RY3 Rum Cask Finish Rye Whiskey
RY3 Rum Cask Finish Rye Whiskey is a 100-proof (50% ABV) American rye that blends three whiskeys with three mash bills and three age statements, then finishes the marriage in vintage rum casks — the launch run used rum barrels from sister brand Ron Izalco. Built by master blender Matt Witzig (co-founder of RY3 and former master blender of Joseph Magnus) on 95% MGP rye from Indiana, 100% Alberta rye, and a 12-year corn-based light whiskey aged in used uncharred barrels that smooths the rye's edge, it earned 95 points from The Tasting Panel for a "sumptuous honeycombed mouthful of peach nectar and maple bran." It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 50% (100 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: no age statement; blend of 3 whiskeys, 3 mash bills, 3 age statements
- Origin: USA; blended by Phenomenal Spirits, Virginia Beach, VA
- Finish: vintage rum casks (launch run: Ron Izalco rum barrels)
Two Houses, One Barrel
RY3 and Ron Izalco are sister brands under Phenomenal Spirits, and this whiskey is where the family tree crosses: rye built from three distinct streams — spicy Indiana 95% rye, grassy 100% Alberta rye, and a 12-year light whiskey Witzig calls his "secret weapon" for rounding rye's edges — laid down in casks that once held Central American rum. The result is a deliberate cross-pollination: spiced rye, tropical fruit, and sweet rum tone on the nose; powerful layered rye, caramel, orange peel, and rum sweetness on the palate; a long, spiced, lightly sweet finish. Compare it with the ryes in our rye whiskey collection and the rest of the RY3 line.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: spiced rye, tropical fruit, sweet rum tone, vanilla. Palate: powerful layered rye, caramel, orange peel, rum sweetness. Finish: long, spiced, lightly sweet.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a single cube — the rum-cask sweetness does the work ice usually does. It makes a remarkable old fashioned or Manhattan where the rum finish adds a tropical counterpoint to the bitters; find more finishing-cask ideas in our cocktail-ready spirits.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does RY3 Rum Cask Finish taste like?
Spiced rye layered with caramel and orange peel, plus a distinct tropical-fruit and rum sweetness from the rum-cask finish.
Is RY3 a cask-strength whiskey?
No — the core expression is bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV). Cask-strength RY3 bottlings exist only as separate single-barrel store picks.
What whiskeys are in the blend?
95% rye from MGP in Indiana, 100% Alberta rye, and a 12-year corn-based light whiskey — finished in vintage rum casks.
Three ryes, three mash bills, one rum cask — order RY3 Rum Cask Finish online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.