first bourbon releases have been wheated and single barrel, but have used the same proportions of 64% corn and 12% malted barley. This release substitutes the 24% wheat found in the first bottling with 24% rye grain.
While the term small batch doesn’t refer to an exact number of barrels, this release is very small batch indeed – only 10-12 barrels. The barrels are non-chill filtered and bottled at 100 proof.
Like all previous Wilderness Trail bourbons, the Small Batch will be bottled-in-bond, meaning it’s at least 4 years old. Wilderness Trail notes they use Kentucky-grown Heritage rye from a local farm, a sweet mash process, and low proof entry to the barrel before aging.
The initial release will take place April 27th at the distillery in Danville, Kentucky during “A Taste in Danville.” This food, bourbon, and beer festival showcases live music and great eats. It holds a lot of meaning for the distillery – a year ago at the same festival, they released their first ever bourbon after waiting four long years.
More distribution will follow – Wilderness Trail bottles can be found on shelves in