Kentucky Peerless High Rye Bourbon Whiskey

Kentucky Peerless High Rye Bourbon Whiskey is a barrel-proof Kentucky straight bourbon — around 110.5 proof (55.25% ABV), varying by batch — built on the distillery's first new mash bill since its 2019 debut: a proprietary high-rye recipe with roughly two to three times the rye of Peerless's standard bourbon. Sweet-mash fermented, never chill-filtered, with no age statement but a minimum of four years in oak, it's distilled, aged, and bottled grain-to-glass in Louisville, Kentucky. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.

• ABV: ~55.25% (~110.5 proof) — barrel proof, varies by batch
• Mash bill: proprietary high-rye (exact percentages undisclosed); 51%+ corn per bourbon law
• Size: 750mL
• Age: no age statement; minimum 4 years
• Process: sweet mash, never chill-filtered, no water added
• Distillery: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co., Louisville, KY (DSP-KY-50)

Louisville's High-Rye Revival

Kentucky Peerless is a resurrection story: the original Henry Kraver-registered distillery went quiet for 98 years until Corky Taylor and his son Carson revived it in 2015, filling the first barrel on March 4 of that year and shipping the first bourbon in June 2019. Everything is grain-to-glass on site — distilled, aged, and bottled in Louisville, never sourced. The High Rye expression, released in 2023, was the distillery's first new mash bill since that debut, and it doesn't hold back: sweet-mash fermentation, entry under 130 proof, bottled with no water added and no chill filtration. Reviewers (Drinkhacker A-) found black cherry, dark raisin, overcooked caramel, and baking chocolate against peppery rye spice and strong black tea. Browse more bourbon whiskey and American whiskey, or see all Kentucky Peerless.

Tasting Notes

A savory nose of warm seasoned oak, worn leather, citrus, cedar, dark fruit, and sweet grasses. The palate is rich and syrupy — candied oak, toasted sugar, charred orange, bright tea-like freshness, spicy rye with honey and dark chocolate undertones. The finish runs long and warming: sweet against earthy, with warm leather, rich tobacco, and lingering spice.

How to Enjoy

Start neat to meet the full barrel proof, then add water a few drops at a time — high-rye bourbons open dramatically with dilution, the spice integrating into the caramel and oak. This is a bottle for experienced bourbon drinkers who like their proof honest.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is Kentucky Peerless High Rye?
Barrel proof, typically around 110.5 proof (55.25% ABV) — the exact figure varies by batch.

What is the mash bill?
Proprietary and undisclosed, but high-rye — reportedly two to three times the rye of Peerless's standard bourbon.

How old is it?
No age statement, but all sources describe it as at least four years old.

Is it a single barrel?
No — this is the standard High Rye release; single-barrel store picks (like Seelbach's 106.8-proof selection) are separate bottlings.

High-rye fans: order Kentucky Peerless High Rye Bourbon Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — barrel proof, no shortcuts.