As the United States approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, Outsiders Spirits, the purpose-driven incubator behind Whiskey JYPSI, unveils a release that feels tailor-made for the moment. Legacy Batch 003, aptly titled The Declaration, is a convergence of history and craftsmanship, built from a reconstructed Maryland-style rye mash bill inspired by the whiskey George Washington once distilled at Mount Vernon.
Co-founded by music artist Eric Church and entrepreneur Raj Alva, Outsiders Spirits has built its reputation on reinterpreting traditional mash bills through rigorous study and imaginative reconstruction. And no one embodies that philosophy more completely than Whiskey JYPSI’s whiskey maker, Ari Sussman—a former French-trained winemaker and acclaimed distiller whose career has spanned award-winning vodkas, gins, and whiskeys, as well as the founding of the Artisan Distilling Program at Michigan State University. His technical fluency and historical curiosity underpin every drop of The Declaration.
“Before bourbon there was rye,” Sussman explains. “Rye was the whiskey of revolutionaries, and Maryland Style Rye was what George Washington himself distilled at Mount Vernon. It balanced rye’s spice with the sweetness of corn, and that balance is what we set out to create.”
Rather than pursue a museum-like reproduction, Sussman engineered a modern interpretation, one built through meticulous blending of rare, aged stocks that speak to America’s whiskey heritage in a contemporary voice. The final composition is a three-part structure that showcases remarkable restraint and precision.
The Blend
60% Rye: A foundation of 8- to 12-year-old Indiana rye, finished in apple brandy barrels sourced directly from Washington’s Mount Vernon distillery.
30% Corn: A cache of 20- to 25-year-old Canadian corn whiskey re-barreled in new American oak for two and a half years, adding depth, vanilla, and cocoa.
10% Malt: An 8-year-old American single malt from Virginia, delivering floral lift and a biscuit-like aromatic brightness.
Acclaimed spirits author F. Paul Pacult praised the result as “compact, strong, and elegant… a textbook example of disciplined, perceptive blending.” That high praise reflects the blending ethos Outsiders Spirits has championed since its inception.
For Church and Alva, The Declaration is the embodiment of their founding principle: craftsmanship without compromise. “When Eric and I started JYPSI, we said we would have no rules other than producing the best products we could regardless of complexity or cost,” Alva says. “Sourcing from one of the oldest and most historic distilleries in America to produce The Declaration is a perfect example of that spirit.”
Church sees the release as both celebratory and symbolic. “To mark the 250th anniversary, we wanted to make something more than a commemorative bottle; it’s a testament to the grit, restlessness, and innovation that built this country,” he says.
Whiskey JYPSI Legacy Batch 003: The Declaration is bottled at 57.87% ABV and offered in limited quantities for an SRP of $199.99. It is available at select wine and spirits retailers nationwide and online at buy.whiskeyjypsi.com.
Photos by Fran Miller
