J. Rieger’s Monogram Is a Blend of Different Whiskeys and Sherry
A few weeks ago, we covered the release of the affordable new bourbon from Missouri craft distillery J. Rieger & Co., noting that it was a whiskey that could compete with the best from Kentucky. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the distillery’s new Monogram Whiskey release, an expensive limited-edition blend of different styles of whiskey (and a little bit of sherry)—and it turns out that it’s also very good, but in a totally different way.
J. Rieger’s roots date back to the 19th century, but the current distillery has only been around for about a decade. The team produces its own whiskey, like that excellent new bourbon, but it also sources liquid from other distilleries to blend into some pretty unique products. The distillery introduced Monogram to its lineup in 2017 using a solera method of blending and aging. That means that each barrel is refilled with younger whiskey as it is emptied, so there’s always some older liquid in the mix that goes into each release. There are ten casks currently in use, each previously used to mature Oloroso sherry, that are between 50 and 100 years old (the wood, not the liquid to be clear). Each one is filled with a different style of whiskey—straight bourbon, straight rye, and light corn whiskey—that was previously aged for at least six years. A tasting panel samples all of these whiskeys before blending them together into Monogram, along with a small amount of 15-year-old Oloroso sherry as a throwback to the pre-Prohibition process of rectifying whiskey with another spirit.
The makeup of Monogram has changed over the years, although this is the third year in a row that the component whiskeys have been pretty similar to what they are in the 2025 edition. Prior to that, there were Monogram blends that were just bourbon, just rye, or a combination of corn whiskey and rye. “The 2025 edition of the Monogram Whiskey is the crown jewel of our portfolio and a defining statement of what American Whiskey and innovative aging and blending techniques can achieve,” said J. Rieger cofounder Ryan Maybee in a statement. “This year’s blend builds on our unique partnership with Spain’s historic Williams & Humbert Sherry house. Their century-old Oloroso botas add unmatched depth and elegance to the whiskey—creating something rare and timeless.”
We got to sample the new Monogram Whiskey, and it’s quite good—but it’s also very sherry-centric, so be prepared. The solera finish, along with the addition of that bit of Oloroso, has resulted in a whiskey that leads with notes of dried fruit, dark chocolate, baking spice, leather, tobacco, and toasted oak, followed by a slightly sweet finish with notes of vanilla and raisin. There are just 2,000 bottles of Monogram available, each priced at $130, and you can find them online at websites like Total Wine (but check to see which year it is you are purchasing).
