Hard Truth Double Oaked Sweet Mash Bourbon Whiskey

53.05% ABV (106.1 proof) | 750mL | Sweet mash | Double-oaked limited release — Hard Truth Double Oaked Sweet Mash Bourbon takes the distillery's signature Sweet Mash Bourbon (mash bill 73% corn, 19% rye, 8% malted barley, per reviewer-cited distillery specs) and rests it a second time in new charred American oak for over a year — using a custom char-and-toast barrel spec chosen by Master Distiller Bryan Smith. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.

Hard Truth Distilling Co. operates a 325-acre destination distillery in Nashville, Indiana (Brown County — not Tennessee), built around grain-to-glass production. Its signature move is sweet mashing: starting every fermentation fresh instead of recycling backset, which the distillery says yields a cleaner, more vibrant grain profile, made possible by close relationships with Indiana grain farmers. The result here is a limited-release bourbon built for richness — retailer notes report sweet, balanced maple syrup and oak building to smoke and tobacco with a spice-forward finish, toasted oak, vanilla bean, brown sugar, roasted nuts, and dark chocolate. Among double-oaked bourbons, the custom char-and-toast second barrel is the calling card.

Tasting notes

Nose: toasted oak, vanilla bean, brown sugar, roasted nuts, baking spice, dark fruit. Palate: full-bodied; caramel, maple syrup, toffee, cinnamon, charred oak. Finish: long, warming; vanilla, oak spice, dark chocolate, soft pepper; smoke, fig, tobacco. (Per retailer tasting notes.)

Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor

• 53.05% ABV (106.1 proof) — 750mL
• Sweet mash base (73% corn, 19% rye, 8% malted barley) — fresh fermentation every batch
• Second maturation in new charred American oak for over a year, custom char-and-toast spec
• Grain-to-glass at Hard Truth Distilling Co., Nashville, Indiana — limited release
• Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor

How to serve it

Neat to catch the maple-and-oak build; the proof holds up in an Old Fashioned that won't taste washed out.

Frequently asked questions

What does "sweet mash" mean?
Every fermentation starts fresh instead of recycling backset — the opposite of sour mashing — which Hard Truth says gives a cleaner, more vibrant grain profile.

What proof is the Double Oaked Bourbon?
106.1 proof (53.05% ABV) — do not confuse with the Double Oaked Rye at 106.9, a different product.

Is this the same as Hard Truth's regular Sweet Mash Bourbon?
No — this is a limited-release expression that starts as Sweet Mash Bourbon and gets a second maturation in new charred American oak.

Where is Hard Truth?
Nashville, Indiana (Brown County), not Nashville, Tennessee.