Brand Spotlight: Raconteur Rye - Unapologetically Rye

How a finishing-obsessed “mad scientist” ethos, a musician’s eye for album art, and a flavor‑first stance are reshaping what 95/5 rye can be.

Sitting Down with David Jennings

We sat down with David Jennings, founder of Raconteur Rye, and couldn’t be more appreciative of his time to share the brand’s story. David is no stranger to whiskey storytelling. In 2016, he launched the blog Rare Bird 101, dedicated to Wild Turkey bourbon and rye. That passion grew into the book American Spirit: Wild Turkey Bourbon from Ripy to Russell. Today, writing is his full-time adventure. While Wild Turkey remains a cornerstone, David’s curiosity spans quality spirits worldwide. He has multiple books and media projects underway and always welcomes a good whiskey conversation - preferably over a shared dram.

Head-Turner: From “Honda Accord” to Custom-Tuned Street Racer

Raconteur Rye starts with the industry’s most ubiquitous rye mash bill - MGP’s 95/5 - then pushes it somewhere unexpected. They take the celebrated mash bill that has served as a strong foundation for many in the industry's most iconic brands and elevate it to an entirely different level with their unique and methodical approach. Different finishing casks (think Mizunara and even 500 - 600L oddballs) are used not to mask the base spirit, but to polish it. The team’s proudest flex? Balance. In their words, they refuse to “make a bastard of the liquid.”

“We’ve left it its own, but improved it… polished it and elevated it.”

Sell-through says the approach lands: early batches vanished on release, prompting a scale-up without sacrificing that small‑batch intentionality.

Origin Story: A Chance Meeting, a Dog Walk, and a White-Label Epiphany

In 2023, David met distiller James Symons and walked into a workshop that felt less like rows of sleepy barrels and more like a creative lab: Cognac casks, Mizunara, giant formats, jars and canisters everywhere. A seven‑year 95/5 rye finished in ex‑bourbon Mizunara flipped herbal mint/dill into ripe strawberry. That spark led David away from a straightforward single barrel and toward custom blending - a blend for himself first, trusting that honesty would resonate.

“Blend it for you. If you blend for the crowd, you’ll overlook the red flags.”

That mindset turned a one-off club pick into a bona fide brand collaboration - with its own look, name, and point of view.

Look the Part: The Raconteur Aesthetic

Raconteur means storyteller, and the label leans hard into late‑1800s Americana - drapery, shields, eagles, poster‑art drama - with one non‑negotiable: RYE in unapologetically big type. Graphic designer Ricky Frame took David’s rough sketch and mood board and gave the brand its instantly recognizable face.

Design North Star: If the whiskey is the song, the label is the album cover - make people feel something at first glance.

Little touches change with the liquid, too - like a corner stamp calling out Made in Kentucky when the source state shifts.

Why 95/5? Because It Sings - Especially Under Finish

David cut his rye teeth on classics built from 95/5 (think Bulleit Rye, High West, Smooth Ambler Old Scout). The recipe fits Raconteur’s ethos: it’s unmistakably rye, it can stand up to finishing, and it cuts through with clarity. Finishing timelines aren’t set‑and‑forget; they’re earned by frequent, hands‑on tasting - three months if that’s right, six if it needs it. No additives. No funny business. Just finished straight whiskey, labeled properly.

Audience, by Design: Start Niche, Stay Curious

• Batch 1: A love letter to die‑hard rye geeks - zippy, minty, earthy, cranked to 11.

• Batch 2 ("Brazen"): Still 95/5, but finishing and blend ratios edged it toward high‑rye bourbon vibes, widening the funnel without losing the brand’s bones.

• Batch 3 (“Miz Kiss”): Introduced the now‑signature Mizunara thread and set the stage for deeper experiments.

The throughline: focus. Big catalogs are impressive, but for a small, nimble brand, tight scope yields sharper identity - and more fun.

Innovation vs. Tradition: Walk the Line

Raconteur’s playground is finishing variety - Mizunara, Pineau, and beyond - but the rules are old-school: honest straight whiskey, clean labels, and blends vetted at night and again the next morning (palates differ; truth emerges in both). Feedback comes from a rotating, brutally honest micro-panel to avoid echo chambers.

What sets Raconteur apart is how they manage to add brand charm and distinctiveness through finishing barrels. While much of the work is rooted in experimentation, the results consistently feel intentional and true to their rye-first identity. It is exciting to imagine which of these experiments will ultimately become part of the finished product’s journey on the shelf.

