Pinhook Vertical Series 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey 2026
Pinhook Vertical Series 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey (2026 release) is the tenth vintage of the rye side of Pinhook's Vertical Series — a 750mL Kentucky straight rye whiskey, 10 years old and bottled unfiltered at cask strength, 106 proof (53% ABV). Master blender Sean Josephs built the February 2026 release from just 25 barrels of high-rye distillate (95% rye, 5% malted barley), aged at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, and — as with every Pinhook release — it is paired with a promising young thoroughbred, in this case Tiz Rye Time, the horse the Vertical Series rye has followed from the beginning. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 53% (106 proof), cask strength, unfiltered
- Age: 10 years
- Mash bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
- Blend: 25 barrels, selected by Sean Josephs
- Aged and blended at Castle & Key Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
- Released February 2026; paired thoroughbred: Tiz Rye Time
- Size: 750mL
A Decade With One Group of Barrels
The Vertical Series is Pinhook's long experiment in time: a single group of barrels, followed year after year, with each vintage blended fresh to show what that year of aging did to the same whiskey. The name Pinhook comes from pinhooking — the thoroughbred trade's practice of buying young horses on their promise — and the rye series is tied to the racehorse Tiz Rye Time, whose picture rides on the label. Ten years in, the 2026 vintage is the oldest rye the series has produced, drawn down to a tight 25-barrel blend for this release.
Tasting Notes
Expect the full voice of a 95% rye mash at cask strength: bold baking spice and rye grain up front, caramel and vanilla sweetness from a decade in oak underneath, and a long, warming finish. A few drops of water open it up noticeably at 106 proof.
How to Enjoy
Start neat in a Glencairn to taste it as it was blended, then try it in a Manhattan or Sazerac — the high-rye mash and cask-strength proof hold their own against vermouth, bitters and dilution.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Pinhook's Vertical Series?
An annual release that follows one group of barrels as they age. Each year's bottling is a fresh blend selected at that age and bottled at cask strength, so every vintage tastes different.
How strong is the 2026 10 Year rye?
106 proof (53% ABV), bottled unfiltered at cask strength.
What is the mash bill?
95% rye and 5% malted barley.
How many barrels are in the blend?
25 barrels, aged at Castle & Key Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky and released in February 2026.
Who is Tiz Rye Time?
The thoroughbred paired with the Vertical Series rye — every Pinhook release is matched with a young racehorse whose career the bottle follows.
Ten years, 25 barrels, one horse — find the 2026 Vertical Series Rye at Del Mesa Liquor, in store or online.