26 Aug 25

Wilderness Trail

This is definitely a sippin’ whiskey. You could put it in a cocktail, but I think you’d be wasting it. I enjoyed it neat.

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We know the proof because we see “BiB” on the label. If an American whiskey (bourbon or rye) is Bottled in Bond(BiB), it must be at least 50% ABV. Adding a few drops of water “opens it up,” as they say, and allows you to explore the different flavor profiles in this delicious rye.

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Danville, Kentucky – If you asked people to put a pin in an unmarked map of Kentucky, most would probably stick it in Danville. It’s southeast of Louisville and southwest of Lexington.

That’s where Wilderness Trail is made.  

The distillery doesn’t list the mashbill on their site, but they do say this:

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“We use a relatively low rye percentage for a rye whiskey and offset the spice of the rye grain with sweetness from a relatively high percentage of corn.”

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So what does that mean? We’re familiar with high rye bourbons like Wild Turkey, which use the minimum 51% corn (as required for bourbon) and the rest is rye. We also know about wheated bourbons like Maker’s Mark, which use wheat instead of rye.

With Wilderness Trail, we’re seeing the opposite—a low rye rye whiskey. That means it’s at least 51% rye (as required to be labeled a rye whiskey), and the remainder is corn. Interesting decisions are being made by the owners and master distillers.

But here’s something even more interesting. From their website:

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“Our rye also enters the barrel among the lowest entry proof in Kentucky, highlighting the distillate’s nuance.”

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Why is that significant?

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Over the years, I’ve learned that barrel entry proof is a crucial part of the distilling process. Bourbon and rye can’t be distilled above 160 proof. Go beyond that, and you’re starting to lose flavor—essentially heading toward vodka territory. After distillation, the spirit is cut with water before barreling. By law, barrel entry proof can’t exceed 125. Some distilleries cut it down as low as 110 before barreling.

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Once that decision is made, the master distiller’s job is essentially done. She can pour herself a healthy shot of her aged whiskey, light a cigar (a safe distance from the still!), and enjoy the evening. Now it’s time for the barrel to do its work. The barrel doesn’t just influence the alcohol—it also interacts with the water. And the more water in the barrel, the smoother and more balanced the final product can be.

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So why don’t all distilleries barrel at 110 proof if it produces a better whiskey?

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Because it’s expensive.

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First, the barrels themselves are costly. Each one is handcrafted by skilled coopers. They’re large, heavy, and take up a lot of space. More barrels mean more storage—and that means more rickhouses.

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And for those unfamiliar: a rickhouse is not the same as a warehouse. A warehouse transfers load out to the walls and down to the foundation. A rickhouse is built around the ricks (the wooden structures that hold the barrels). The load transfers straight through the ricks into the foundation. In theory, you could remove the walls and roof, and the ricks would still stand. Rickhouses are purpose-built and expensive.

Rye is usually an inexpensive whiskey, but the fact that this rye whiskey costs $55 for a fifth tells you something: the distiller put serious effort into making a premium product.

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If you like rye, Wilderness Trail BiB Small Batch Rye Whiskey is really good—and definitely worth a shot. Ẹ ku!

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If you want to geek out on how their distillery is different and the processes they use to make their special distillate, you can find that website here.  

An Aside:
I first heard of Wilderness Trail on The Bourbon Pursuit podcast. (Great podcast, by the way. If you want to learn more about whiskey, it’s a fantastic resource.)

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I started at the beginning of the series and came upon their 2017 interview with Dr. Pat Heist, one of Wilderness Trail’s co-founders. Dr. Heist holds a degree in plant pathology.

Before starting Wilderness Trail, Shane Baker and Dr. Pat co-founded Ferm Solutions, a one-stop fermentation consulting company. They helped launch countless distilleries and fermentation-driven businesses—earning the nickname “the science guys of bourbon.”

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The interview was fascinating. If you’re into the science side of whiskey-making, I highly recommend finding that episode or any other featuring Dr. Pat Heist.

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The Cocktail of the Week is The Brooklyn.  We learn about it from our friends at Liquor.com.  “A member of the family of cocktails named for the boroughs of New York City, The Brooklyn often takes a back seat to its far more famous cousins, the Manhattan and Bronx cocktails.”  The recipe goes as far back as 1908. 

AI was used on original content to polish the language for readability, fix grammar and punctuation issues, and slightly adjust structure where needed for smoother flow.