It s no secret that I m a huge Wilderness Trail rye fan. I believe their rye holds up against any product currently on the market. That s goes for craft or heritage brand. When I heard from the private barrel director that there may have been a happy accident with some rye barrels I was intrigued. The 4-year and 6-month barrels were lower proof, high vanilla, toasted oak, and red fruit. The 5-year and 6-month barrel was big, bold and spicy. That gave the blend more darkness, and complexity. What the final blend is something special. I immediately sent a sample to T8ke and we both agreed. We needed this blend! This is one of the only private rye blends ever released by Wilderness Trail.