Brush Creek Railroad Rye: Review

It has been a whirlwind month since I last sat down to write a formal review. In that time, we packed up our entire life in our old home and moved to a new place. It’s been an adventure, but I’m thankful that we are settling in and that we finally have time to return to our whiskey reviews. I am really excited to kick off the New Year with a review of Brush Creek Railroad Rye Boxcar #1, our January Whiskey of the Month.

One afternoon while unpacking, I looked out front and saw FedEx had dropped a package off at our door. When I stepped out and glanced at the shipping address, I saw it had come from Brush Creek in Saratoga, Wyoming. Upon opening the package, I saw that it contained a bottle of Brush Creek Railroad Rye.

Brush Creek Railroad Rye

I’d read about Brush Creek Railroad Rye earlier in 2022 and found their process interesting. Railroad Rye is sourced from Indiana, then sent to Chicago where it is loaded on a train. From Chicago, it travels by rail to Saratoga, Wyoming. It is aged in Saratoga for an additional, but undisclosed amount of time, before it is bottled and boxed for retail distribution.

It raises the question of whether Brush Creek Railroad Rye is a gimmicky way to sell whiskey. It reminded a number of reviewers of Jefferson’s Ocean, but we think there are some distinct differences. Rather than placing some barrels on a seafaring vessel to age the whiskey, transporting barrels of rye whiskey via rail is more of a practical endeavor. Shipping products via rail is economical, often more reliable, and more eco-friendly than truck transport. It also helps your brand if you choose rail transport to bring the final product to an old railroad town, such as Saratoga.

Whatever your opinion about the impact rail transport has on the character of a whiskey, it makes for a good story. There are a lot of premium, sourced whiskeys on the market today. It helps to distinguish your brand with a good origin story. We found the story of Brush Creek Railroad Rye to be more interesting than say, a story of an ultra-rich celebrity who decided they wanted to capitalize on the liquor market so they branded their sourced whiskey after… Wait for it… Themselves.

Brush Creek Distillery

Brush Creek Distillery is fairly new to the industry. Brush Creek Distillery opened in 2019. It’s located at The Farm at Brush Creek Ranch. Brush Creek Ranch is a luxury guest ranch located in Saratoga, Wyoming which includes a number of dining and drinking options for visitors to the area.

Brush Creek is currently led by Head Distiller Philip Mundt and Managing Director Andrew Wason. Prior to joining Brush Creek in 2021, Mundt worked for Stranahan’s in Denver, Colorado. Maybe that is why he looks so darn familiar to me.

Although Brush Creek’s Rye Whiskey is currently sourced from Indiana, they are currently distilling and aging their own whiskeys on-site in Wyoming. Their distilled whiskeys should be ready in the near future, so we’ll be keeping an eye out for their release. In addition to their rye and bourbon, they also make gin and vodka under the Brush Creek Brand. Currently, they distribute to Wyoming, Colorado, and Texas, so if you live in one of those states, you’ll likely be able to find a bottle or at least grab a pour from the local watering hole.

Brush Creek Railroad Rye

Brush Creek Railroad Rye is sourced from Lawrenceburg, Indiana, so it is likely an MGP product. After purchasing the whiskey by the barrel, Brush Creek has the whiskey sent to them in Saratoga, Wyoming via railway. Once it arrives in Wyoming, Brush Creek ages the whiskey for an additional, but undisclosed amount of time.

The whiskey is blended and bottled by Brush Creek, before being released for distribution. Many speculate that the final product is somewhere in the 4-6 year range, but officially it does not carry an age statement (NAS). Brush Creek Railroad Rye Boxcar #1 is bottled at 104 proof, so it seems like it might pack a little punch.

According to the Brush Creek website, Brush Creek Railroad Rye has a nose of white pepper, cloves, allspice, and fig. The flavors include oak, candied fruit, and orange zest. The finish is described as a lingering spice.

Tasting Notes

Alie noted a touch of wood on the nose along with a tart fruity note. I picked up a nice rye spice that tickled the inside of my nose. I also noted a hint of baking spices and a touch of green apple. Alie agreed that the tart fruity note was likely green apple.

First, I tried Brush Creek Railroad Rye neat. It had a touch of heat that quickly turned into a mild tingle on my tongue. It had a nice lingering finish. I noticed a touch of wood and a hint of sour green apple.

Alie noted it had a medium intensity before adding a drop of water to her pour. She felt that it coated her mouth and left behind a slightly sticky residue. She picked up the notes of candied fruit mentioned on the Brush Creek website.

With the added water, I noticed a taste of green apple that reminded me of green apple hard candy. Without the water, it was more of a tart green apple taste. The sweetness is quickly replaced by the warm finish. It is a long and lingering finish that was pleasant and enjoyable.

If you choose to use this in a cocktail, we’d recommend a whiskey-forward cocktail, such as an Old Fashioned, to allow the flavors to shine through. If you are looking for a more unique drink, we think the notes of green apple would really shine through in our Falling Apple Cocktail. You can find the recipe here.

Our Ratings

Drinkability: 4.1

Intensity: 3

Personal Preference: 4.3

Beginner Friendly: 3.3

Availability: 1.5

Overall: 4.2

Final Thoughts

Brush Creek Railroad Rye is a pleasant rye whiskey, with a lingering warm finish. It definitely benefits from a drop of water, which allows more of the flavor to shine through. It isn’t the most complex whiskey, but it is a solid whiskey to sip and enjoy. Adding water doesn’t tone down the intensity, but simply opens up the flavor profile, which is different from a lot of whiskeys that are softened by adding water.

We enjoyed this pour upon first opening the bottle, then again a few days later. We always like to see how it changes in a few days once the bottle has been opened. Although we weren’t impressed initially, it definitely improved by the time we enjoyed a second pour. For us, this was one of the more enjoyable rye whiskeys we’ve tried.

We added Brush Creek to our list of must-visit distilleries after tasting their Railroad Rye. Since it is in southern Wyoming, it isn’t too far of a drive from us. Hopefully, we can find time to make the trip later this year to enjoy and sample some of their other products. If you happen to see a bottle of Railroad Rye near, we highly recommend you give it a try too.

Happy Exploring!

A note from Wilderness Whiskey Women: The bottle of Railroad Rye was provided to us at no cost by Brush Creek. We thank the folks at Brush Creek for providing us with this bottle for our review. Our reviews and ratings remain our independent opinions and were not influenced by the company.