Indiana Rye, Maryland-Aged, Precision-Finished
About Silverthorn Reserve
Silverthorn Reserve is the passion project of Drew Thorn — a builder at heart with over 30 years in fermentation and spirits.
His path runs through Flying Dog Brewery and the founding of Sagamore Spirit, where he helped establish modern Maryland rye. Silverthorn, though, is more personal — smaller scale, highly controlled, and rooted in precision blending and finishing.
That precision shows up in everything from barrel selection to blending technique. Even un-finished releases benefit from his approach of re-entering blends into used barrels to marry and further age, rather than bottling immediately.
A Personal Note
I spent about three hours with Drew over lunch at a local brewery, just talking whiskey, backgrounds, and community.
There’s no rush in how he approaches this brand. No urgency to scale for the sake of it. Just a clear intention to do things the right way, even if that means slower releases and tighter control.
That mindset carries straight into this bottle.
Stats
- Age: 10 year
- Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
- Mashbill: Blend comprising 57% of 95% Rye │5% Malted Barley & 43% of 51% Rye │ 44% Corn │ 5% Malted Barley
- Origin: MGP — Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Additional aging near Baltimore, Maryland
- Finish: Straight, non-chill filtered, blended
- Release: Limited small batch release (6 barrels)
- Batch: 1
- MSRP: $100 (Silverthorn Reserve)
Tasting Notes
- Nose: Initial notes lean into candied cherry and dusty brown sugar, with a softer secondary fruit (slight pear note). As it opens, a distinct herbal baking spice emerges — very reminiscent of Maryland rye character.
- Palate: A toffee and vanilla sweetness hits first with a medium-thick mouthfeel, quickly followed by front-of-palate peppery spice. The transition is clean—sweet to spice without overlap.
- Finish: The rye spice carries through at medium length, gradually settling into vanilla bean and crème brûlée, with a slightly drying edge. A light warmth lingers.
About the Finishing Process
This release is built on a blend of MGP rye distillate from Indiana, combining both high and low rye mashbills. What makes it more interesting is that these barrels have undergone additional aging in Maryland, adding regional influence before finishing.
The finishing itself is where Silverthorn separates from the pack.
Rather than sourcing unknown port barrels, Drew uses a controlled finishing process:
- Port is selected and added directly to used whiskey barrels
- CO₂ is introduced to force the liquid into the wood
- The whiskey is then finished under fully known conditions
- The “final” whiskey blend itself is put back into the used or finishing barrel to fully marry.
It removes guesswork and more importantly, avoids the inconsistency that comes with mystery casks.
This is a ramping pour.
The port influence starts subtle, almost understated, but builds into something more expressive as it opens. Importantly, it never overtakes the whiskey.
The profile leans clearly toward rye spice, with port acting as an accent, not the centerpiece.
On the palate, it runs sweet → spice, while the finish flips to spice → sweet, leaving a tingling spice on the lips that keeps it engaging.
It also punches slightly above its proof, especially through the mid-palate.
Distinctiveness
The defining feature here is the finishing method.
- No unknown barrel variables
- CO₂-driven infusion for consistency and control
- Finishing that enhances rather than dominates
Combined with the Maryland-aged MGP base, it creates a profile that feels both familiar and slightly regionalized.
Presentation
A minimalist, commanding design.
The flattened cylinder shape feels intentional, with key details front and center. It aligns with the brand’s identity — process-driven, not decorative.
Transparency
Silverthorn Reserve is open about nearly every detail from mashbill to process and finishing methodology.
The only omission is the exact source of the Georgia distillate. That isn’t evasive — it’s contractual. In some cases, producers simply aren’t permitted to disclose origin, even when they’d prefer to.
I’ve encountered this same distillate through another NDP under similar restrictions, and it’s worth saying plainly: there’s nothing being hidden here.
This is thoughtfully sourced, well-executed whiskey, not anonymous bulk dressed up as something it’s not.
Value
At $100, this sits in a crowded finished MGP whiskey space but does enough to stand out.
- MGP rye base with extended Maryland aging
- A controlled, transparent finishing process
- Solid 5.5+ performance across sections
This lands as fair value, with upside tied more to process and balance than outright intensity, especially managing to create a whiskey forward blend that’s accented, rather than dominated by finish like so many.
Buy this if you:
- You enjoy rye-forward profiles with balanced sweetness
- You want a port finish that stays restrained
- You’re interested in innovative finishing techniques
Skip if you:
- You want a bold, dominant port influence
- You prefer heavier, sweeter finished whiskeys
- You’re chasing high-proof intensity
For those who prefer numbers, here’s the full score breakdown:
- Nose: 5.0 / 7
- Palate: 5.5 / 7
- Finish: 5.6 / 7
- Presentation: 5.5 / 7
- Distinctiveness: 5.5 / 7
- Transparency: 7 / 7
- Value: 5.5 / 7
Bourbon Bishop Rating: 5.66 / 7 – Divine
Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style.
| Score | Descriptor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Hell No | Drain pour. Seriously undrinkable. |
| 1.1–2 | Purgatory | Bad, but could be worse. Only in extreme cases. |
| 2.1–3 | Only Earthly | Just okay. Best used as a mixer. |
| 3.1–4 | Bliss | Passable sipper. Works well in cocktails. |
| 4.1–5 | Angelic | Good to great. High value for the price. |
| 5.1–6 | Divine | Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style. |
| 6.1–7 | Holy Heaven | Out-of-this-world. A true unicorn. |
Disclosure: This bottle was provided to me free of charge for review. All opinions are my own.
Looking for more whiskey reviews? Browse my latest reviews here.
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