Northern Rye No. 04: Shaped by Northern Michigan Orchards

NORTHERN RYE NO. 04: Shaped by Northern Michigan Orchards

Northern Rye is a style of whiskey created by Mammoth Distilling that blends North American traditions with old world techniques to highlight character drawn from both grain and oak. Northern Rye No. 04 looks to the orchards and cider houses of Northern Michigan for its inspiration, where apple harvests shape the rhythm of the season. Built on a bright, fruit-forward Canadian rye base, this release incorporates components shaped by cider, apple brandy and Pommeau to echo the natural apple tones already present in the whiskey. The result is a layered, expressive rye that integrates mature grain structure with nuanced fruit tones shaped during finishing. No. 04 continues our exploration of terroir and craftsmanship by capturing a distinctly northern expression of rye shaped by the region’s apple country.

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What's In This Bottle?

Northern Rye No. 04 contains a blend of 58% 2005 rye, 15% three-year-old Michigan Wheeler rye aged in Bee Well cider barrels, 13% 17-year Alberta rye aged in second-use bourbon barrels, 7% 2005 rye finished in Mammoth apple brandy barrels, 4% 2004 rye aged in a 12-year-old Rhode Island Greening pommeau barrel from Tandem Ciders, and 3% 2004 rye rested on French oak. This release offers tremendous depth and layered complexity.

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PRODUCT NOTES

STYLE: Northern Rye
ABV: 50% (100 proof)
SIZE: 750ml
GRAIN: Rye, corn and barley

TASTING NOTES

Crisp green apple, caramelized sugar and rough-cut oats on the nose, evolves into bold notes of vanilla, charred oak, Bartlett pear and candied pecans; with a very long, complex finish of strawberry, dried tobacco and honey.

An Apple Inspired Expression of Northern Rye

Northern Rye No. 04 builds on the series’ core idea that mature rye can be shaped in purposeful ways by its surrounding landscape. The foundation is a long aged Canadian rye selected for its naturally bright apple and pear tones, attributes developed over many years in second-use barrels and a cool northern climate. Those inherent fruit esters set the direction for the blend. To reinforce that profile, another component was finished in Bee Well cider-seasoned Woolly Rye barrels, a closed loop that began when those barrels traveled north to hold local cider before returning to Mammoth. Their influence lends a concentrated orchard character without masking grain structure or spice. Additional fractions were selected to support that frame, ensuring the apple-driven elements feel integrated, rather than imposed.

Further depth comes from components chosen for their ability to add weight while preserving the rye’s elevated fruit profile. One fraction was re-aged in used bourbon barrels for caramel, vanilla and charred oak notes to broaden the mid palate without overwhelming the apple. Another was finished in barrels that held Mammoth apple brandy, made with Leelanau County fruit fermented at 45 North, adding a measured layer of baked apple, gentle tannin and subtle spice. The oldest component, a small 2004 rye fraction, rested in French oak that held Pommeau made with Rhode Island Greening apples from Tandem Ciders for more than a decade, alongside another fraction aged on French oak alone. Together these components create a whiskey that is fruit forward yet firmly anchored with grain, oak and orchard character.

USE NORTHERN RYE NO. 04 IN YOUR NEXT COCKTAIL!