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ROCK TOWN SWEET SIXTEEN
Sixteen years ago, Rock Town Distillery fired up a still in Little Rock with a pretty big idea: make great spirits from Arkansas grain, right here in Arkansas.
There was no local distilling industry to step into. No roadmap to follow. When we opened our doors in 2010, Rock Town became Arkansas’ first legal distillery since Prohibition. What followed was sixteen years of distilling, experimenting, aging, tasting, learning and doing things our own way.
Now, it’s time to raise a glass to sixteen years in the Rock.
Join us Friday, October 23 and Saturday, October 24 as we celebrate Rock Town’s Sweet Sixteen with two extremely limited rye whiskey releases, our annual Anniversary Masterclass and a Saturday Open House at the distillery.
And because no Sweet Sixteen would be complete without a little something special, we saved one particularly good barrel for the occasion.
ONE RYE. TWO EXPRESSIONS.
This year’s anniversary story begins with a single barrel of Rock Town Rye Whiskey.
Distilled in our pot still in Little Rock, we filled a 53-gallon new charred Kelvin barrel with rye whiskey and left to age through five Arkansas summers and winters. After 5 years and 32 days, we finally dumped the barrel.
But instead of putting all of that whiskey directly into bottles, we had another idea.
Earlier this year, we emptied a 25-gallon barrel that had held one of our own Rock Town Rums. The rum was gone, but everything it had left behind in that oak was still there.
And a barrel that good deserved another chapter.
So we transferred a portion of our five-year-old rye into that freshly emptied Rock Town Rum barrel to leave it for another two months.
The result is our 16th Anniversary release and its equally limited companion: two expressions born from the same barrel of rye.
Five-year-old Rock Town Rye, finished for two additional months in a 25-gallon barrel that previously held Rock Town Rum.
Rye brings the spice. Rum brings the sweet.
Together, they make a fitting whiskey for our Sweet Sixteen.
The whiskey will be dumped and bottled on October 16, when its final proof and tasting notes will be revealed.
Before part of the rye began its second life in the rum barrel, we bottled the whiskey that remained from the original 53-gallon barrel as its own Single Barrel release.
Same rye. Same barrel. Same 5 years aging.
No rum finish.
At 123.4 proof, this is a chance to taste the 5 year old rye on its own, and then discover what two additional months in a Rock Town Rum cask can do to that rye.
Only 90 bottles will be available.
Both releases go on sale to the public at the distillery at 11 AM Saturday, October 24.
Friday, October 23 & Saturday, October 24
Friday, October 23
Before Saturday’s celebration begins, we’re kicking off Sweet Sixteen with one of our favorite anniversary traditions.
Founder & Head Distiller Phil Brandon will lead an intimate guided tasting through a selection of rare and special Rock Town pours, culminating in this year’s 16th Anniversary Rye Finished in Rum Cask.
Along the way, Phil will share the stories behind the spirits, the barrels and sixteen years of making whiskey in Arkansas.
This year’s Masterclass experience includes:
Tickets are $199.99 and space is limited.
Saturday, October 24
Saturday, we’re throwing open the doors and celebrating sixteen years with the people who helped us get here.
Come spend the afternoon at the distillery, taste the new releases, grab an anniversary bottle and join us for a few special Sweet Sixteen festivities throughout the distillery and Barrel House.
Tours start every hour on the hour at 12 PM, 1 PM and 2 PM.
Both limited rye releases go on sale when doors open at 11 AM. Approximately 110 bottles of the Anniversary Rye Finished in Rum Cask and only 90 bottles of the 5 Year Single Barrel Rye will be available.
Make it yours. We’ll be offering complimentary engraving on any Rock Town bottle during the celebration.
Sample our anniversary releases alongside complimentary small-bite pairings.
Step behind the station, grab your mixing glass and build and stir your own Old Fashioned featuring our 16th Anniversary Rye Finished in Rum Cask.
We’ll have a special selection of cocktails available for purchase, including drinks featuring the Anniversary Rye and a cocktail showcasing our award-winning Salted Vanilla Vodka.
No ticket is required for Saturday’s Open House. Just come raise a glass with us.
