Bulleit Launches Its Oldest Straight Rye Whiskey

Made from Bulleit's signature 95% rye mashbill and aged for two decades, Bulleit 20-Year-Old Straight Rye was developed by the Bulleit Distilling Co. team with a blend crafted by Nicole Austin, Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development and Capabilities at Diageo.

Austin led the barrel selection and blending process alongside the Bulleit team, choosing barrels that could carry twenty years of age while preserving the bold rye character that has defined Bulleit from the beginning.

With an outturn of just 1,776 individually numbered bottles, the label nods to a defining moment in American history while staying focused on the drink: a deeply aged, cask-strength rye that honors the grain that shaped American whiskey and builds on Bulleit's role in its modern comeback.

"With a rye this mature, the challenge is finding barrels where age adds depth without overwhelming the grain," said Nicole Austin. "We wanted the spice and structure that define Bulleit Rye to stay front and center, while allowing twenty years of maturation to reveal new layers of complexity. The final whiskey has the spice people expect from Bulleit, with a depth that could only come from time."

Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Ind., and aged for 20 years in Kentucky warehouses, the whiskey was carefully monitored throughout maturation before being bottled at cask strength (ABV: 68.5% | Proof: 137).

On the nose, the whiskey opens with aromas of seasoned oak, warm baking spice and dried fruit. The palate unfolds with notes of caramelized sweetness, dark fruit and spice, leading to a long, layered finish that remains unmistakably rye.

"Rye has always had a certain edge to it, which is exactly why it made sense for Bulleit from the brand's inception," said Brian Blackiston, Brand Manager for Bulleit Frontier Whiskey at Diageo. "In the earliest days of American whiskey, rye brought structure, spice and resilience to the glass in a way that helped distinguish it from other grains.

"When the category was still working its way back into the spotlight, Bulleit leaned in with a style that gave bartenders and whiskey drinkers more bite and more dimension. Bulleit 20-Year-Old Rye pays homage to that history while building on our own, showing what our signature rye character can become after two decades in barrel."

Availability: At the Bulleit Distillery and select cities nationwide. 1,776 bottles. SRP: $299.