Bold, unapologetic, and fiercely authentic, Bessemer Rye Whiskey is a revival of one of America’s first great whiskeys. From the skilled distillers who coax every nuance from our labor-intensive distillation process, to the dedicated farmers who grow and nurture our grains with care, each bottle embodies our belief in hard work. Every sip offers a taste of history, a spirit that honors tradition and celebrates the ingenuity and passion poured into its creation.
Our Recipe | Per 1500-gallon mash
1450 lbs raw rye (single varietal – Danko or Keystone Rosen)
1450 lbs malted rye (single varietal – Danko or Keystone Rosen)
2 kg FS-048 yeast
1200 gallons water
- Raw rye is milled and mixed with 900 gallons of water. The slurry is cooked for 20 minutes at 180°F. The mash is then cooled to 148°F when our malted rye is milled and mixed in. The mash is held for 45 minutes until starches are completely converted. At this point the slurry is cooled to 80°F and yeast is added with an additional 300 gallons of water. Fermentation lasts for 96 hours. Final wash alcohol concentration is 8.4% abv.
- Wash Distillation (Pot Still): 4 hours yielding 220 proof gallons
- Low Wines Distillation (Pot Still): 7.5 hours; Heads cut at 30 minutes; Hearts cut at 62% abv; Heads and tails recycled into next low wine distillation. Yield of ~310 gallons at 69% abv.
- Hearts are diluted to 101 proof (50.5% abv) and barreled into new charred American oak (1/2/3/4) into our steam heated warehouse.
