Limited Supply Of New Age-Rye Whiskey Coming To Stores In Baltimore

BALTIMORE (WJZ)--Bottoms up! Baltimore will soon be pumping out a new type of rye whiskey!

Amy Yensi explains.

Baltimore-based, Sagamore Spirit says the first batch is ready after aging for at least two years.

"When you've been waiting years, and years and years to finally have this moment, it's a big moment for ya," said Sagamore Spirit President Brian Treacy.

Making rye whiskey requires patience. Before the barrel or bottle, the spirit needs, grating, fermentation and quality-checks.

Treacy says the intricate process could bring opportunities.

"It's a lot of hands that need to touch a custom bottom like that, so it definitely creates jobs," he says.

It's also a nod to Maryland's past, as one of the top whiskey-producers before prohibition.

"At one point Maryland had at least 44 distilleries, quite a few located in downtown Baltimore," said Treacy.

A big part of the whisky allure is its aroma. WJZ's Amy Yensi says this batch  smells like cinnamon, vanilla, honey and nutmeg.

The 22,000 square foot distillery is under construction in Port Covington.

"Not only is it a world-class facility to make world-class whiskey, but we also want to make it a destination so we envision a lot of tourism and hopefully bringing people to Baltimore and Maryland," says Treacy.

A limited supply of the whiskey will be released mid-May and will be available at select restaurants, bars and liquor stores in Maryland and Washington, D.C.

The distillery is set to open by the end of the year and will be open for public tours and tastings.