Award: Winner of an American Craft Spirits Association 2020 GOLD MEDAL
Our Monongahela Rye begins with regionally-sourced Organic Rye, Malted Barley and Wheat that we mill, mash, ferment and distill in small batches in our Pittsburgh distillery. The high-proof rye spirit is then transferred to charred, new American oak barrels for aging. This specific batch of Monongahela Rye was aged in 25-gallon barrels for 3 1/2 years. Once it acquired the spicy, robust, oaky flavors that we love, we removed the rye whiskey from the smaller barrels and moved it into full-sized Port wine barrels for finishing.
After eighteen months in the Port wine barrels, the resulting whiskey has a brilliant violet hue and a lavish finish: the sweet, vinous flavors imparted by the Port barrels harmonize with the strong character of the rye whiskey and elevate it to create a complex, full-bodied whiskey that is superior to the sum of its parts. Pittsburgh Port Rye whiskey is bottled at 92 proof and is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks.
Pittsburgh Port Rye is, in many ways, a tale of two cities and how their respective identities were shaped by the iconic alcohol that emanated from the cities’ boundaries into the wider world. Porto is a blue-collar city of “tripe-eaters” that is the capital of Portugal’s industrial north and also served as a point of departure for historic exploration of the New World. Pittsburgh, home to native Yinzers, is Rust Belt city that was once on the edge of a great frontier. Both Monongahela Rye and Port wine were born out of necessity and ingenuity. The Port wine was fortified with brandy so that it could survive long journeys at sea without spoiling. Rye grain was converted into rye whiskey because the latter was easier to transport and would not spoil. Pittsburgh Port Rye was inspired by the traditions of our region’s famous Monongahela Rye Whiskey and the Duoro Valley’s famed Port Wine tradition to create an opulent new standard for rye whiskey.
