Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Rye Whiskey
Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Rye Whiskey is a 50.4% ABV (100.8 proof) straight rye in a 750mL bottle — a 95% rye mash bill aged at least 4 years in new charred American oak, distilled by Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky and blended by Master Blender John Rhea, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 50.4% (100.8 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Mash bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
- Aging: at least 4 years in new, charred American oak barrels; no batch/vintage statement
- Maker: distilled by Bardstown Bourbon Company, Kentucky; brand owned by Stoli Group (since 2017); selected by Master Blender John Rhea (Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame 2016)
- Line: second release in The Wiseman series (after the Wiseman Bourbon, 2021); launched April 2022 — the brand's ongoing, accessible core line
- Award: Gold, 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
The Owl's Everyday Rye
Kentucky Owl was founded by Charles Mortimer Dedman in 1879 in Bardstown, went dark at Prohibition (the distillery closed in 1916; some 250,000 gallons of stock were lost to a 1923 warehouse fire), and was revived in 2014 by Dedman's great-great-grandson Dixon Dedman before Stoli Group bought the brand in 2017. The Wiseman line marks a deliberate pivot: after years of scarce, sold-out limited batches, this is the always-available, approachable, more affordable Kentucky Owl — with Four Roses veteran John Rhea (40 years in the industry) as Master Blender. The rye is a high-rye 95/5 mash bill, aged 4+ years, bottled at a full 100.8 proof. Shop our rye whiskey collection, browse the Kentucky Owl range, or compare other Kentucky whiskeys.
Tasting Notes
Rich and spicy on the nose — fresh rye bread, sweet caramel, cinnamon. Spice instantly fills the mouth on the palate, rich with rye flavor. The finish is long: it starts as fresh rye bread, moves to buttered cinnamon toast, and ends with a hint of English walnut. (Paraphrased from Kentucky Owl's official release.)
How to Enjoy
Neat to meet the 100.8-proof rye head-on, or in the cocktails the brand was built for — Manhattans and Sazeracs. Kentucky Owl's own suggestion: a "Wise Chai New Fashioned."
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the proof of Kentucky Owl Wiseman Rye?
100.8 proof (50.4% ABV).
Who makes Kentucky Owl now?
Stoli Group owns the brand (since 2017); the whiskey is distilled by Bardstown Bourbon Company in Kentucky and blended by Master Blender John Rhea.
What is the mash bill?
95% rye, 5% malted barley.
Is it a limited release?
No — The Wiseman is the brand's ongoing, accessible core line, unlike its sold-out limited batches.
One hundred point eight proof of rye — order Kentucky Owl The Wiseman Rye Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.