The new Pikesville Rye, a Maryland Style Rye Whiskey?

There was a time when Maryland was synonymous with rye whiskey. For those who are viewers of the Deadwood series on HBO, you may have even notice Maryland Rye on the list in behind the bar at "The Gem."

Now before I go any further, I'm going to say that despite repeated requests from Heaven Hill Distillery for information, they failed to even respond to my requests, so what you will find below is what I have collected on my own. Why would I write about this without their support or reply? Because I love Rye Whiskey.

The last survivor of Maryland Rye Whiskey was Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey. It was first produced in 1895 by the L. Winand & Brothers Distillery in Scott’s Level, Maryland, just Northwest of Baltimore, Maryland. Closed during prohibition, businessman Andrew Merle acquired the Pikesville brand in 1936 and contracted Monumental Distillery, owned by Standard Distillers in Baltimore to resume production of the label.

With sales of Maryland Rye dwindling, production ceased in 1972, marking the end of Maryland Rye production. The brand survived on existing whiskey stocks until 1982 when it was sold to Heaven Hill of Kentucky where production resumed at the historic Bernheim Distillery. In one day, an entire years supply would be distilled, a statement about the decline of rye whiskey drinking in America.

In 2015 Heaven Hill rolled out a new Pikesville Rye Whiskey. They still produce the standard version, but this is a 110 proof . Is it really a Maryland Style Rye Whiskey? Well it has the same mash bill as Rittenhouse Rye, 51% rye, 39% corn, 10% malted barley. What is the mash bill for the traditional Pikesville? I don't know because Heaven Hill would not respond. Rittenhouse is aged for four years and is 100 proof and the new Pikesville is aged six years and is 110 proof, with the old version of Pikesville being aged three years and only 80 proof.

So is the new Pikesville even a Maryland Style Rye Whiskey? Hard to tell and Heaven Hill sure isn't talking to me. Will I drink it? It is a tasty bottle of rye, spicy notes with a buttery finish. It has a high proof which makes it not for the faint of heart, but not so strong as to make it inaccessible without the addition of ice or water.

Is this a marketing gimmick from Heaven Hill? I certainly hope not. I'd love for it to be a return to real Maryland Style Rye Whiskey. But with so many rye whiskys on the market today compared to 20 years ago, a distillery needs to wow me with more than just a nostalgic label. I've been drinking Pikesville for 25 years, and now have a bottle of the new Pikesville after spending 2 months trying to find one. I'll keep them on hand, but I can't fully support an unresponsive company like Heaven Hill. There is just simply too much good Rye Whiskey available for me not to find a brand with a heart and not just a marketing plan...

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