Barton 1792 has spent nearly 150 years making bourbon. It had never officially made a rye until now.
The Bardstown, Kentucky-based distillery just announced two releases at opposite ends of its lineup: 1792 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey and 1792 XV, its oldest and most muscular bourbon to date.
For the oldest continuously operating one in the self-proclaimed Bourbon Capital of the World, the rye is the bigger news. It’s a permanent addition to the portfolio, bottled at 100 proof, with a $39.99 suggested retail price.
Adding to the core lineup isn’t something big brands like this take lightly; so Master Distiller Ross Cornelissen built the rye around the brand’s signature bourbon yeast rather than a neutral one.
1792 XV is the other bookend: a 15-year-old bourbon, uncut and unfiltered at 124.2 proof, and the brand’s first cask strength offering. It’s set to be an annual release, aged in virgin charred American white oak and pulled from a hand-selected batch of the distillery’s oldest barrels.
Presented in an elongated one-liter bottle with 1792’s signature gold stopper, XV lands at a $249.99 price point. Here’s the catch — it’s launching exclusively through Global Travel Retail, at airports including LAX, SFO, and Incheon in South Korea.
A rye a long time coming
A first rye from a distillery this old isn’t nothing. 1792’s bourbon has always leaned high-rye, so the crossover isn’t totally out of the blue. At $39.99 and permanent, it’s positioned exactly where a gateway rye should be — cheap enough to mix, interesting enough to sip, with the proof to back it up. I tried the Straight Rye myself, and I can tell you that for under 50 bucks, this is a great bottle.
1792 could easily have just built a low-ABV crowd pleaser, but instead they’re offering a robust, 100-proof liquid that hits hard out of the bottle and then opens up beautifully in the glass. If you want to challenge your palate while still enjoying lovely spice and fruit notes, it would be hard to find a better offering.
The XV, on the other hand, is a bit more of a niche move. The 15-year cask strength bourbon is in the $250 price range; at that level, you’re competing with a ton of rarified offerings. To stay competitive, 1792 went hazmat-status; 62.1% ABV is no joke, and neither is a decade and a half of sitting in oak. Luckily, the pros over there made something really cool, probably one of the more palatable hazmat sips of the last year, with a great layer of spice and a lovely nose to boot.
The only other issue is location: travel-retail exclusives can be hard to make work. That said, if you’re flying through LAX or SFO this year, it’s worth the detour to the spirits shop.
Where to Buy It
1792 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is rolling out now in select markets through Sazerac’s distributor network at $39.99, so check your local retailers.
1792 XV ($249.99) is trickier — it’s a Global Travel Retail exclusive at select airports including LAX, SFO, and Incheon, so you’ll need a boarding pass to grab one.
