The Cooper Spirits Company has announced the release of its third bottling of Hochstadter’s Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey.

Taken from the historic Scottish term for the process of blending several single malts in a vat to create a new flavor, this version of Hochstadter’s Vatted Rye incorporates five straight ryes from North America aged anywhere from 4 to 18 years. 

Initially released in 2015, Hochstadter’s Vatted Rye is the first rye to use the “vatted” designation, the company says. Straight rye whiskeys are combined in a vat and married until harmonized. The liquid is then proofed down to 100 proof.

This year’s version incorporates ryes from Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana and California, all of which aged in American oak barrels with a No.4 Char and selected from the Cooper Spirits’ whiskey library, curated by the late Robert Cooper. The result is a smooth, yet robust and balanced flavor, the company reports, with notes of blackstrap, nutmeg, mace, clove, spearmint, German-style rye bread, black pepper and sour cherry.

“Vatted Rye is still a significantly misunderstood category,” says Chad Solomon, Cooper Spirits’ director of trade advocacy and innovation. “Vatting adds a complexity to the liquid and gives it a unique flavor profile that would be hard to achieve otherwise. What’s truly incredible about this product is Rob Cooper’s vision and foresight. Knowing the rye category was going to explode, he strategically curated the barrels in the company’s library to ensure long-term success. His overall goal was to create a product that over-delivered in every aspect, and we achieved that with Vatted.”

Limited to just 1,500 cases, Hochstadter’s Vatted Rye is available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $59.99 per 750-ml. bottle.