Dark Arts Barely Legal Cask Strength Bourbon 7 Year

Product Description

Dark Arts Barely Legal Cask Strength Straight Bourbon 7 Year: A 51% Corn Mash Bill with Rye and Malted Rye

Barely Legal is Dark Arts’ cask-strength straight bourbon, built on a mash bill that barely qualifies: 51% corn, 39% rye, and 10% malted rye, the legal minimum of corn, with the rest almost entirely rye. Dark Arts says it was offered the recipe on its first barrel-buying trip to Indiana and that no one had brought it to market, and the name comes from that 51% corn line. Each batch blends three numbered barrels aged 6 to 8 years, sold as a 7 Year, and bottles around 600 to 750 bottles.

It’s always bottled at cask strength, with no dilution, typically around 115 to 117 proof, and the exact proof varies by batch. It’s originally distilled in Indiana and blended and bottled in Lexington, Kentucky. Dark Arts is a blending and finishing house founded by Macaulay Minton, formerly of Wilderness Trail, so the base whiskey is sourced. The corn sweetness and rye spice trade places across the palate, with the malted rye adding a quieter layer underneath.

What’s in the Bottle

• Straight bourbon, a blend of three barrels (6 to 8 years, sold as 7 Year)
• 51% corn, 39% rye, 10% malted rye, originally distilled in Indiana
• Cask strength, typically around 115 to 117 proof (varies by batch)
• 750ml (also in 375ml)
• 600 to 750 bottles per batch

Tasting Notes

From Dark Arts’ own notes.

Nose: Ripe orchard fruits, rye spice, caramelized sugar, lemon zest, and graham cracker.

Palate: Honeyed chocolate and cherry cola, with citrus brightness and cinnamon spice.

Finish: Long and buttery, with vanilla, caramel, oak spice, and stone fruit.

Food Pairings

The cherry, chocolate, and spice pair well with dark chocolate, barbecued ribs, and aged cheddar. It also goes with pecan pie, cherry desserts, and smoked meats.

Serving Suggestions

Enjoy it neat, in a Glencairn glass, then add a few drops of water to open the citrus and chocolate. At cask strength it’s best sipped slowly, but it also stands up in a Manhattan or an Old Fashioned.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is it? Cask strength, typically around 115 to 117 proof, varying by batch.

Why is it called Barely Legal? Its mash bill has just the legal minimum, 51% corn.

What’s the mash bill? 51% corn, 39% rye, 10% malted rye.

How old is it? Sold as a 7 Year, a blend of barrels aged 6 to 8 years.

Is it barrel proof? Yes, it’s bottled at cask strength with no dilution.

Where is it from? Originally distilled in Indiana, then blended and bottled in Kentucky.

Does it come in other sizes? Yes, 375ml.

Explore More

Try the Dark Arts French Oak Bourbon or the Dark Arts Amburana Rye. Browse our Bourbon collection or Whiskey collection.

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