Dancing Goat I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year Rye 750ML
Dancing Goat I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year Rye 750ML is a port-cask-finished straight rye whiskey bottled at 102.6 proof (51.3% ABV) in a 750ml bottle. Release 012 in Dancing Goat's ongoing I Would Rye 4 U series, this 11-year expression is a 9-barrel blend of MGP-distilled 95/5 rye finished for nine months in freshly dumped ruby red port wine barrels — a combination that delivers one of the more intensely fruit-forward, tannic American ryes on the market. The broader I Would Rye 4 U series has earned a Platinum medal at the 2023 ASCOT Awards and an 8.5 overall score from American Whiskey Magazine for earlier releases.
Quick Facts: ABV: 51.3% (102.6 proof) | Origin: Cambridge, Wisconsin (sourced from MGP, Indiana) | Age: 11 Years | Distillery: Dancing Goat Distillery
Production & Heritage
Dancing Goat Distillery operates out of Cambridge, Wisconsin, where it ages, blends, and bottles its whiskey portfolio. The rye spirit itself was distilled at MGP of Indiana using a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mashbill — the same high-rye recipe that has become one of American whiskey's most respected building blocks. For Release 012, nine barrels aged approximately 10.5 years in once-used bourbon barrels were selected and then finished for an additional nine months in freshly dumped ruby red port wine casks, adding substantial fruit and tannin complexity before bottling at a robust 102.6 proof without chill filtration. The I Would Rye 4 U series is an ambitious program planned to span 16 mashbills with ages from 6 to 21 years, combining vertical series, one-off releases, and boundary-pushing blends.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: Rich currant jam and tacky dark caramel open the nose, followed by dried dark red berries, raisins, and balsamic figs. Deeper inhalation reveals wafts of cranberry citrus and cola, with a persistent winey sweetness underneath.
Taste: The entry is immediately lush — sweet red wine character flows into syrupy caramel and a creamy mid-palate loaded with berries and cherries. As it develops, jammy sugared berries give way to sweet American oak tannin, acidic winey caramel, and warming suggestions of allspice and nutmeg. The 102.6 proof carries everything with authority without overwhelming the fruit.
Finish: Long and robust, anchored by substantial tannin that begins lightly fruity before evolving into juicy, winey, woody barrel notes. Vanilla and oak spice linger well after the swallow, leaving a drying but satisfying close.
How to Drink I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year
Neat is the ideal serve here — the 102.6 proof has enough concentration to reward slow sipping, and a few drops of water open the port-influenced fruit layers without collapsing the structure. That said, this rye's bold profile translates powerfully into cocktails. A Manhattan built with this expression gains deep berry richness and tannic backbone that sweet vermouth only amplifies. In a Vieux Carré, the port-cask character harmonizes naturally with the cocktail's own layered complexity. A Sazerac lets the 95/5 rye spice and dark fruit take center stage against the herbaceous absinthe rinse.
Best For
- Rye whiskey collectors tracking limited-release, age-stated American rye
- Gifting a whiskey enthusiast who already has the usual suspects on their shelf
- Side-by-side tastings comparing port-finished ryes at different proofs and ages
- After-dinner sipping as a rich alternative to port or dessert wine
Frequently Asked Questions
What does I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year taste like? It leads with sweet red wine and syrupy caramel before opening into dark berries, cherries, and warming baking spices like allspice and nutmeg. Robust tannin carries a long, winey, woody finish that dries gradually.
How does I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year compare to High West Midwinter Night's Dram? Both are port-finished ryes built on MGP stock, but the Dancing Goat expression is bottled at a significantly higher proof (102.6 vs. typically around 98.6) and uses freshly dumped ruby red port wine barrels rather than French oak port casks. The result is a darker, jammier fruit profile with more aggressive tannin structure compared to Midwinter's smoother, more integrated finish.
Is I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year good for sipping neat? Absolutely — the combination of 11 years of maturation and a nine-month port cask finish gives it enough depth and complexity to reward extended neat sipping. A few drops of water can help tame the 102.6 proof and further reveal the fruit-forward layers.
Where is I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year made? The rye spirit is distilled at MGP of Indiana using a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mashbill. It is then aged, finished in port wine barrels, blended, and bottled at Dancing Goat Distillery in Cambridge, Wisconsin.
What foods pair well with I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year? Dark chocolate truffles complement the port-influenced berry sweetness. Aged Gouda or Manchego cheese mirrors the caramel and tannin notes. Smoked duck breast matches the whiskey's richness and spice. Fig and walnut crostini echo the balsamic fig aromas on the nose. Crème brûlée picks up the caramel and vanilla threads in the finish.
What sizes does I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle.
Is I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year worth the price? This expression positions as a premium limited-release rye — an 11-year age statement, 9-barrel blend, extended port cask finish, and barrel-proof bottling place it well above entry-level rye territory. For collectors and enthusiasts seeking age-stated, cask-finished American rye with genuine complexity, the value proposition is strong relative to other port-finished ryes in the category.
Why I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year?
The defining move here is the freshly dumped ruby red port wine barrels. Where many port-finished ryes use spent or once-used casks that contribute subtler influence, the fresh barrels in Release 012 inject a dense, dark berry character and an assertive tannin structure that genuinely challenges the high-proof MGP rye base — fruit and spice exist in real tension rather than one merely decorating the other. The 11-year age statement puts this among the older widely available rye whiskeys on the American market, and the 102.6 proof ensures nothing is diluted in the process. As part of a planned 16-mashbill series spanning ages from 6 to 21 years, Release 012 represents Dancing Goat at its most ambitious — a whiskey that rewards both the port-finish curious and the rye purist willing to meet it on its own terms.
