Templeton Rye Barrel Strength Straight Rye Whiskey

Templeton Rye Barrel Strength Straight Rye Whiskey is a 750mL straight rye whiskey bottled at barrel strength from a 95% rye, 5% malted barley mash, matured in flame-charred new American oak and bottled natural and non-chill filtered in Templeton, Iowa, from whiskey distilled in Indiana. Barrel Strength is an annual limited edition: each year's bottling is proofed by its barrels alone, so the exact strength varies by edition — check the label of this bottle for its ABV. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.

• Size: 750mL
• Style: Straight rye whiskey, barrel strength, non-chill filtered
• Strength: Bottled at cask strength — ABV varies by annual edition (see label)
• Mash bill: 95% rye, 5% malted barley
• Casks: Flame-charred new American oak; component barrel ages vary by edition
• Origin: Distilled in Indiana, bottled in Templeton, Iowa

The Good Stuff, at Full Strength

Templeton's name comes from Prohibition-era Iowa, where the Carroll County town's bootlegged rye was prized in speakeasies as "The Good Stuff"; co-founder Keith Kerkhoff — grandson of a Templeton bootlegger — legally revived it in 2006 from a family recipe. The Barrel Strength series, launched in 2018 alongside the opening of the brand's own Templeton distillery, is that rye with nothing taken away: straight, non-chill filtered, and bottled at whatever proof the selected barrels deliver. See the range on the Templeton Rye vendor page or browse our rye whiskey collection.

Tasting Notes

Each annual edition carries its own official notes, and they differ year to year — but the series' character is constant: intense high-rye spice and black pepper over dried and summer fruits, honeyed oak and a long, warming, spice-led finish. Read the label of this bottle for its edition's own tasting notes and strength.

How to Enjoy

Pour it neat and give it a minute — cask-strength rye opens in the glass — then add water a few drops at a time to find your proof. The bottled-in-Iowa range is on the Templeton Rye vendor page.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is Templeton Barrel Strength?
It changes every year by design: the five sourced editions span 56.55% to 57.9% ABV. The exact strength of this bottle is printed on its label, alongside its edition year.

Is Templeton Barrel Strength chill filtered?
No — every edition is bottled natural and non-chill filtered, per the producer.

Where is Templeton Barrel Strength made?
The whiskey is distilled in Indiana from a 95% rye mash and bottled at Templeton, Iowa — the brand's home since its Prohibition-era namesake.

The Good Stuff with nothing held back — order Templeton Barrel Strength Rye online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.