Review: Templeton Single Barrel Rye

Chicago was the beating heart of America’s bootlegging underworld during Prohibition — a city swimming in “giggle water” while the rest of the nation went dry. During the so-called Noble Experiment, the Windy City’s reputation for hooch-running became inseparable from its most infamous crime boss: the one and only Al Capone. But while Capone’s empire flowed with endless rivers of illicit liquor, most of that moonshine wasn’t brewed in Chicago’s back alleys. Instead, the good stuff — the “juice,” the “bathtub gin,” the “whiskey” that greased the gears of Capone’s operation — was often cooked up in the quiet towns of the Midwest, by a network of small-time distillers who knew how to keep a still humming and a secret safe.

Nearly every little Midwestern burg that ever filled a jug with illicit liquor boasts some tale of connection to Capone’s Chicago syndicate. Templeton, Iowa, is one such town steeped in legend — said to have supplied the king of the underworld himself with its own brand of rye whiskey. That legend found fresh life in 2014, when Bryce T. Bauer published Gentlemen Bootleggers: The True Story of Templeton Rye, Prohibition, and a Small Town in Cahoots. Bauer’s book dives deep into the story of a homegrown syndicate whose clandestine rye not only fueled the local economy but also flowed through the wider veins of the Midwest’s bootlegging network.

The townsfolk called their tipple “rye whiskey,” but the so-called Templeton rye of the Prohibition era wouldn’t quite pass today’s legal definition. Instead of the grain-heavy recipes we know now, the old hooch was mostly distilled from table sugar with just a splash — maybe 20% — of rye grain for flavor. Whether Capone actually bought Templeton rye remains an open question. There’s no smoking gun, only stories passed down through generations. Still, it’s not hard to imagine that a few barrels of Templeton’s finest found their way to Chicago’s speakeasies and gangster hideouts.

Fast-forward to 2006, when Keith Kerkoff and Scott Bush set out to celebrate Templeton’s spirited past by launching a legitimate whiskey brand — Templeton Rye. The brand quickly caught fire, but the road ahead was anything but smooth. In 2014, the same year Bauer’s book hit shelves, Templeton Rye faced the first of three class-action lawsuits. Consumers claimed the company’s story stretched the truth — that its whiskey wasn’t actually distilled in Iowa or made from a Prohibition-era recipe, but rather sourced from the massive distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, with the now-famous 95% rye, 5% malted barley mashbill.

For many drinkers, Templeton Rye was their first encounter with the idea of “sourced whiskey” — a common and respected practice today, though less understood at the time. Following the lawsuits, Templeton turned over a new leaf, committing to full transparency about its whiskey’s origins. The company publicly acknowledged that its rye came from Indiana and, in some releases, included added flavoring to emulate the sugar-heavy bootleg recipe of old Templeton rye. Others were bottled straight, without additives.

Through all the trials and turbulence, Templeton kept working toward a dream that finally came true in fall 2025: the release of its first fully Iowa-distilled straight rye whiskey. Templeton Distillery shared with Drinkhacker a bottle of Templeton Single Barrel Rye, hand-selected for Templeton, Iowa — Batch #2, from Barrel No. 1071 — bottled at cask strength (119.6 proof) and non-chill filtered.

At first glance, the words “straight rye” are easy to miss — printed in fine gold ink that nearly disappears into the red label — but their presence matters. That little phrase certifies there’s no added flavoring here, just honest-to-goodness Iowa rye whiskey. The mashbill remains familiar: 95% rye, 5% malted barley. Fermentation runs four days in closed-top tanks before distillation through a pair of Forsyths stills — one column, one pot. The rye spirit comes out at 127 proof from the column still and 135 proof from the pot still, entering the barrel at 118 proof. Aged at least six years in char #4 barrels from Speyside Cooperage, the whiskey rests in a temperature-controlled, metal-sided warehouse where it never dips below 50°F — a Midwestern balancing act between steady maturation and winter warmth.

It’s been a long journey for Templeton Rye — from backroom hooch and whispered legends to modern transparency and homegrown distilling. The brand has worked hard to rebuild trust among whiskey enthusiasts and reclaim its place in America’s rye revival.

But after all that… does Templeton Single Barrel Rye truly earn the respect of today’s whiskey crowd?
Let’s pour a glass and find out.

Templeton Single Barrel Rye Review

The bouquet opens with a generous pour of Honeycrisp apple juice meshed with caramel, a quality start that quickly sways attention. The caramel-apple combination loiters before unfurling into subtler notes of nutmeg and fresh lemon juice. The interaction of apple and lemon conjures the kitchen ritual of keeping sliced apples from browning. Altogether, the fruit-forward aroma provides an appealing introduction to Templeton’s first Iowa-distilled rye whiskey.

The fruit character carries fittingly onto the palate, where grapefruit flesh takes the spotlight. Its tart vigorousness is punctuated by grapefruit flesh, joined by a nudge of dill that contributes dazzle and poise. As the tasting experience develops, a rush of black pepper spice appears at midpalate, bettered by sweet and floral honeysuckle. The mouthfeel rests comfortably between medium-thick and thick, providing a gratifying heft that supports the whiskey’s humming flavors. Much like the nose, the palate demonstrates both confidence and composure from the very first sip.

The finish transitions the earlier honeysuckle note into a pure honey sweetness, shifting from floral delicacy to deeper sweetness. Grapefruit reappears here as well, but as grapefruit zest, rather than flesh, contributing an invigorating counterpoint before yielding to the persistent spice of clove.

Although many whiskey enthusiasts continue to associate Templeton with the controversies of its earlier sourced releases, Templeton Single Barrel Rye signals a meaningful evolution for the distillery. This release feels like a big stride into a new era of transparency and authenticity. While other producers have hurried to bottle their first in-house rye at a younger age, Templeton’s decision to wait six years demonstrates patience and commitment. The result is one of the most impressive debut rye whiskeys from a newly established distillery in recent memory.

At a reasonable $50 and a good proof point, Templeton Single Barrel Rye delivers both quality and value. It stands as evidence to how far Templeton Distillery has come — and as an authoritative reason to believe its best days are just ahead.

119.6 proof as reviewed. Reviewed: Batch #2, Barrel #1071.

A / $50

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