Anti‑Specs: Flavor Over Hype

In a market chasing double‑digit age statements and hazmat proofs, Raconteur flies middle altitude on purpose. Blends are built and judged at barrel strength, yet released around a comfortable ~120 proof - more pourable than punishing. The goal isn’t a bandwagon spike; it’s a steady base of drinkers who stick.

“Twenty years and 140 proof mean nothing if it isn’t delicious.”

Market Winds: When Softness Helps the Small and Scrappy

Post‑boom inventory realities have opened doors: access to barrels that would have been unavailable - or unaffordable - just a few years back, and with lower minimums. That lets Raconteur experiment in true small batches (6 - 8 barrels) where nuance survives and risk stays sane.

An Analogy for Fellow Guitarists: Single barrels from the same run can play the same notes yet sound like different instruments. Keep batches small and the tones don’t get buried.

Partnership Spotlight: Brindiamo x Raconteur

One of the brand’s most important inflection points came through its relationship with Brindiamo. David had first tried Kentucky-distilled 95/5 out of Bardstown years earlier via another NDP and remembered it as some of the best rye he’d tasted. So when Jack at Brindiamo surfaced the opportunity for eight-year Kentucky 95/5 from a similar lot, David was on board immediately.

He recalled tasting the lot sample himself, being blown away, and then anxiously waiting for James to try his own sample days later. When James called back saying, “This stuff’s amazing,” David described it as the brand’s “big aha moment.”

That Kentucky rye became a game changer, not just for the flavor profile, but also for how it allowed Raconteur to signal provenance more clearly. The team tweaked the label to include a “Made in Kentucky” stamp, giving instant shelf recognition and reinforcing their commitment to transparency.

Through Brindiamo’s network, Raconteur secured not only the right barrels, but the ability to keep evolving, shifting between Indiana and Kentucky 95/5, introducing fresh twists like Gemini I and II, while still holding on to the mash bill DNA that defines them.

Coming Attractions: Gemini - Two Paths, One Lot

The next chapter arrives as a simultaneous two‑batch drop:

• Gemini I (Indiana) - A profile threading the needle between Batches 1 and 2; a nod to Raconteur’s origin story with a modern polish.

• Gemini II (Extended Mizunara) - Built on the “Miz Kiss” DNA but rested significantly longer in Mizunara, deepening that sandalwood‑meets-spice complexity.

According to RacounteurRye.com, "the launch is slated for this month and will be available for purchase online exclusively at select online retailers."

Operational Reality: Labels, Corks, and Getting Bottles Out the Door

Not every challenge is in the glass. A defective label stock once forced painstaking manual fixes (the vendor made it right), and natural cork shortages nudged a pragmatic shift to domestic synthetics to stay on schedule. Lesson learned: qualify backup suppliers and paper stocks before crunch time.

The Human Plot Twist: From Banking to Blending

David spent decades in insurance and banking before 2020 family realities (and a nurse‑practitioner spouse on the COVID front lines) pulled him into whiskey full time - writing, reviewing, picking - and eventually building Raconteur with his co-founder. The inbox now pings with a steady question: “When’s the next drop?”

Field Notes for Aspiring Founders

• Make it for you, then listen hard. If the same critique appears again and again - age, price, proof - don’t ignore the smoke.

• Embed in the whiskey community. Insiders know how A leads to B (or C). Hire them, not just pros from unrelated industries.

• Start with a spark, not a blowtorch. Penelope’s broad, high‑volume success is real - and rare. Grow deliberate, not loud.

Conclusion

Spotlighting Raconteur Rye has been a reminder of what makes the whiskey community so compelling. David Jennings’ path from Rare Bird 101 to building a brand with James Symons shows how passion, honesty, and community roots can lead to something authentic and lasting. By blending for themselves first, experimenting boldly but with balance, and keeping their scope tight, they’ve created a label that speaks loudly — and unapologetically — as rye.

We’re grateful to David for taking the time to share not just the brand’s origin and philosophy, but also the challenges and the lessons learned along the way. His openness reinforces why Raconteur resonates: it isn’t just about liquid in the bottle, but about a story that drinkers connect with.

With Gemini I and Gemini II set to drop, many of our readers are anxiously waiting to secure a bottle. These releases embody the spirit of keeping whiskey vibrant while honoring tradition, and they promise to be another high point in Raconteur’s journey.

This spotlight captures how a smaller brand, focused and true to its palate, can carve a niche and build a loyal following. Raconteur Rye is proof that staying true to what you love to drink is not only enough — it’s the best recipe for long-term success.

Follow @RaconteurRye for the latest updates on their brand! Cheers!