J Rieger & Co. recently announced this year’s release of its Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey. Prior to Prohibition, Monogram Whiskey was the flagship label for the distillery. The Rieger’s Monogram label was revived in 2017 to be used for the distillery’s limited edition line of innovative whiskey expressions.
The 2021 expression notes a marked departure from the 2017, 2018, and 2020 expressions, drawing from a single century old cask (Bota #4) originally gifted to the distillery by Williams & Humbert, one of the oldest producers of Sherry in Jerez, Spain. Previously Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey was a blend of the 4 Botas that have been housed in our warehouse since 2016.
“The 2021 Monogram Whiskey release represents a turning point in the last 7 years of our journey to revive this beloved pre-Prohibition brand,” says J. Rieger & Co Co-Founder Ryan Maybee. “The Monogram bottling has always meant something special to J. Rieger & Co., but this release may be far and away the most special thing we have ever done.”
Rieger’s 2021 Monogram Whiskey consists of a blend of Straight Rye Whiskeys that were between 5 and 10 years old when they entered the Monogram Solera in 2015. For the past 6 years, the Straight Rye was exclusively finished in one cask, Bota #4. That single 500-liter century old Sherry cask was once part of the legendary Williams and Humbert Solera Especial. Traditional solera utilizes a system of fractional blending made famous in Jerez, Spain. The process of replenishing the casks, commonly referred to as Solera, adds complexity and character over time. In the three previous releases of Monogram Whiskey, Cask #4 provided a tiny part of the blend due to its profoundly unique character and bold flavors. The 2021 Monogram Whiskey release consists of only this single cask.
Since the Monogram Whiskey label was revived, all releases have been created in collaboration between the distillery team in Kansas City and Sherry expert Steve Olson.
This extremely limited release (539 bottles) of Rieger’s Monogram Whiskey 2021 Oloroso Bota will be made available at liquor retailers and restaurants across the Kansas City metro area. A select allocation will also be available in New York and a few other select markets for $139.99.
