How the ’95/5′ Rye Mash Bill Went From MGP Signature to Craft Staple
In the early days of the 21st century’s American whiskey renaissance, as a slew of new rye brands arrived on the scene, seemingly out of nowhere, savvy drinkers learned a quick and easy way to determine who was actually distilling their “juice” and who had sourced it from somewhere else: Check to see if the mash bill was 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley.
Though Midwest Grain Products (MGP), a large, factory distillery out of Lawrenceburg, Ind., then, as it does now, offered numerous bourbon and rye mash bills, it was the “95/5” rye mash bill that became most prominent among non-distiller producers. In fact, it was that unique ratio — most Kentucky rye brands ranged from 51 percent to 70 percent rye — more than anything else, that allowed consumers to identify brands that weren’t quite being so honest about who was producing their distillate.
There was Templeton Rye, first released to shelves in the mid-aughts, that may have marketed itself as Iowa-made — but that 95/5 rye breakdown told otherwise. There was Bulleit Rye and its “Frontier Whiskey” — the 95/5 said it came from the plains of Indiana. And there was Smooth Ambler Old Scout — if marketing suggested West Virginia origins, 95/5 once again told a different story.
Though these MGP-made ryes were undoubtedly delicious — bold and spicy, with herbal notes of mint and dill — to a certain extent that 95/5 mash bill eventually became a scarlet number on the bottle as customers began to demand more and more transparency and originality.
And yet, here in the year 2025, all of the sudden at least a half dozen craft distilleries have begun distilling their own rye with that exact same 95/5 ratio.
Welcoming the Comparisons
The way Matt Gandolfo sees it, the reclamation of the 95/5 rye mash bill is due to distilleries finally putting an emphasis on quality over convenience.
As master taster at Pernod Ricard (portfolio owner of Rabbit Hole), he believes that many distilleries had traditionally made “barely legal” rye — just about 51 percent rye — because they already had so much corn around the distillery for bourbon-making purposes. So why not use as much as possible for the rye whiskey as well?
Likewise, there’s the conventional wisdom that rye grains make the mash gummier, which forces distilleries to run the still at a slower speed than they would with a bourbon mash, hence, slowing down production and efficiency.
And yet, for this new breed of 95/5 distillers, the mash bill is too delicious and too unique to ignore, economics be damned.
“The 95/5 mash bill may be more expensive and difficult to work with but, when done right, yields a more herbaceous, character-filled final product,” Gandolfo says.
“When supposedly the greatest distiller of rye whiskey in the country says, ‘This is my recipe, and I think this is what you guys should make,’ we went for it.”
Dan Calloway, master blender of Lofted Spirits in Bardstown, Ky., agrees. Even though his distillery produces four different rye mash bills, the bulk of the rye it distills is also of the 95/5 variety.
Lofted Spirits is the owner and distiller of both Bardstown Bourbon Company and Green River Distilling. It is also the source for countless non-distiller partners like 5 Stars and Blue Run. That’s one reason so many new 95/5 ryes seem to be out there all of the sudden — many are being made under one roof in Bardstown.
“When you distill a 95/5 you are inherently welcoming the comparison to MGP,” Calloway says, though he admits he’s not worried about people thinking the whiskey is sourced, what with “DSP KY-10” or “DSP KY 20037” placed prominently on the brands’ labels. Flavor is another reason.
“Through our distillation and finishing techniques, we are building our own take on the category,” he says.
The Godfather of Rye
One name keeps popping up when distilleries explain why they make the 95/5 rye: Larry Ebersold.
“Another defining factor for choosing the 95/5 mash bill is to pay homage to Larry Ebersold, Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Famer and known to many as the ‘Godfather of Rye Whiskey,’” says Gandolfo.
Though hardly a household name, Ebersold began distilling in 1972 at the old Seagram’s distillery in Lawrenceburg, Ind. Back then, the bulk of the rye whiskey Ebersold produced was used as a component for blends like Seagram’s 5 Crown American Whiskey and Seagram’s 7 Crown American Whiskey.
Ebersold would eventually rise to the role of master distiller. By the 1990s, he had been tasked with creating a rye whiskey so bold that its flavor would easily shine through when blended with other whiskeys and grain neutral spirits.
Initially, Ebersold attempted a 100 percent malted rye whiskey. Though Ebersold claims it was one of the best whiskeys he’s ever produced, unfortunately it was too costly to regularly distill. Eventually, he landed on the more practical 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley recipe. That mash bill would quietly and discreetly be used in blends well into the 2000s when the distillery, by then known as Midwest Grain Products, started offering it to craft distilleries that could bottle it as is. Though Ebersold had retired by 2010, his 95/5 rye would become a sensation over the next decade.
Not coincidentally, Ebersold trained Rabbit Hole’s initial distilling team and served as an advisor. He did likewise at New Riff in Newport, Ky., consulting master distiller Brian Sprance, who he had hired when New Riff was starting up in 2013.
“There are of course always going to be associations made between MGP and the 95/5 mash bill. … Even though we share rye whiskey recipes, our final products are vastly different.”
Early on, Ebersold advised Sprance to make and age two different rye mash bills for the first six months to see which came out tasting better. One of those was the 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley. Eventually, seeing how well things were progressing, Ebersold suggested changing that final 5 percent to malted rye.
“When supposedly the greatest distiller of rye whiskey in the country says, ‘This is my recipe, and I think this is what you guys should make,’ we went for it,” Sprance says.
It was a home run, and it’s what New Riff continues to make to this day.
(For what it’s worth, New Riff would eventually start producing Ebersold’s 100 percent malted rye whiskey, too. Its recent 6 Year Old bottling made VinePair’s top 30 rye whiskeys of 2025.)
Incredibly Versatile
Of course, just because a distillery uses the 95/5 mash bill doesn’t mean it tastes exactly like MGP.
“There are of course always going to be associations made between MGP and the 95/5 mash bill but that is just one contribution to the overall flavor profile,” says Gandolfo. “Even though we share rye whiskey recipes, our final products are vastly different.”
He notes how various differences in distillation temperatures, yeast, barrel selection, and maturation environment factor into play. Indeed, Rabbit Hole Boxergrail — which also placed on our top 30 ryes of 2025 list — offers a lot more butterscotch and citrus than the standard MGP.
Meanwhile, Calloway believes his 95/5 distillate is incredibly versatile depending on how you treat it.
For Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Double Barreled Rye, the 95/5 is finished in barrels composed of alternating cherry wood and American oak staves; it’s dill-forward and cinnamon-y, but there’s a differentiating burst of fruit flavor on the finish. It’s ideal for neat sipping.
Meanwhile, the Green River Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey — yet another top 30 selection — uses barrel character to balance out the mint notes, offering hints of red berries, honeysuckle, fresh-cut flowers, and chocolate. Calloway thinks it leans more toward a bourbon lover’s rye, wonderful in cocktails like the Manhattan or Boulevardier, especially at a cost of just 35 bucks a bottle.
“It would be oversimplifying things to say all 95/5 rye whiskeys are created equally,” says Calloway. “When you combine its unique flavor with rye’s ability to quickly mature and take on barrel characteristics, we’ll continue to see 95/5s in the market for a long time!”
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