A representation of Nevada’s high desert terroir, the 94-proof four-year-old whiskey is made with grains harvested from local fields, cultivated and overseen by Minden Mill, and distilled at the estate distillery. Master Distiller Joe O’Sullivan produces the expression using a mash bill of 80% rye, 10% soft white wheat and 10% estate-malted barley. It reflects the high-desert environment—where dramatic temperature swings and a tight 90-day rye growing season. The distillate is cut with water sourced from the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe.

Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye is aged in a combination of Seguin Moreau New American and French oak barrels with a #3 char in traditional wooden rickhouses calibrated to mimic the temperature and humidity of Kentucky’s Nelson County.

“Very few producers own the full process from grain to glass, and that’s where Minden Mill Rye starts to stand apart. We don’t just distill the whiskey – we grow it,” says Minden Mill Master Distiller O’Sullivan. “Unlike most rye whiskeys, you won’t find any spice bombs here. It’s far more savory and balanced than most people expect. This mash bill was designed to highlight the candied orange peel character that is our house style.”

Recently named Nevada Distillery of the Year by the New York International Spirits Competition,  Minden Mill is among a few U.S. distilleries committed to full grain traceability and oversight at every stage of production that happens on its 1,200-acre estate. The Minden Mill portfolio also includes an American Single Malt Whiskey and a Nevada Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Minden Mill Nevada Straight Rye Whiskey is available for $45.

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As a member of the Estate Whiskey Alliance and a holder of a Nevada estate distillery license, Minden Mill produces “ground-to-glass” whiskeys. Minden Mill American Single Malt is made from 100% estate-grown barley, malted on site. The grain is mashed with M1 yeast, and the water is sourced from onsite well, which is fed by snowpack from the Sierra Nevada near Lake Tahoe. That water is filtered for years through granite, making it some of the purest water in the world.

Minden Mill American Single Malt is distilled in dual, all-copper Forsyth stills hammered by hand in Speyside, Scotland – two of only a few in the U.S. The fourth-generation family-owned coppersmiths are known for their high quality and respect for the tradition and heritage of fine single malt Scotch production. Rather than using the steam commonly used to heat stills in most American whiskey production, the distillery’s cutting-edge heating systems use a thermal oil-heated calandria at the bottom of the stripping and spirit stills to reach higher temperatures than steam.

The distillery also implements a unique barrel aging process for the Nevada high desert climate. The whiskey is aged for five years in a barrel regime of Oloroso sherry, ex-bourbon and American oak casks, along with re-charred wine and sherry butts in climate-controlled rickhouses. The rickhouses are calibrated to mimic the temperature and humidity of Speyside, a nod to traditional single malt Scotch whisky aging methods. The exceptionally low humidity of the Nevada region, this temperature control ensures the proper expansion and contraction into the wood, along with well-defined evaporation levels to condense the rich flavors of the whiskey.

“Minden Mill has the unique opportunity to help introduce the U.S. consumer to the American Single Malt Whiskey category,” said Minden Mill Master Distiller Joe O’Sullivan. “This is a true representation of a single estate whiskey, highlighting the unique terroir of Nevada’s high desert and the extreme Sierra Nevada temperaments – from very short growing seasons to the scorching summer days and brutally cold nights. The subtle exploration of flavor based on regional differences is what made Scotch Whisky so compelling to consumers, and we can replicate that experience in Minden with American Single Malt.”

Prior to joining Minden Mill, O’Sullivan was an apprentice to Steven McCarthy, the “godfather” of American Single Malt, during the category’s foundational period. A member of the American Single Malt Whiskey Commission, O’Sullivan was an integral part of the efforts which led to the 2025 TTB ruling which established standards for American Single Malt Whiskey.

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