This total ion chromatogram (TIC) using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) is an analytical look at the congeners, or flavor molecules, in your Roaming Man Tennessee Straight Rye Whiskey Eleventh Edition before and after aging. This chromatogram is your whiskey’s scientific “fingerprint.” As evident in the graph, the chemical composition changes during maturation, creating complexity and texture.

These changes you see are primarily the result of three types of reactions in the barrel. There is the addition of flavor molecules extracted from the wood, including Phenols (smoky, spicy), Lactones (coconut, toasted oak), and Aromatic Aldehydes (vanilla). The breathing of the barrel allows oxygen to react with components in the spirit, and fruity notes are created through esterification. Finally, the loss of highly volatile molecules through evaporation causes more complex, concentrated flavors.

Roaming Man Edition Eleven is our first Bottled-In-Bond release, a traditional process that is a consistent mark of quality and an indicator of an unadulterated spirit. The Bottled in Bond Act of 1897 was created to ensure one thing, the integrity of the product.  To earn the label of bottled-in-bond, a whiskey must be the product of a single distiller in a single season – aged for a minimum of 4 years and bottled at 50% ABV. As always, this expression is smooth when sipped neat, evolves on the rocks, and has the power to carry through in a cocktail. Sip Wisely!