Rossville Union Bottled in Bond 6 Year Rye 750ML

Rossville Union Bottled in Bond 6 Year Rye 750ML is a 100-proof (50% ABV), six-year-aged straight rye whiskey from Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Scored 90 points by Whisky Advocate (Winter 2023, reviewed by Julia Higgins), this expression stands apart from nearly every American rye on the market thanks to its unusual high-malt mashbill — 51% rye and 49% malted barley — a recipe MGP developed specifically for this bottling.

Quick Facts: ABV: 50% (100 proof)  |  Origin: Lawrenceburg, Indiana, USA  |  Age: 6 Years  |  Distillery: Ross & Squibb Distillery

Production & Heritage

Ross & Squibb Distillery operates within the storied MGP campus in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, one of the most prolific whiskey-producing facilities in the United States. While MGP's 95% rye / 5% malted barley mashbill has become the backbone of dozens of sourced rye brands, this Bottled-in-Bond expression deliberately zags: its 51% rye, 49% malted barley grain bill was created to showcase what high barley content can do inside a rye whiskey framework. Distilled in March 2017 and meeting all federal bottled-in-bond requirements — produced in a single distilling season, at one distillery, by one distiller, aged a minimum of four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof — it spent a full six years maturing before release.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Cedar and spearmint arrive first, followed by layers of vanilla, dried cranberries, and a baked quality reminiscent of banana bread and oatmeal raisin cookies. A subtle barrel char note grounds the fruitier aromatics.

Taste: The entry is sweeter and more fruit-forward than a typical rye, with stone fruit, fresh apple, and apricot giving way to mid-palate spice — cinnamon, black pepper, and a persistent spearmint thread. Toffee and caramel deepen through the mid-palate, reflecting both the barley-heavy grain bill and the six years of oak contact.

Finish: Medium-long, with oak tannins and cinnamon lingering alongside a subtle mint coolness. The malted barley influence shows up here as a rounded, almost biscuit-like warmth that tempers the rye spice gracefully.

How to Drink Rossville Union BiB

Neat or with a few drops of water is the most rewarding approach; the 100-proof backbone holds up well with dilution, and water amplifies the stone-fruit and baking-spice character. The whiskey's fruity sweetness and spice also translate well in cocktails:

• Manhattan: The high malt content provides a rounder, less aggressive rye character that melds seamlessly with sweet vermouth.
• Sazerac: Cedar and spearmint aromatics naturally complement the absinthe rinse and Peychaud's bitters.
• Old Fashioned: The caramel and toffee mid-palate means less need for added sweetener, letting the grain's complexity come through.

Best For

• Rye drinkers curious about how mashbill changes shape flavor profiles
• Gifting a whiskey enthusiast who already owns the usual bourbon suspects
• Bottled-in-bond collectors building a shelf of 100-proof American whiskeys
• Side-by-side tastings comparing high-malt rye against the classic 95/5 MGP recipe

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Rossville Union BiB taste like? It leads with stone fruit, apple, and apricot sweetness, then transitions into cinnamon, black pepper, and toffee spice — noticeably fruitier and rounder than most American ryes due to its 49% malted barley content.

How does Rossville Union BiB compare to MGP 95/5 rye expressions? Traditional MGP rye (95% rye, 5% malted barley) tends to be drier, more herbaceous, and heavily spice-driven, while Rossville Union BiB's high-malt mashbill shifts the profile toward baked fruit, caramel, and a softer mouthfeel. The two share the same Lawrenceburg distillery but taste like products of different philosophies.

Is Rossville Union BiB good for sipping neat? Yes — the bottled-in-bond 100 proof is robust enough to reward neat sipping, while the six years of aging and high barley percentage keep the palate approachable rather than hot.

Where is Rossville Union BiB made? It is distilled and aged at Ross & Squibb Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, which operates within the larger MGP Ingredients facility known for producing whiskey for numerous American brands.

What foods pair well with Rossville Union BiB? Smoked pork ribs complement the whiskey's cedar and cinnamon spice. Sharp aged cheddar mirrors the caramel and toffee sweetness. Apple tart or apple crumble echoes the stone-fruit and baked-apple notes. Charcuterie with dried cranberries and nuts picks up on the dried-fruit aromatics. Dark chocolate with a high cacao percentage plays off the oak tannins and barrel char.

What sizes does Rossville Union BiB come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle.

Is Rossville Union BiB worth the price? It positions as a mid-premium rye whiskey — a six-year age statement, bottled-in-bond designation, and a 90-point Whisky Advocate score place it firmly in the quality tier above most entry-level ryes, while remaining well below allocated or limited-edition price points.

Why Rossville Union BiB?

The defining differentiator here is the mashbill. In a rye whiskey landscape saturated with the classic MGP 95/5 recipe, this 51/49 rye-to-malted-barley ratio is genuinely uncommon — MGP developed it specifically for Rossville Union to demonstrate the distillery's range beyond its flagship grain bill. Six years of aging at 100 proof, under federal bonded-warehouse oversight, gives drinkers a transparency guarantee that many competing ryes at similar age statements cannot match. The 90-point score from Whisky Advocate and a Silver medal at the International Spirits Challenge confirm this is not merely a novelty mashbill experiment but a seriously accomplished whiskey that earns its shelf space in the American rye category.