Product Information
Product Information
Shipping & Returns
Shipping & Returns
Description
Dancing Goat I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year Rye 750ML is a port-cask-finished straight rye whiskey bottled at 102.6 proof (51.3% ABV) in a 750ml bottle. Release 012 in Dancing Goat's ongoing I Would Rye 4 U series, this 11-year expression is a 9-barrel blend of MGP-distilled 95/5 rye finished for nine months in freshly dumped ruby red port wine barrels — a combination that delivers one of the more intensely fruit-forward, tannic American ryes on the market. The broader I Would Rye 4 U series has earned a Platinum medal at the 2023 ASCOT Awards and an 8.5 overall score from American Whiskey Magazine for earlier releases.
Quick Facts: ABV: 51.3% (102.6 proof) | Origin: Cambridge, Wisconsin (sourced from MGP, Indiana) | Age: 11 Years | Distillery: Dancing Goat Distillery
Production & Heritage
Dancing Goat Distillery operates out of Cambridge, Wisconsin, where it ages, blends, and bottles its whiskey portfolio. The rye spirit itself was distilled at MGP of Indiana using a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mashbill — the same high-rye recipe that has become one of American whiskey's most respected building blocks. For Release 012, nine barrels aged approximately 10.5 years in once-used bourbon barrels were selected and then finished for an additional nine months in freshly dumped ruby red port wine casks, adding substantial fruit and tannin complexity before bottling at a robust 102.6 proof without chill filtration. The I Would Rye 4 U series is an ambitious program planned to span 16 mashbills with ages from 6 to 21 years, combining vertical series, one-off releases, and boundary-pushing blends.
Tasting Notes
Aroma: Rich currant jam and tacky dark caramel open the nose, followed by dried dark red berries, raisins, and balsamic figs. Deeper inhalation reveals wafts of cranberry citrus and cola, with a persistent winey sweetness underneath.
Taste: The entry is immediately lush — sweet red wine character flows into syrupy caramel and a creamy mid-palate loaded with berries and cherries. As it develops, jammy sugared berries give way to sweet American oak tannin, acidic winey caramel, and warming suggestions of allspice and nutmeg. The 102.6 proof carries everything with authority without overwhelming the fruit.
Finish: Long and robust, anchored by substantial tannin that begins lightly fruity before evolving into juicy, winey, woody barrel notes. Vanilla and oak spice linger well after the swallow, leaving a drying but satisfying close.
How to Drink I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year
Neat is the ideal serve here — the 102.6 proof has enough concentration to reward slow sipping, and a few drops of water open the port-influenced fruit layers without collapsing the structure. That said, this rye's bold profile translates powerfully into cocktails. A Manhattan built with this expression gains deep berry richness and tannic backbone that sweet vermouth only amplifies. In a Vieux Carré, the port-cask character harmonizes naturally with the cocktail's own layered complexity. A Sazerac lets the 95/5 rye spice and dark fruit take center stage against the herbaceous absinthe rinse.
Best For
- Rye whiskey collectors tracking limited-release, age-stated American rye
- Gifting a whiskey enthusiast who already has the usual suspects on their shelf
- Side-by-side tastings comparing port-finished ryes at different proofs and ages
- After-dinner sipping as a rich alternative to port or dessert wine
Frequently Asked Questions
What does I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year taste like? It leads with sweet red wine and syrupy caramel before opening into dark berries, cherries, and warming baking spices like allspice and nutmeg. Robust tannin carries a long, winey, woody finish that dries gradually.
How does I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year compare to High West Midwinter Night's Dram? Both are port-finished ryes built on MGP stock, but the Dancing Goat expression is bottled at a significantly higher proof (102.6 vs. typically around 98.6) and uses freshly dumped ruby red port wine barrels rather than French oak port casks. The result is a darker, jammier fruit profile with more aggressive tannin structure compared to Midwinter's smoother, more integrated finish.
Is I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year good for sipping neat? Absolutely — the combination of 11 years of maturation and a nine-month port cask finish gives it enough depth and complexity to reward extended neat sipping. A few drops of water can help tame the 102.6 proof and further reveal the fruit-forward layers.
Where is I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year made? The rye spirit is distilled at MGP of Indiana using a 95% rye and 5% malted barley mashbill. It is then aged, finished in port wine barrels, blended, and bottled at Dancing Goat Distillery in Cambridge, Wisconsin.
What foods pair well with I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year? Dark chocolate truffles complement the port-influenced berry sweetness. Aged Gouda or Manchego cheese mirrors the caramel and tannin notes. Smoked duck breast matches the whiskey's richness and spice. Fig and walnut crostini echo the balsamic fig aromas on the nose. Crème brûlée picks up the caramel and vanilla threads in the finish.
What sizes does I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year come in? The standard release is a 750ml bottle.
Is I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year worth the price? This expression positions as a premium limited-release rye — an 11-year age statement, 9-barrel blend, extended port cask finish, and barrel-proof bottling place it well above entry-level rye territory. For collectors and enthusiasts seeking age-stated, cask-finished American rye with genuine complexity, the value proposition is strong relative to other port-finished ryes in the category.
Why I Would Rye 4 U 11 Year?
The defining move here is the freshly dumped ruby red port wine barrels. Where many port-finished ryes use spent or once-used casks that contribute subtler influence, the fresh barrels in Release 012 inject a dense, dark berry character and an assertive tannin structure that genuinely challenges the high-proof MGP rye base — fruit and spice exist in real tension rather than one merely decorating the other. The 11-year age statement puts this among the older widely available rye whiskeys on the American market, and the 102.6 proof ensures nothing is diluted in the process. As part of a planned 16-mashbill series spanning ages from 6 to 21 years, Release 012 represents Dancing Goat at its most ambitious — a whiskey that rewards both the port-finish curious and the rye purist willing to meet it on its own terms.
