The Senator Barrel Proof 6 Year Old Rye
The Senator Barrel Proof 6 Year Old Rye is a 750mL small-batch straight rye whiskey bottled at barrel proof — undiluted, non-chill filtered, and varying by batch, typically between 112 and 121 proof. The mash bill is 95% rye and 5% malted barley, distilled in Indiana at MGP in Lawrenceburg, aged a minimum of six years in new charred oak, then mingled from roughly 10 to 20 select barrels and bottled by Proof & Wood Ventures in Bardstown, Kentucky. Six years, one term — the name is the joke and the spec sheet at once. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- Proof: Barrel proof, varies by batch (typically 112–121 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: Minimum 6 years in new charred oak
- Mash bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
- Distilled: Lawrenceburg, Indiana (MGP)
- Bottled: Proof & Wood Ventures, Bardstown, Kentucky; small batch of ~10–20 barrels; non-chill filtered
Dave Schmier's Term in Office
Proof & Wood is the independent bottler founded in 2015 by Dave Schmier, the man who built Redemption Rye before this — a career spent proving that sourced Indiana rye, chosen well and bottled honestly, beats most stories in whiskey. The Senator anchors his DC Collection: six full years in new charred oak (a senator's term, hence the name), no chill filtration, no water added back, just a small mingle of barrels at whatever proof the wood left them. That is why no two batches land at exactly the same strength — and why rye drinkers hunt them. Find more barrel-strength pours in our rye whiskey collection and the full whiskey range in our whisky collection.
Tasting Notes
Distributor notes for a representative batch describe lemon meringue and citrus on the nose, cinnamon candy and lemon zest through the palate, and a finish of light tobacco and citrus; syndicated review notes add toffee, orange peel and herbs, with chocolate and dark fruit opening up with a splash of water.
How to Enjoy
Neat first, then with a few drops of water to walk the proof down and watch it change; at barrel strength it also anchors a Manhattan that fights back. More cocktail ryes are in our rye whiskey collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What proof is The Senator rye?
It is bottled at barrel proof with no dilution, so the strength varies from batch to batch — documented batches fall roughly between 112 and 121 proof. The exact proof of any bottle is printed on its label.
Where is The Senator distilled?
In Lawrenceburg, Indiana, at the MGP distillery (now Ross & Squibb), from a 95% rye mash bill. Proof & Wood blends and bottles it in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Why is it called The Senator?
Because it is aged a minimum of six years — the length of a US senator's term. It sits in Proof & Wood's DC Collection alongside The Representative bourbon.
Six years, full strength, no apologies — order The Senator Barrel Proof Rye online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
