Specialty Debut: 113 Rye Finished With Maple Wood Spirals

13th Colony Distilleries is debuting a limited release 113 Rye Whiskey Finished With Maple Wood Spirals that is bottled at a deliberate proof – high enough to showcase the rye’s natural spice and complexity, yet refined through a maple-wood finish that softens the heat and highlights layers of sweetness, fruit and baking spice. Aged five to six years and bottled at 113 proof,  113 Rye launches mid-February in select markets. 

“The proof gives the whiskey its shape; the maple wood gives it dimension,” said Maxwell Darby, president of 13th Colony. “There’s a certain magic that happens when using wood spirals as a finishing touch. The rye carries its own weight at 113 proof, but the maple wood adds depth and harmony, elevating the overall balance of the pour. Our first specialty release of the year holds true to 13th Colony’s promise: it’s worth drinking slow.” 

What are the Tasting Notes of 113 Rye Finished With Maple Wood Spirals?

The pour is distinct. Warm aromas of baked raisins, vanilla sugar, toasted pecan, and honey lead into layers of cooked plums, toasted rye bread, graham cracker, and biscotti. Notes of craft root beer and bittersweet dark chocolate follow, finishing with a subtle savory clove spice. 

113 Rye, with a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, was born from 13th Colony customer feedback and a commitment to innovation. The distillery uses its Single Barrel program to experiment with finishes, and recent Rye Whiskey barrels finished with maple wood spirals have become some of its most sought-after bottles. The team scoured the distillery’s South Georgia rickhouse for the right blend of Rye barrels, adding one or two toasted maple wood spirals to each barrel while the whiskey aged.

What’s special about 113 Rye’s proof point?

South Georgia’s ideal climate and the natural wood worked together, bringing the wood’s maple character and a hint of sweetness to the whiskey in the finish and 13th Colony bottles it at 113 proof for a perfect balance. 

“113 proof isn’t an accident,” Darby said. “It’s the sweet spot.”

113 Rye follows the distillery’s popular 113 Bourbon Finished With Maple Wood Spirals, which launched as a specialty release in early 2025 and, thanks to high demand, became an everyday aged spirit offering alongside 13th Colony’s Southern Bourbon and Southern Rye. The distillery plans several specialty releases in 2026, including the fall launch of its storied Double Oaked Bourbon.

Where can fans buy 113 Rye?

113 Rye Finished with Maple Wood Spirals will be allocated in mid-February to select markets – Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Washington, D.C. – and online at Seelbach’s and BourbonOutfitter. A limited supply will also be available at 13th Colony Distillery starting February 20th, while supplies last. 113 Rye has an MSRP of $62.99-$64.99.

Retail locations are at www.13thcolonydistillery.com/where-to-buy.