Thursday, March 28, 2024

Where Is Templeton Rye Whiskey Made

Production Capacity Of 500000 Annual Proof Gallons

Templeton Rye Small Batch Whiskey review

The Templeton Rye Distillery is expected to produce 500,000 proof gallons of rye whiskey a year. According to Alex Androv, President of ICC Turnkey who provided the engineering and construction management services for the project, the distillery includes 52,000 lbs. of copper. Most of that copper is in the Forsyths Distillation Equipment imported from Scotland. The copper column still is 36 feet tall with a 29 inch diameter and 25 plates. The companion copper pot still and doubler is 375 gallons. All that new make whiskey will age in the 55,000 square foot barrel warehouse that can hold up to 50,000 barrels.

It is a proud day for Templeton Rye as we begin a new chapter, said Keith Kerkhoff, Co-Founder, Templeton Rye. Working with ICC Turnkey on this successful project will enable us to continue our historic distillery operations in an efficient and environmentally-sustainable manner while serving many generations to come.

Waspys Serves Visitors To Templeton

Waspys Templeton location is fittingly located on Rye Avenue.

Less than half a mile from the distillery is Waspys, a full-service truck stop known for its Sunday Breakfast Buffet, Grab & Go Kitchen and made-from-scratch donuts.

Visitors traveling to Templeton to learn more about The Good Stuff can fuel up and fill up at Waspys.

About Modern Templeton Rye

It wasnt until 2007 that the distribution of the modern Templeton Rye brand began outside of Iowa. Despite claiming that its made in Templeton, its actually distilled and aged in Indiana. MGP is headquartered in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and the recipe they use to make Templeton Rye is a recipe they share with several other brands.

They use an alcohol flavoring formulation, or what they call blenders, to make the whiskey taste as much like the prohibition era whiskey as they can. Then they send it to the facility in Templeton, Iowa, where its bottled, labeled, and distributed.

After a class action settlement in 2015, Templeton was required to add the disclaimer distilled in Indiana to their label. They also had to remove claims of it being a small batch or based on a prohibition era recipe. Customers who purchased Templeton Rye as far back as 2006 had to be reimbursed.

Because Templeton Rye isnt labeled as straight, it currently isnt illegal for them to blend in their own flavor additives to make the formula taste more like an old recipe. By law, they can add flavoring up to 2.5% by volume. After all of this turmoil, Templeton Rye made a decision to cease production in Indiana and open their own distilling operations in Templeton. The first four-year Templeton Rye will be available in 2022.

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Templeton Rye Not As Iowan As You Thought

From its beginning, Templeton Rye rooted itself in a great story: that of a bootleg whiskey, distilled in Iowa, enjoyed by Al Capone and resurrected in 2006.

The Templeton Rye seen on store shelves today, however, is distilled in Indiana, not Iowa a distinction The Des Moines Register and others have noted before.

But that distinction has prompted discussion in whiskey circles in recent weeks, including suggestions that the company’s labeling may skirt the law.

The line between the mythos of Templeton Rye and the reality of how and where the whiskey is produced gained attention last month when national website the Daily Beast published an article titled, “Your ‘Craft’ Rye Whiskey is Probably Made From a Factory Distillery in Indiana.”

In it, writer Eric Felten explored what the article called a “big secret” of the business: Dozens of craft whiskey companies, including Templeton Rye, sell whiskey made not with their own stills but those of MGP, a food and beverage ingredient company that runs a whiskey factory in Lawrenceberg, Ind.

The Daily Beast also published an accusation of particular note: that the rye whiskey distilled and later bottled as Templeton Rye is made from a “stock MGP recipe,” not one tied to Templeton, Ia.

What’s more, industry and legal experts question whether Templeton Rye may be violating a federal regulation requiring whiskey companies to disclose the state where their whiskey is distilled if it occurs in another state.

Ingredients For The Perfect Recipe: Options Cost And Support

Templeton Rye 4 Years Old The Good Stuff

If you step foot on Templeton Ryes beautiful grounds spanning 20 acres, its hard to believe theyre a small business. When you look around our campus and see what we are able to do, this place is operating on a big-time level, says Jane Knutson, chief financial officer at Templeton Rye. We only have thirty people who keep this place running day in and day out.

