Templeton Rye’s Small Town Story And Big Flavor

Send us Fan Mail A tiny town in Iowa with one four-way stop sign somehow ends up at the center of a rye whiskey legend, and that contrast is exactly why we had to dig in. We’re joined by Debbie from the Templeton team and Chase, Templeton’s distillery ambassador who literally grew up there, to connect the dots between local history and what ends up in your glass. Along the way, Jesse and Ken from Life Of The Leaf jump in with cigar-pairing instincts that keep the tasting grounded and practical. We get into Templeton Rye’s real backstory: German immigrant roots, Prohibition bootlegging, and how “the good stuff” became a nickname with staying power. Then we bring it forward to modern whiskey making in Iowa, including the most unexpected aging variable you’ll hear today: “corn sweat” humidity and the dramatic seasonal shifts that can change how barrels breathe, how oak shows up, and why flavor can develop differently than Kentucky or Tennessee. On the tasting table, we crack Fortitude Bourbon, Templeton’s grain-to-bottle high rye bourbon made with local corn, and talk why it shines in an Old Fashioned without turning into a tongue-burner. Then we step up to the ultra-limited Hidden Stash 13-Year Rye and break down aroma, spice, oak, smoke, sweetness, and why proof decisions matter for balance. We also cover Templeton’s broader lineup, including Midnight Rye blended with port wine, distillery-exclusive experiments, and where people actually find these bottles without paying ridiculous markups. If you like whiskey history, rye whiskey tasting notes, Iowa distilleries, or pairing spirits with cigars, this one is built for you. Subscribe, share it with a whiskey friend, and leave us a review with the bottle you’d open first. Support the show https://linktr.ee/ManCaveHappyHour www.ManCaveHappyHour.com Jamie Flanagan @DJJamieDetroit Matt Fox @fox_beazlefox August Gitschlag @rawgusto Merch www.WearingFunny.com