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After its debut as a 12-year-old rye whiskey that clinched a Gold Medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Bulleit had retired this particular edition from the market, causing a stir among enthusiasts. In the spring of 2024, Bulleit is set to bring back this beloved spirit with the release of their Bulleit Frontier Rye 12-year, an exclusive version of their well-known Bulleit Rye.

This iteration follows the same recipe as the Bulleit 95 Rye, comprising 95% rye and 5% malted barley. The ageing process marks the distinction: the standard offering matures between four and seven years, whereas this special batch is aged for no less than 12 years. Some of this whiskey’s components have even been aged in newly charred American white oak barrels for up to 17 years. The final product is a 92 proof (46% ABV) beverage, delivering the expected rye spiciness with hints of vanilla and anise. The Bulleit Rye 12-year-old is being sold across the nation (excluding Maine) at a price of $54.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle.

Despite missing out on acquiring the 2019 release of the 12-year rye whiskey, we secured a bottle upon its re-release in April. Our brief review? It fully lives up to its reputation and we sincerely hope it won’t be another five years until more becomes available.

These recommendations are drawn from direct experiences with promotional content and products supplied by the manufacturer.

Bulleit has been in the business of producing rye whiskey expressions for 13 years. Although the company started its 12-year American straight rye much earlier, it wasn’t until 2019 that it was released, eventually earning a gold medal at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This limited-edition whiskey is no longer available on the market.

In response to consumer demand for high-quality rye whiskeys, Bulleit, located in Shelbyville, Kentucky, is focusing on this segment. Jesse Damashek, the senior vice president of whiskies and liqueurs at Diageo, which owns Bulleit, emphasized their commitment to the rye whiskey category.

According to Bulleit Master Blender Andrew MacKay, the new version adheres to the craftsmanship of previous iterations. With a 95% rye mash bill, it ranks among the rye whiskeys with the highest concentration of rye available commercially. The Bulleit Frontier 12-Year-Old Rye Whiskey has garnered multiple accolades, including Double Gold at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirit Awards, gold medals at the 2024 SIP Awards, 2024 Ascot Awards, and 2024 New York International Spirits Competition, as well as a perfect score at the 2024 Chilled 100 Spirits Awards.

The Bulleit Frontier 12-year rye whiskey offers a distinct taste compared to the Bulleit 95 rye and the 2019 debut of the same age. Despite sharing the same mash bill, the difference lies in the aging period. While the standard rye ages for about four to seven years in new American oak barrels, this special 12-year edition features whiskey aged for at least 12 years.

Remarkably, even within 12-year releases, subtle discrepancies emerge. The 2019 batch comprised whiskey exclusively aged for 12 years. In contrast, the 2024 batch includes barrels that have matured for up to 17 years, showcasing how five additional years can significantly alter a whiskey’s character.

The whiskey exudes a smoky, slightly peaty scent with undercurrents of vanilla and a caramel-like sweetness. These aromatic qualities translate to the taste, delivering a spicy, anise-laced vanilla flavor. Bulleit describes the profile as encompassing “light, fruity, woody-oaky, floral, and vanilla-spice notes,” producing a “semi-sweet, clean, and crisp” finish. Its smoothness is comparable to more expensive, longer-aged rye whiskies.

The 2024 edition maintains the same 95% rye and 5% malted barley composition found in Bulleit’s primary rye. The 95% rye content is among the highest in the industry, infusing the whiskey with its characteristic spiciness. According to U.S. law, all rye whiskey barrels must be American-made to qualify as “American whiskey.” They must contain at least 51% rye, distinguishing them from bourbon differences, be distilled at no more than 160 proof, and age in new charred oak barrels among other stipulations.

Bulleit Frontier’s 12-year rye whiskey is distilled and aged in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and bottled in Louisville, Kentucky. Like other whiskeys, the grains are mashed with water and yeast, which are then fermented before being heated up and distilled. The final step in the process is aging in unused charred American white oak barrels for a minimum of 12 years. No other flavors or colors are added, making this an American straight rye whiskey. After that, it’s bottled in the standard Bulleit Frontier bottle with the signature, slightly askew label slapped across the front.

If you ask the folks at Bulleit, they will tell you there are two ways to enjoy Bulleit Frontier 12-year rye whiskey: neat or on the rocks. In sampling the product, we tried it both ways and noted that each has some pros and cons.

Drinking it neat (that is, poured in a glass, unchilled, unshaken, and with nothing else added), allows for you to get the fullest version of the spirit’s aroma and flavors. Sipping this golden-amber spirit neat revealed the spicy, oaky-vanilla flavor that was promised in the tasting description. By drinking it on the rocks (with ice cubes — or with one large ice cube, as we prefer), it opens up some fruity aromas and makes for a much smoother sip. It does, however, tamp down that level of spice.