When it comes to taking care of their employees, Templeton Rye continues to choose Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield for their health insurance benefits. It all comes down to three things: options, cost and support. When mixed together, they make the perfect combination every time. Here’s how:

  • Options. “Typically, when it comes to insuring, Wellmark has always been able to give us various options for employee health insurance plans even as a small business, says Knutson. We appreciate the variety and selection.
  • Cost. Covering your small business costs are never easy or cheap. At the end of the day, every business is looking to keep costs affordable and the company’s bottom line in check. With Wellmark, we are able to be cost-conscious while offering our employees the best health insurance benefits, says Knutson.
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    Templeton Rye Cuts Ribbon On New $35 Million Iowa Distillery

    This month marks a new beginning for Templeton Rye Distillery in Templeton, Iowa. Alphons Kerkhoff was a well known bootlegger back in the roaring 20s, funneling his rye whiskey to Chicago and surrounding areas. His rye whiskey recipe went dark for decades until his descendants decided to restart the family business in 2001. They found a partner to make a modern legal version of their family recipe and started selling Templeton Rye in 2006. In April 2017, Templeton Rye broke ground to build their own distillery and 12 months and 2 days later, they were once again distilling their own rye whiskey in Iowa.

    Templeton Rye Settlement: What To Know To File A Claim

    The ongoing saga of the bottle labeling practices of those behind Templeton Rye whiskey drew one step closer to being completed as a website has now gone live with information on how consumers can claim a stake in the $2.5 million set aside to settle a related class action lawsuit. This money is on top of required changes to the Templeton Rye bottle labels, which we chronicled towards the end of July after they were approved by the TTB.

    Templeton Rye as it appeared before the lawsuit settlement

    If you are unfamiliar with what this lawsuit was about, or just in case you need a quick refresher, here is the nuts and bolts version as drawn from the settlement website:

    This agreement, which was given the preliminary okay by an Illinois court in late July, still must go through a final hearing in early December before money is distributed to those who file a claim. If you believe yourself to be one who might be eligible for so called monetary relief there are a few things you need to know first:

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    Templeton Rye 6 Year Rye Whiskey

    2020 San Francisco World Spirits Double Gold Medal Winner

    2019 San Francisco World Spirits Gold Medal Winner

    Templeton Rye 6 Year is a full-flavored rye showing aromas of cherry, apple, and ginger spice. Upfront sweet flavors of honey lead into sweet baking spices, oak, and a touch of peppermint. The drinker is rewarded with a long smooth spicy finish.

    Proof: 91.5

    Whiskey Review: Templeton Rye Aged 6 Years

    Whiskey Review: Templeton Rye With Redemption Rye Comparison

    Editors Note: This whiskey was provided to us as a review sample by Templeton Distillery. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.

    Templeton Distillery began bottling its four-year-old rye in 2006. It wasnt until a few years later that it started laying down barrels intended to age longer. So the six-year rye is a newer expression, debuting only in 2016. Templeton, though, quickly started calling the newer sibling its flagship release.

    Regardless, its made the same way as the four-year, starting with a base rye from MGP Ingredients and then adding undisclosed flavoring until it tastes like the distillery believes Prohibition-era predecessors would have in the area around Templeton, Iowa. Its eventually proofed down and bottled in Iowa.

    A new full-service distillery in Templeton is scheduled to begin bottling in the next year or two, which will get the brand out of the sourced-whiskey business. In the meantime, the flavoring component is why neither the four-year nor the six-year can be labeled as straight ryes. As flavored whiskies, theyre allowed to add up to 2.5% by volume of flavorings or other additives.

    The Takeaway

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    Looking For Coverage For Your Small Business

    Choosing the right benefits for your business is a big decision. Look at the benefits options for businesses with 1-50 employees Opens in a new window and find the package that works best for you.

    If you have any questions, contact your authorized Wellmark representative, or email us at .

