Templeton Rye Whiskey

Kerkhoff continued to prepare Templeton Rye for his friends and family after Prohibition ended, and he finally gave his son Meryl the formula. Today, almost a century after it was originally distilled, Alfonse’s grandson Keith Kerkhoff’s recipe is honored in Templeton Rye.

A range of winter and spring rye grains with certain organoleptic properties are used to make Templeton Rye in Indiana. Using a yeast culture created especially for whiskey production, the rye—which makes up more than 90% of the mashbill and the remaining portion is malted barley—ferments for 72–84 hours. The mash is double-distilled after fermentation and then matured for at least four years in charred American white oak casks from a Missouri cooperage.

The whiskey is bottled in Templeton, Iowa, where the state’s hot summers, chilly winters, and rainy springs cause more contact between the whiskey and the oak before bottling. This helps the whiskey mature more quickly and adds complexity and flavor. The average monthly temperature in Templeton, Iowa, ranges from 86.2° F to 6.3° F.

Templeton Rye was designated “Rye Whiskey of the Year” in the 2009 Whisky Bible and won the Gold Medal in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2009 and 2010. Additionally, it defeated over 4,000 other competitors to win the title of “Best of Whiskey” in the 2008 Los Angeles Wine and Spirits Competition.

With the repeal of Prohibition, Templeton Rye is now a noticeable pleasure.

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Tasting Notes

A dry aroma of brown sugar, wood, and rye spice. Spiced rye overpowers notes of butterscotch, caramel, and toffee. finishes with a wonderful balance, being both bold and silky.

Concerning Templeton Rye

A few clever Iowans decided to become outlaws rather than teetotalers when Prohibition banned the production and sale of alcoholic beverages in 1920. To augment his income, Alphonse Kerkhoff, a farmer by profession, started making batches of rye whiskey close to his Templeton home. Kerkhoff started putting a white horse named Babe to a post in his front yard to let locals know that another batch of Templeton Rye was available since his rye, known as “The Good Stuff,” was so well-liked.

In order to spread his rye throughout the nation, Kerkhoff soon joined forces with infamous bootlegger Al Capone. According to folklore, Capone had a case smuggled into his Alcatraz jail cell. He also smuggled hundreds of barrels of Templeton Rye to speakeasies in New York, Chicago, and as far west as San Francisco.

Kerkhoff continued to prepare Templeton Rye for his friends and family after Prohibition ended, and he finally gave his son Meryl the formula. Today, almost a century after it was originally distilled, Alfonse’s grandson Keith Kerkhoff’s recipe is honored in Templeton Rye.

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