Bower Hill Reserve Rye Whisky; Marketing, Style, and History

CLASSIFICATION: Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky.

COMPANY: Bower Hill Distillery (Cask selection, bottling, and marketing).

DISTILLERY: Undisclosed (Distilled in Louisville, Kentucky).

ABV: 43% (86 Proof).

AGE: NAS (No Age Statement).

MASHBILL: Undisclosed.

COLOR: Bright gold, intense caramel.

Read in the magazine (rotate your device for a better reading experience):

Among whisky aficionados, it is likely not common knowledge that the Battle of Bower Hill holds the dubious honor of being the only engagement of the “Whiskey Rebellion” that resulted in bloodshed.

As a result of the economic cost of the Revolutionary War, the nascent American government accumulated significant debt. Consequently, in 1791, George Washington’s administration established the first tax on spirits to contribute to the war debt repayment. Whisky was the primary target, leading many distillers to resist. In response to the government’s attempts to enforce payment, outbreaks of violence occurred in southwestern Pennsylvania. This culminated in a group of rebels attacking the residence of the federal marshal in charge of tax collection. The resulting shootout left an undetermined number of rebels and federal officials dead. This prompted the government to intervene more forcefully against armed resistance, ending the rebellion shortly thereafter without further bloodshed.

NOSE: Not very spicy, with a predominance of citrus notes, especially orange. Clear hints of honeydew melon and pineapple also appear; its fruity profile makes it one of the most well-crafted Ryes in its category currently on the market.

PALATE: The first thing perceived is the Rye, which might seem obvious. Being lightly spiced, it starts quite smooth and flat on the palate; then, notes of caramel and green wood appear –another common characteristic in Ryes. It also presents notes of pine and tobacco, which immediately places it among those labels we should consider when smoking.

FINISH: A smooth and prolonged finish with a very clean palate. It is strong and light at the same time, mainly on the tongue; the caramel sweetness disappears, and herbaceous notes along with hints of tobacco eventually predominate.

COMMENTS: Stories like that of the “Whiskey Rebellion” make, in my opinion, the experience of enjoying these types of labels much more interesting. Furthermore, brands like Bower Hill are a great example of products that do not have defined facilities or their own history as a distillery. Instead, it follows a business model widely used in the whisky industry (especially in America) where investment groups acquire whisky from an undisclosed source –stating only that it is distilled and aged in Louisville– to be later selected and bottled, in this case, in Silverton, Ohio.

Therefore, what truly lies behind a product like this is a marketing plan, an attractive bottle, and fortunately in this case, a great product to enjoy.

Acknowledgments: To my friend Julio César Simao, for obtaining the bottle for me some time ago that allowed me to write this review.

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