    We wanted to learn more about why some of our long-time small business customers continue to choose Wellmark for their health coverage in their own words. Trust, shared values, experience, longevity and understanding continually came to the forefront.

    Thank you to Templeton Rye for sharing their story with us.

    Templeton Rye Distillery Ribbon Cutting And Grand Opening

    Jane Knudson CFO of Templeton Rye, Keith Kerkhoff Co-Founder of Templeton Rye, Chris Underwood CEO of Youngs Market Company, Vern Underwood Investor and Chairman of the Board ofYoungs Market Company, Lester Brown Distillery Manager and several Templeton Rye employees.

    The company celebrated its new $35 million, 34,500 square foot distillery, visitor center, museum and tasting room with a grand opening and ribbon cutting where nearly the whole town turned out. The new distillery that sits on 20 acres will have a significant impact on this small mid-west community of 350 residents. The expansion will add 17 new jobs bringing total employment up to 28

    Stay Informed: and be the first to get all the latest news, trends, job listings and events in your inbox.

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    Reasons To Not Buy Templeton Barrel Strength Straight Rye Whiskey

    Templeton is the representation of everything foul about the modern whiskey market. Be it the disingenuous apology from their Chief Bullshit Officer Keith Kerkhoff after getting sued for lying or their continued use of artful storytelling to this very day, they are a symbol of how to do it wrong. That artful use of selective truth is grandly on display with their latest release, the Templeton Barrel Strength Straight Rye Whiskey.

    This isnt the first time Ive called out Templeton on their BS. I gave the Templeton Rye Whiskey a 00 for trying to pass off a flavored rye whiskey as something else. I made a video response to Keiths apology which was little more than lawyer induced fluff. And more recently I skewered their Templeton Rye 6 Years press release.

    Since then press releases have come and gone and I let them slide, but the release for the new Templeton Barrel Strength Rye got my ire up again for several very good reasons. 5 of them in-fact which are conveniently listed below.

    So Much More Than A Place

    Templeton 4 Year Old The Good Stuff Rye Whiskey

    A community that respects one another, that supports each other, and who comes together with a revived spirit. That was the town of Templeton, Iowa a century ago, and it’s the very same town today. We are following in the footsteps of our forefathers and crafting a whiskey in their tradition. A whiskey that respects the past, yet is inspired by the future. We call it Templeton.

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    How Rye Whiskey Is Made

    In my article on bourbon whiskey, I covered bourbon’s distillation process in depth. Because rye is distilled using the same methods, I won’t repeat all that information here if you want full details, click back to the earlier post. However, I will summarize the process.

    Like bourbon, rye starts with a “mash bill,” a blend of grains that forms the basis of the whiskey. Rye’s mash bill must, by law, consist of at least 51% rye. Most rye whiskeys use malted barley or corn as the other grains.

    As with bourbon, ground grain is mixed with water and a bit of mash from a previous distillation, in what’s known as a sour-mash process. This introduces yeasts from the previous distillation. In baking terms, it’s similar to using a sourdough starter to begin the fermentation process. The sour-mash process has two advantages: first, it creates a consistent environment for yeast from batch to batch, helping ensure that each batch of whiskey has a consistent flavor and aroma with batches that came before. Second, it lowers the pH of the batch, which helps the yeasts in the batch ferment the mash more efficiently, boosting a higher yield of alcohol.

    After the sour mash goes in, fresh yeast is added and the mixture is fermented. It then goes through the distillation process and then it’s pumped into barrels to be aged.

    A Whiskey Way Of Life

    More than any other spirit, whiskey represents both freedom and unification. Its a show of strength as well as a peace offering. Templeton Rye whiskey brings people together in a way that transcends time, age, gender, and social class. As an original American Rye, weve learned that whenever you share whiskey, you share a part of who you are. It’s in these moments of truth that weve found our whiskey way of life.

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    The Case Against Templeton Rye

    in Featured, Rye WhiskeyJuly 18, 2014

    Templeton Rye Whiskey

    In American whiskey circles, few if any companies elicit the same level of suspicion as Templeton Rye. Take the companys recent marketing exploit in turning their spent mash grain into hog feed to create whiskey pigs. The claim was met with a storm of derision in the blogosphere, with some questioning whether the grain in question was even the same as that used in Templetons sourced whiskey .

