Hard Truth Distilling Co. has announced an increase in production of its Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey following a successful late-2021 launch.

This comes on the heels of Hard Truth’s recent announcement of a major expansion that includes constructing a second rackhouse twice the size of its current rackhouse, tripling storage capacity from 4,000 to 12,000 barrels for its critically acclaimed Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey and other whiskies.

Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey is Hard Truth’s debut sweet mash whiskey — the first to be distilled, aged, and bottled on Hard Truth’s 325-acre campus in Brown County, Ind. It’s crafted using the sweet mash method and 100 percent fresh ingredients before aging in new, custom-charred, white oak barrels for a minimum of two years. Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey – Batch #001, Mash Bill 01 was released in November of 2021, with batches #002 and #003 having entered the market in the first half of 2022.

This was the first whiskey released in what will become a series of sweet mash whiskeys from Hard Truth. Over the next few years, the distillery will introduce whiskeys from four unique rye mash bills and four unique bourbon mash bills, bringing a variety of flavor profiles to market.

Most whiskeys are produced using a sour mash method — a process that uses leftover mash from previous distillations in each new batch of whiskey. Historically, this was done out of necessity because the high acidity of the leftover mash helps ensure no bacterial contamination or other infection in the new batches.

Advances in distilling systems and sanitization processes, however, enabled the emergence of sweet mash — a process where each new batch starts entirely fresh — an exciting way to create whiskeys with characteristics unique to the method.

“The standard sour mash process can mute some amazingly complex and pleasant grain flavors that the sweet mash process tends to highlight,” Hard Truth Master Distiller Bryan Smith said in a news release. “It is a more expensive and labor-intensive process to make whiskey this way, but the final product speaks for itself.”

Available in 750 mL bottles, Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye Whiskey is bottled at barrel strength — with batch proofs ranging between 100 and 120. Bottles are available for purchase on the Hard Truth campus and in retailers throughout Hard Truth’s distribution area with a suggested retail price of $69.95 plus tax.

For more information, visit https://hardtruthdistilling.com/spirits/sweet-mash-rye-whiskey/.