Chicago was the beating coronary heart of America’s bootlegging underworld throughout Prohibition — a metropolis swimming in “giggle water” whereas the remainder of the nation went dry. In the course of the so-called Noble Experiment, the Windy Metropolis’s fame for hooch-running turned inseparable from its most notorious crime boss: the one and solely Al Capone. However whereas Capone’s empire flowed with countless rivers of illicit liquor, most of that moonshine wasn’t brewed in Chicago’s again alleys. As a substitute, the good things — the “juice,” the “bathtub gin,” the “whiskey” that greased the gears of Capone’s operation — was usually cooked up within the quiet cities of the Midwest, by a community of small-time distillers who knew methods to preserve a nonetheless buzzing and a secret protected.
Almost each little Midwestern burg that ever stuffed a jug with illicit liquor boasts some story of connection to Capone’s Chicago syndicate. Templeton, Iowa, is one such city steeped in legend — stated to have provided the king of the underworld himself with its personal model of rye whiskey. That legend discovered contemporary life in 2014, when Bryce T. Bauer printed Gents Bootleggers: The True Story of Templeton Rye, Prohibition, and a Small City in Cahoots. Bauer’s e-book dives deep into the story of a homegrown syndicate whose clandestine rye not solely fueled the native economic system but in addition flowed by way of the broader veins of the Midwest’s bootlegging community.
The townsfolk known as their tipple “rye whiskey,” however the so-called Templeton rye of the Prohibition period wouldn’t fairly go right this moment’s authorized definition. As a substitute of the grain-heavy recipes we all know now, the outdated hooch was principally distilled from desk sugar with only a splash — perhaps 20% — of rye grain for taste. Whether or not Capone really purchased Templeton rye stays an open query. There’s no smoking gun, solely tales handed down by way of generations. Nonetheless, it’s not laborious to think about that just a few barrels of Templeton’s most interesting discovered their approach to Chicago’s speakeasies and gangster hideouts.
Quick-forward to 2006, when Keith Kerkoff and Scott Bush got down to have fun Templeton’s spirited previous by launching a legit whiskey model — Templeton Rye. The model rapidly caught fireplace, however the highway forward was something however easy. In 2014, the identical yr Bauer’s e-book hit cabinets, Templeton Rye confronted the primary of three class-action lawsuits. Customers claimed the corporate’s story stretched the reality — that its whiskey wasn’t really distilled in Iowa or constituted of a Prohibition-era recipe, however moderately sourced from the large distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, with the now-famous 95% rye, 5% malted barley mashbill.
For a lot of drinkers, Templeton Rye was their first encounter with the thought of “sourced whiskey” — a standard and revered observe right this moment, although much less understood on the time. Following the lawsuits, Templeton turned over a brand new leaf, committing to full transparency about its whiskey’s origins. The corporate publicly acknowledged that its rye got here from Indiana and, in some releases, included added flavoring to emulate the sugar-heavy bootleg recipe of outdated Templeton rye. Others had been bottled straight, with out components.
By all of the trials and turbulence, Templeton stored working towards a dream that lastly got here true in fall 2025: the discharge of its first totally Iowa-distilled straight rye whiskey. Templeton Distillery shared with Drinkhacker a bottle of Templeton Single Barrel Rye, hand-selected for Templeton, Iowa — Batch #2, from Barrel No. 1071 — bottled at cask energy (119.6 proof) and non-chill filtered.
At first look, the phrases “straight rye” are straightforward to overlook — printed in high-quality gold ink that almost disappears into the purple label — however their presence issues. That little phrase certifies there’s no added flavoring right here, simply honest-to-goodness Iowa rye whiskey. The mashbill stays acquainted: 95% rye, 5% malted barley. Fermentation runs 4 days in closed-top tanks earlier than distillation by way of a pair of Forsyths stills — one column, one pot. The rye spirit comes out at 127 proof from the column nonetheless and 135 proof from the pot nonetheless, getting into the barrel at 118 proof. Aged a minimum of six years in char #4 barrels from Speyside Cooperage, the whiskey rests in a temperature-controlled, metal-sided warehouse the place it by no means dips under 50°F — a Midwestern balancing act between regular maturation and winter heat.
It’s been a protracted journey for Templeton Rye — from backroom hooch and whispered legends to fashionable transparency and homegrown distilling. The model has labored laborious to rebuild belief amongst whiskey fans and reclaim its place in America’s rye revival.
However in spite of everything that… does Templeton Single Barrel Rye actually earn the respect of right this moment’s whiskey crowd?
Let’s pour a glass and discover out.
Templeton Single Barrel Rye Overview
The bouquet opens with a beneficiant pour of Honeycrisp apple juice meshed with caramel, a top quality begin that rapidly sways consideration. The caramel-apple mixture loiters earlier than unfurling into subtler notes of nutmeg and contemporary lemon juice. The interplay of apple and lemon conjures the kitchen ritual of conserving sliced apples from browning. Altogether, the fruit-forward aroma offers an interesting introduction to Templeton’s first Iowa-distilled rye whiskey.
The fruit character carries fittingly onto the palate, the place grapefruit flesh takes the highlight. Its tart vigorousness is punctuated by grapefruit flesh, joined by a nudge of dill that contributes dazzle and poise. Because the tasting expertise develops, a rush of black pepper spice seems at midpalate, bettered by candy and floral honeysuckle. The mouthfeel rests comfortably between medium-thick and thick, offering a gratifying heft that helps the whiskey’s buzzing flavors. Very like the nostril, the palate demonstrates each confidence and composure from the very first sip.
The end transitions the sooner honeysuckle word right into a pure honey sweetness, shifting from floral delicacy to deeper sweetness. Grapefruit reappears right here as nicely, however as grapefruit zest, moderately than flesh, contributing an invigorating counterpoint earlier than yielding to the persistent spice of clove.
Though many whiskey fans proceed to affiliate Templeton with the controversies of its earlier sourced releases, Templeton Single Barrel Rye indicators a significant evolution for the distillery. This launch seems like a giant stride into a brand new period of transparency and authenticity. Whereas different producers have hurried to bottle their first in-house rye at a youthful age, Templeton’s determination to attend six years demonstrates persistence and dedication. The end result is without doubt one of the most spectacular debut rye whiskeys from a newly established distillery in latest reminiscence.
At an inexpensive $50 and proof level, Templeton Single Barrel Rye delivers each high quality and worth. It stands as proof to how far Templeton Distillery has come — and as an authoritative purpose to imagine its greatest days are simply forward.
119.6 proof as reviewed. Reviewed: Batch #2, Barrel #1071.
A / $50
Templeton Single Barrel Rye
USD50
Visited 57 instances, 55 go to(s) right this moment
