Red Top Rye 7 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml)

The return of Red Top Rye is one of those rare whiskey stories that actually deserves the word historic. First built into a national brand by Ferdinand Westheimer in the 1870s, revived by Julian Van Winkle III in the 1990s as a now-legendary 15-year single barrel, and brought back again by Old Commonwealth in 2026, Red Top has lived several lives at the center of American whiskey history. This new release does not coast on nostalgia. It is a 7-year-old Kentucky Straight Rye bottled at a perfect 105 proof from a striking 100% rye mash bill, a rarity in Kentucky, where most ryes lean on corn or malted barley for softness. The result is focused, aromatic, and beautifully expressive. The nose opens with raisin, fig, dried flowers, rose petal, cinnamon, cardamom, white pepper, fresh rye bread, and whipped honey butter. The palate is lifted and spice-driven, with clove, ginger, dried florals, steeped pear, barrel spice, and a peppery snap that keeps everything bright. The texture is elegant rather than heavy, but the whiskey still coats the palate and finishes long with fig, milk chocolate, and lingering rye spice. Serious enough to sip, structured enough for a great Manhattan, and compelling enough to stand apart in a crowded rye market, this is a very strong comeback for a genuinely storied label.