As rye whiskey continues to grow in popularity, established whiskey brands and distilleries continue to add it to their portfolios. And many of them continue to source whiskey from the experts at MGP, the Indiana distillery that is responsible for so much of the rye whiskey out there sold under various brand names like Bulleit, Dickel, and Redemption. The latest to release a rye whiskey is Colorado’s Tincup, adding it to its lineup of original (a blend of bourbon and single malt) and 10-year-old American whiskey.
The rye is distilled in Indiana from a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, aged for three years, and cut with Colorado Rocky Mountain water to proof it down to 90. The whiskey reads as young but flavorful, with balsa wood notes on the nose and a sweet palate full of notes of freshly cut grass, soft spice, and vanilla flavors. In fact, it does not immediately comes across as your typical 95/5 rye, because of the toned-down nature of the baking spice and fruit notes that are often predominant with that mash bill. Overall, this is a good mixing rye that would work well in a variety of cocktails.
Tincup was founded by Jess Graber, who was also one of the founders of Colorado’s Stranahan’s Rocky Mountain Single Malt Whiskey (Stranahan’s Diamond Peak was a runner up in 2019’s Spirit Awards in the American Single Malt category). Both brands are now owned by beverage company Proximo Spirits, which also distributes a little tequila brand you might have heard of called Jose Cuervo. Tincup Rye is available now for $30.
