Doc Swinson’s Funky Drummer Rye Whiskey
Doc Swinson's Funky Drummer Rye Whiskey is a 750mL Exploratory Cask release (proof varies by batch, roughly 100–106 proof) that marries two five-year-old Indiana rye whiskeys — MGP mash bills of 95% rye/5% malted barley and 51% rye/45% corn/4% malted barley — with a finish in high-ester Jamaican rum casks, the kind of "funky" casks whose tropical character comes from the same fermentation science as Jamaica's famous dunder pits. The first finishing attempt actually over-did it and was scrapped; the released version spent about eight months in the rum casks until the flavors fully melded, and is blended and bottled in Ferndale, Washington. Order online at Del Mesa Liquor for San Diego delivery or pickup.
- Proof / ABV: batch-varying, documented 99.3–106.4 proof (see bottle)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: blend of two five-year-old straight ryes, finished ~8 months in Jamaican rum casks
- Origin: distilled in Indiana (MGP); finished, blended, and bottled in Ferndale, Washington
- Production: Exploratory Cask Series; high-ester Jamaican rum cask finish
When the Finish Fights Back
High-ester Jamaican rum casks are among the most assertive finishing vessels in whiskey — so assertive that Doc Swinson's first Funky Drummer attempt came out over-finished and never left the warehouse. The second try got it right: about eight months of patience turned two bold five-year MGP ryes into something neither whiskey nor rum, with a bright, grassy, almost tiki-style fruit character riding over the rye spice. It's the funkiest bottle in the Exploratory Cask series, and proudly so.
Tasting Notes
Pineapple and banana syrup lead, with fuji apple, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, and loads of vanilla behind. Further in: pear cobbler, agave syrup, pineapple skins, citrus, and peppercorns — tropical fruit notes that complement rather than cover the rye's bold spice. The finish is harmonious and long, fruit and spice in lockstep.
How to Enjoy
Neat to taste the full rum-cask funk, or in a tiki-leaning cocktail — a rum-cask rye is practically begging for a Jungle Bird riff. Pairs with grilled pineapple or jerk-spiced anything. Find more boundary-pushing ryes in our rye whiskey collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Funky Drummer?
For the high-ester Jamaican rum casks it finishes in — "funky" is the rum world's word for the tropical, overripe-fruit character these casks carry from Jamaica's dunder-pit fermentation tradition.
How old is the rye?
A blend of two five-year-old Indiana straight rye whiskeys, finished about eight months in the rum casks.
What proof is Funky Drummer?
Proof varies by batch (99.3 to 106.4 proof documented) — check the bottle for the exact number on your release.
If ordinary rye bores you, this is the bottle that fixes that — grab it online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.