Iron City Distilling pays tribute to, makes history with whiskey release

Amid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, Iron City Distilling is hitting a major milestone.

On Friday, the East Deer distillery will be hosting a limited single-barrel release of its Bessemer Rye whiskey, marking the first drink produced completely in the distillery.

“We distilled this about 2¹⁄₂ years ago and laid it down,” master distiller Matt Strickland said. “We thought it’d be a fun little pre-Christmas surprise to launch a single barrel.”

The whiskey is made from 100% Danko Rye, Strickland said.

In preparation for the release, Strickland said he tasted a few barrels before finding the one he wanted to go public with.

According to the flavor profile detailed in a release from the distillery, Bessemer Rye gives off “aromas of pepper, citrus fruits, rye bread, marmalade and a hint of oak. The palate has some heft, showing hints of vanilla cake, caramel, rye, and a nice sweetness, all followed by a lengthy finish.”

A labor of love, Strickland said, the creation pays tribute to the history of rye whiskey in the region.

“I really wanted to try and recreate this lost style of rye whiskey that hasn’t been around for close to 150 years,” he said.

While in the creation phase of the distilling, Strickland researched the history of whiskey in the region, ingredients that were used and distilling techniques that were common in the past.

“That’s really where we were coming from, ‘Let’s try to recreate some of that history inside a bottle for people,’ ” Strickland said. “It’s been a really rewarding project.”

He said there could be multiple reasons for the “lost” form of Pennsylvania whiskey, with Prohibition being one of the big ones. People’s tastes also began to lean toward the lighter and sweeter notes provided by bourbon, he said.

Strickland enjoyed the challenge of balancing the flavors, aromas and oils of the grain.

“I like bourbon, but rye is definitely a whiskey drinker’s whiskey,” Strickland said. “If you’re intrepid and you’re willing to brave through (challenges), you really can come up with a whiskey that has more character than most bourbons on the market.”

He believes Bessemer Rye does just that.

“We’re really proud of it,” Strickland said.

Since the distillery’s opening in 2023, Strickland and his team have grown its whiskey stocks considerably, with more than 3,500 barrels in the warehouse.

Peter Katz, president of Iron City Distilling, said the distillery’s last significant release — a Bridge Batch boroubon made from a blend of the first whiskey produced by Iron City and a 7-year-old sourced barrel created by Strickland years ago — sold out of its 600 bottles in about three weeks.

Katz said 150 bottles of the Bessemer Rye will be available for sale in the distillery gift shop starting at 10 a.m. Friday.

“I think it will go quick,” Katz said.