Coalition Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey
Coalition Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey is a 108.8 proof (54.4% ABV) Kentucky straight rye whiskey in a 750mL bottle — a 100% rye mash bill (rye and malted rye) aged five years in American white oak and bottled at cask strength with no wine-barrel finishing, available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 54.4% (108.8 proof) — bottled at cask strength
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 5 years in American white oak barrels
- Origin: Crestwood, Kentucky — an estate product of Kentucky Artisan Distillery
- Production: 100% rye mash bill (rye plus malted rye); grain from Waldeck Farms about a mile from the distillery; time-honored handcrafting with zero automation and pre-Prohibition-era all-copper pot stills
- Style: unlike other Coalition rye expressions, NOT finished in Bordeaux wine barrels — the unaltered aged rye at full strength
Kentucky Rye, Unaltered
Most Coalition rye expressions finish in Bordeaux wine barriques — this one deliberately doesn't. The Barrel Proof is the raw expression of the brand's estate rye: a rare 100% rye mash bill (rye plus malted rye, no other grains), five years in American white oak, bottled at 108.8 proof straight from the cask. The grain comes from Waldeck Farms, barely a mile from Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, and the distillation runs through all-copper pot stills dating to before Prohibition, with zero automation. Compare more rye, explore Coalition, or stack it against other Kentucky barrel-proof pours.
Tasting Notes
Amber-gold in the glass. The nose is full-bodied and deep. The palate shows the classic rye stack: deep spice, butterscotch, and orange peel, with hints of cedar, tobacco leaves, and herbal tea building to a peppery finish — silky smooth despite the proof, with a long, warming close.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Glencairn to take the full cask-strength hit, or with a few drops of water to open the butterscotch and orange peel. At 108.8 proof it also anchors a rye Old Fashioned built to stand up.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the mash bill of Coalition Barrel Proof Rye?
100% rye — a blend of rye and malted rye with no other grains, per the brand's production profiles (one retailer phrases it as 90% rye / 10% malted rye).
Is it finished in wine barrels like other Coalition ryes?
No — the Barrel Proof skips the Bordeaux wine-barrel finish the brand uses elsewhere and is bottled at cask strength, 108.8 proof.
Where is it made?
It is an estate product of Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, Kentucky, from grain grown about a mile away.
Full-strength Kentucky rye, nothing hiding it — pick up Coalition Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.