Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Port Wine Finish
Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Port Wine Finish is a 47% ABV (94-proof) Pennsylvania rye, built on Dad's Hat's classic 80% rye mash bill and double-finished: a minimum of six months in new charred American oak quarter casks, then three additional months in used port wine barrels. Distilled and bottled by Mountain Laurel Spirits in Bristol, Pennsylvania, it is a pre-Prohibition-style rye with a port-barrel layer of dark fruit and spice. Order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV/Proof: 47% ABV / 94 proof
- Size: 750mL
- Aging: Min. 6 months new charred American oak quarter casks + 3 months used port wine barrels
- Origin: Mountain Laurel Spirits, Bristol, Pennsylvania, USA
- Production: 80% rye / 15% malted barley / 5% malted rye — no corn; pot-distilled; recipe developed with Michigan State University's Artisan Distilling Program
Port Barrels Meet Pennsylvania Rye
Dad's Hat's whole project is reviving the rye whiskey Pennsylvania made before Prohibition — high-rye, pot-distilled, no corn, in small quarter casks that mature the spirit fast. The Port Wine Finish takes that classic rye and gives it a second act in used port barrels, where three months layer jammy dark fruit over the rye's natural spice. The brand calls it "lively, exotic flavor... destined to be your new favorite sipping rye." Retailer tasting notes cite dried fruits, Christmas cake, caramel, jammy fruit, cracked black pepper, plums, cedar, cinnamon, dark chocolate, nutmeg, and mint. See our rye whiskey shelf and the full Dad's Hat lineup.
Tasting Notes
Dried fruits, Christmas cake, and jammy dark fruit from the port finish over the classic rye base — caramel, creamy oak, cracked black pepper, cinnamon, dark chocolate, and a minty rye-bread lift on the finish.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with one cube — this is a sipping rye. It also makes a remarkable Manhattan, where the port finish stands in for half the sweet vermouth's job.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mash bill?
80% rye, 15% malted barley, 5% malted rye — no corn, with locally sourced grain.
How is it finished?
The classic rye (min. 6 months in new charred oak quarter casks) is finished 3 more months in used port wine barrels.
Where is Dad's Hat made?
By Mountain Laurel Spirits in Bristol, Pennsylvania — modeled on pre-Prohibition Pennsylvania rye.
What does it taste like?
Dried fruit, jam, caramel, and dark chocolate over spicy rye — "lively, exotic," per the brand.
Spice, fruit, and history in one bottle — order Dad's Hat Pennsylvania Rye Whiskey Port Wine Finish online today at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.