Russell's Reserve 6 Year Old Small Batch Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey is made using a generations-old recipe. After the grains are mashed and fermented, they are distilled to a lower proof than at other distilleries in Kentucky, meaning that less water is used in diluting the whiskey before it is matured and bottled. Following distillation, the rye is aged for a minimum of six years in American oak casks that have been charred with a #4 char.