Old Potrero Straight Rye 6 Year Old Whiskey captures San Francisco’s distinctive contribution to the American rye revival. Distilled at Hotaling & Co. Distillery on Potrero Hill, this straight rye is made entirely from malted rye sourced from American growers and malt houses. That 100% malted rye mash bill, combined with copper pot distillation, sets it apart from more conventional rye whiskeys.

The whiskey is distilled twice in a small copper pot still. During the second run, the heads are discarded and the feints returned to the still, allowing the distillers to concentrate on the heart of the spirit. It then matures for at least six years in new, charred American white oak barrels made from extra-fine-grain wood that has been air-dried for 24 months. Bottled at 48.5% ABV, or 97 proof, it offers a confident presentation of both grain and oak.

Official tasting notes open with baked bread, plum and stewed fruit, joined by allspice, cinnamon-accented rye and rich vanilla. Brown sugar, black cherry, spice and maple shape the palate, while the finish brings together rye spice, brown sugar and the characteristic tang of pot-distilled whiskey in a long close.

Old Potrero’s roots reach back to 1993, when Fritz Maytag established Anchor Distilling Company with the goal of returning pot-distilled rye whiskey to American production. The first Old Potrero whiskey entered barrel in 1994, and the brand is credited with releasing the first American craft whiskey after Prohibition. Anchor Distilling later became Hotaling & Co., which continues to make Old Potrero in San Francisco. This six-year expression carries that history forward through a focused combination of malted rye, copper pot stills and carefully selected new oak.