Stout Cask

Templeton Rye runs deep in Iowa history—not just today, but during Prohibition, when farmers in Carroll County operated hidden stills to survive economic hardship. Scott Bush revived that spirit in 2002, beginning in a Cambridge apartment before Templeton opened a brand-new $35 million distillery in Iowa in 2024.

The Stout Cask Finish is a collaboration with Geist Brewing Co. After six years maturing in charred American oak, the whiskey spends three months finishing in casks previously aged chocolate coffee stout—an unconventional choice that marries dark, roasted grain notes with creamy sweetness.

On the nose: cinnamon, red berries, and grapefruit zest layer with complexity. The palate reveals roasted chocolate, cocoa, and dried apricot, followed by black cherry, almond, and a whisper of coffee. The finish lingers with chocolate and the distinctive stout influence—a direct echo of the beer casks used.