If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

That's what we said to ourselves when selecting this 58.66% ABV single barrel of MGP rye whiskey from Stellum, part of the 95/5 mash bill Serpens edition.

Single barrel cask strength rye whiskey from MGP in Indiana continues to crush at Mission, so here we are again with another affordable option at a whopping proof.

There's no reinventing the wheel here. If you're a fan of that sweetly-spiced Indiana style, this is just a workhorse bottle looking to find its way into your bar. All the peppery, herbaceous rye character is right there on the palate, but with an absolutely charming sweetness that reminds me a bit of oatmeal or rye mash from the distillery.

From the folks behind Barrell Bourbon, Stellum is a new label primarily focused on marriages of different Bourbons and rye whiskies, but with a single barrel program as well. Stellum uses whiskies from Kentucky, Tennessee, and Indiana, and we had the opportunity to select a cask of rye whiskey from a few different sources, but the sweetness in this particular whiskey is what sets apart this barrel from all the others we tasted.

When you get that perfect balance of sweet and savory in a rye whiskey (at full proof, no less) it's just a wonderful thing.

Get ready to be charmed.

-David Driscoll, Mission Sales Manager