If that’s not how you like to drink your whiskey, that’s no problem either. Bulleit Frontier 12-year rye whiskey can definitely be used in any rye whiskey cocktail — whether that’s a Manhattan, an old fashioned, or a Sazerac. Rye is also the best whiskey to make a classic Boulevardier. One cocktail that Bulleit recommends is the “Ryes Up,” made with Bulleit Rye, sweet vermouth and cognac, elderflower liqueur, and a dash each of aromatic and Peychaud’s bitters. Stir the ingredients with ice, strain into a rocks glass, and garnish with a lemon twist.

The 2024 expression and the 2019 expression share similar characteristics such as mash bill, aging vessel, and proof. The distinction comes in the inclusion of whiskey aged up to 17 years in the 2024 version, unlike its predecessor.

Bulleit has managed to introduce the blend with whiskey that has matured an additional five years. This adjustment resulted in the whiskey exhibiting subtle variances in aroma and taste compared to the earlier version. Originally, Bulleit Rye 12-year-old was noted for its aroma filled with dried orchard fruits, baking spice, and oak, alongside flavors of dried pear, light toffee, and oak. However, the latest version emphasizes less on fruity tastes and more on deeper spice notes.

The sweetness in the 2024 version is more caramel-oriented, coupled with a touch of vanilla, instead of pear. Both versions offer a delightful tasting experience, but the 2024 release caters more to those who appreciate deep, complex flavors in their whiskey.

Though now widely enjoyed, the Revolver cocktail is relatively recent, created about 20 years ago. It originated in California during the early 2000s when a bartender used a recently launched Bulleit bourbon to craft a new drink. This creation by renowned mixologist Jon Santer was aimed at making a new version of a Manhattan using available bar ingredients, which at the time did not include any homemade syrups. The cocktail, comprising Bulleit, coffee liqueur, and orange bitters topped with a flamed orange peel, quickly became popular and helped raise the profile of Bulleit bourbon, a whiskey rich in rye content.looking to use a case of newly released Bulleit bourbon.

Indeed, Bulleit’s production array, including its renowned rye whiskey, has evolved in response to requests from the bartending community. Company representatives have shared that their premier rye whiskey was specifically developed for bartenders eager to revive the cocktail scene reminiscent of the pre-Prohibition era. Since high-rye bourbons differ from rye whiskeys, with the former retaining some sweetness from corn, the demand for sophisticated rye whiskies prompted Bulleit to pursue products such as the 12-year American straight.

Marking its 30th anniversary in 2017, Bulleit inaugurated a new distillery in Shelbyville, Kentucky, designed with environmental preservation and water conservation initiatives. The site featured Shelbyville’s initial industrial solar array, aligning with Bulleit’s goal to operate entirely on renewable energy by 2030. Additionally, the location includes an organic garden aimed at supporting pollinators.

In 2021, Bulleit’s parent company, Diageo, introduced a carbon-neutral whiskey distillery in Lebanon, Kentucky. Bulleit was the inaugural brand distilled at this facility, supplementing its ongoing operations in Shelbyville.

Bulleit is committed to environmental conservation, collaborating with American Forests to boost ecosystem restoration efforts. This partnership has initiated a tree-planting campaign in urban areas like New York City and Houston, where Bulleit achieved its goal of planting one million trees nationwide, three years ahead of its initial schedule. Subsequently, Bulleit initiated the first phase of the Don’t Trash Glass initiative in Kentucky, collaborating with the Glass Packaging Institute and GlassKing Recovery and Recycling. This program encourages local bars, restaurants, and businesses to partake in glass recycling efforts, enhancing bottle collection and promoting recycling practices.

In a way, Bulleit has always been known for its rye. Even before the distillery launched its flagship Bulleit 95 Rye in 2011, its namesake bourbon had been garnering attention because of its high rye content. In fact, Bulleit Bourbon gets its bold flavor from a whole lot of rye. In all, 28% of the mash bill is rye (the remainder is 68% corn and 4% malted barley), which is the reason for its blend of spicy and sweet flavors. This recipe harkens back to Augustus Bulleit, the great-great-grandfather of the man who started the current iteration of Bulleit. Augustus started making bourbon in the 1830s.

As legend goes, Augustus used a high rye percentage to differentiate his product from others in the market. Business was going well through 1860, when he disappeared without a trace while transporting barrels of whiskey to New Orleans. Tom E. Bulleit Jr. then resurrected the family business in 1987. Despite the rye-forward character of the bourbon, it wasn’t until nearly a quarter century later when the distillery started producing its own rye.

Read the original article on Tasting Table.