State Line Distillery’s Five-Year Rye Whiskey Honors Time and Tradition

Some stories are worth waiting for. In the heart of Madison, Wisconsin, one distillery has quietly been writing its own chapter of American whiskey — one that honors time, tradition, and the land that gives it life.

This fall, State Line Distillery unveiled a release five years in the making — its long-awaited Five-Year Rye Whiskey, a small-batch expression of craftsmanship and character available only at the distillery’s tasting room.

In an age of instant gratification, it’s a whiskey that celebrates restraint.

A Legacy Poured in Patience

For founder and head distiller John Mleziva, this release is more than a milestone — it’s the realization of a dream that began when he was studying brewing and distilling at Heriot-Watt University in Scotland, one of the world’s most storied institutions for spirits education.

“Whiskey has always been my true passion,” Mleziva says. “While we’re proud of everything we produce, this five-year rye reflects the lessons I learned in Scotland and everything I love about distilling.”

That passion shaped the ethos behind State Line Distillery — a grain-to-glass operation built on authenticity, sustainability, and deep respect for Wisconsin’s agricultural roots. Every grain used in production comes from the Driftless Region, an area renowned for its fertile soil, glacial valleys, and heritage crops.

The result is whiskey that doesn’t chase trends — it tells the truth of its place.

The Art of a Five-Year Wait

Whiskey makers will tell you that time is not an ingredient, but it is everything. Aging transforms the raw into the remarkable, the spirited into the soulful. And in the case of State Line’s Five-Year Rye, that transformation was worth every moment.

Each barrel has rested in the distillery’s Madison rickhouse for half a decade, absorbing the subtle nuances of Wisconsin’s climate — the heat, the cold, the quiet changes of season. The result is a spirit that opens with spice and caramel, deepens with honeyed oak, and finishes with a whisper of smoke and grain.

It’s not whiskey meant to be rushed. It’s whiskey meant to be understood.

Crafted Grain to Glass

From the start, Mleziva envisioned State Line as a space where transparency meets artistry — where visitors could taste the journey from field to bottle. The distillery sources its heritage grains directly from regional farmers and distills in small batches to ensure every bottle reflects the integrity of its ingredients.

Each expression is made entirely on-site — milled, mashed, fermented, distilled, and aged under one roof. The process may be slower, but for Mleziva, that’s the point.

“The pace of whiskey shouldn’t match the pace of the world,” he says. “We wanted to make something that demanded time — from us, and from those who drink it.”

That philosophy has earned State Line a devoted following among craft enthusiasts who appreciate authenticity and regional character. And now, the Five-Year Rye stands as the purest expression of that ethos.

A Tasting Room Worth the Journey

Unlike State Line’s other spirits — which can be purchased online in over thirty states — the Five-Year Rye is available exclusively in the Madison tasting room. The decision to keep it local wasn’t a marketing tactic; it was a matter of principle.

“We want people to come here, to experience where it was made,” Mleziva explains. “This whiskey carries the story of our space, our barrels, our community. You can’t click and buy that experience — you have to taste it here.”

Inside the tasting room, visitors can sample the rye alongside the distillery’s award-winning Coffee Liqueur (a Double Gold and Best in Class winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition) and its full range of vodka, gin, rum, aquavit, and aperitivo.

But the rye is the showstopper — a quiet revelation for those who appreciate precision, patience, and provenance.

A Return to Real Craftsmanship

In an industry where speed often overshadows substance, State Line’s Five-Year Rye stands as a reminder of what makes whiskey timeless. It’s a product of soil and season, of local grain and global discipline — a spirit that pays homage to both Wisconsin’s heritage and the Scotch traditions that inspired it.

There’s no flash, no rush, no gimmick. Just a beautifully aged whiskey, poured straight from the heart of the Midwest.

For Mleziva, the true reward isn’t in the accolades or the sales — it’s in the ritual itself. “There’s something sacred about seeing a whiskey mature over five years,” he says. “You realize that craftsmanship isn’t just about making something — it’s about caring for it.”

And for those who make the pilgrimage to Madison to taste it, that care is palpable in every sip.

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