    To some, that violent skepticism might seem like an overreaction, but to others Templetons whiskey pigs gimmick is just another example of the companys dodgy marketing. After all, there is nothing special about turning spent mash grain into animal feed. Most distilleries in Kentucky and Scotland do it, and have been for decades. Also, the notion that this feed imparts any whiskey flavors to the animal is ridiculous, something I can personally testify to, as I came of age with a toe in Kentucky distilling and a full foot in Bluegrass animal husbandry.

    Yet dodgy or not, the whiskey pigs were a roaring success for Templeton Rye. Four months later and I still periodically see credulous tales of whiskey-flavored pigs in Iowa appearing in my news alerts. This combination of loose-but-successful marketing is typical of Templeton Rye, and the source from which that aforementioned suspicion flows.

    The bootleg story on the old back label of Templeton Rye

    Templeton Rye To Change Labels Clarifies How Much Made In Iowa

    Templeton Rye whiskey review rant

    The label of the whiskey most associated with Iowa will soon list the state where it’s distilled: Indiana.

    In a wide-ranging interview with The Des Moines Register, Templeton Rye company President Scott Bush and Chairman Vern Underwood said the Iowa-based company will amend the labels to clarify the whiskey’s origins in the Hoosier State.

    Bush and Underwood also pulled the curtain back on current production practices, confirming reports that the whiskey sold as Templeton Rye is distilled according to a stock recipe from its Indiana distilling partner, not one tied to Templeton’s Prohibition era.

    The Wednesday interview came the day after the Register published an article in which whiskey industry experts questioned whether Templeton Rye meets a federal code requiring whiskey companies to disclose the state where their whiskey is distilled if it occurs in another state.

    Templeton Rye Spirits LLC, the company behind Templeton Rye whiskey, will take significant steps toward clarifying its production process, Bush said. The moves aim to add greater transparency, further defining the differences between the modern day Templeton Rye distilled in Indiana and the Prohibition-era Iowa-distilled whiskey that inspired it.

    The whiskey inside Templeton Rye bottles is distilled and aged in Indiana before arriving in Iowa. In Templeton, it’s blended with other whiskies and water before being bottled and shipped.

    “Why we didn’t do it, I can’t answer that,” he said.

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    Templeton Rye Put Iowa Town On The Map

  • Templeton Rye put Iowa town on the map
  • Templeton, Iowa, earned a reputation during Prohibition for illegally producing rye whiskey.

    In Templeton, Waspys is located on Rye Avenue. Its fitting because the town of Templeton and rye are closely linked.

    The place is known for Templeton Rye, a Prohibition-era whiskey nicknamed The Good Stuff.

    New Templeton Rye Distillery Is Open To Visitors

    Templeton Rye Spirits opened the doors today to its new distillery in Templeton, Iowa today. The celebration of the completion of the $35 million dollar, 34,500 square foot facility included the release of a new Special Reserve 6 Year Old Whiskey, available only at the distillery.

    While the bottles of Templeton Rye on found on shelves today are distilled and aged in Indiana, then finished and bottled in Iowa, the opening of the new distillery will see all steps of the whiskey making process take place in Templeton.

    Located on 20 acres of land east of downtown Templeton, the distillery expects to produce 500,000 proof gallons of rye whiskey each year. Its 55,000 square foot warehouse will hold 54,000 aging barrels full of whiskey made on copper stills imported from Scotland. In addition to the distillery itself, the campus houses a visitors center, museum, and tasting room expecting thousands of visitors each year.

    Templeton Rye Whiskey was first legally available in 2006, but it began its story in the 1920s, when residents of Templeton crafted a rye whiskey in an underground bootlegging enterprise that flourished through Prohibition. The new distillery may be a bit more impressive than a basement or barn but the spirit remains true to its roots.

    Click here to learn more about Templeton Rye Spirits and their commitment to their community.

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