Base Ingredients & Materials
What Does Rye Whiskey Taste Like
Rye whiskey is characterised by its overall spicy flavour profile thats derived from its primary ingredient. It can also be described as quite peppery with herbal notes reminiscent of liquorice or anise. Similarly, its grain is somewhat more pronounced than other whiskey mash ingredients.
Since it follows the same overall production process as other American whiskeys, rye can share some properties with them. For instance, the low distillation strength ensures that the grains flavour is preserved.
Meanwhile, the use of freshly-charred new oak barrels is standard throughout all American whiskey and will yield similar results. Charring the wood opens its grain and allows the distillate to extract more flavours of caramel or vanilla.
Of course, not all rye whiskey tastes the same. Continuing with the above, producers can choose the extent to which the barrels are charred as well as how long the rye is aged in them.
Ageing rye whiskey will round out its flavours and produce additional complexity. It will help mellow the rye somewhat, but since its a very flavoursome grain, it will still retain a significant presence. Conversely, young rye whiskey will have a distinctive peppery grain flavour.
Similarly, rye can use any combination of grain in the remaining 49% of the mash bill. Producers can add more rye or various proportions of wheat, corn, and malted barley.
The Best Of Bourbons Spicier Sister
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Best for Old Fashioned: Woodford Reserve Rye at drizly.com
“A tasty glass neat, this whiskeys notes of apple, mint, honey, tobacco, and rye also elevate an old fashioned.”
Best Cheap: Old Overholt Bonded Rye at drizly.com
“The original version is an affordable, easy drinking rye, but for a few dollars more, the Bonded expression is a quality upgrade.”
The rise and fall of American rye is a long and complex tale, but as our tastes and economics wax and wane, so has the spirits popularity.
While Prohibition nearly killed off the style, these days, thanks to our unquenchable thirst for whiskey, rye has been resurrected. Bourbons spicier sister is now on the hot list, and production is up 1,275 percent since 2009, according to the Distilled Spirits Councils most recent data.
Its a versatile style, great for sipping and dynamite in cocktails. So if you havent tried it yet or are just looking for the next one to try, we’ve done the research for y. Here are eight bottles of the best rye whiskeys to explore.
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Is Rye More American Than Apple Pie
Rye may be trending, but it’s far from new. In fact, it’s older than the United States itself. Beginning in the 1700s, Irish and Scottish colonists used their whiskey distilling know-how to transform the New World’s abundant rye grasses into a powerful potable. By law, American rye whiskey must be made from at least 51 percent rye grain, with the remainder of the mash bill made up of corn, malted barley, and/or wheat. There are some whiskeys with even higher proportions of ryeall the way up to 100 percent. The higher the rye content, the more peppery and assertive the flavor of the whiskey.
Just like bourbon, all American rye is aged in charred new oak barrels for at least two years, picking up flavor nuances and its amber color from the wood. Some rye distillers, such as Whistle Pig, further age the whiskey in casks that previously contained other elixirssuch as cognac or madeiraadding new dimensions of flavor, aroma, and color to the finished spirit.
Best New Brand: Nashville Barrel Company Small Batch Rye
Courtesy of Total Wine
Region: Tennessee, Indiana | ABV: 50% | Tasting Notes: Caramel, cinnamon, vanilla
This new brand from Tennessee sources barrels , and blends them together back in Nashville. The second batch of the rye is a favorite of Mike Vacheresse, owner of Travel Bar in Brooklyn. A blend of four and eight-year-old MGP whiskey, this is a pleasant sipping rye, he says. Also, any Nashville Barrel Company single barrel picks that you see, I would highly recommend picking them up.
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Canadian Rye Vs American Rye: Explaining The Differences
As the entire category of rye whiskey began picking up momentum a decade ago, there was a great deal of confusion about how American rye whiskey and Canadian rye whisky compared to each other. For starters, there hadnt been much American rye whiskey on the market. When many people said the phrase rye whiskey, they were really referring to Canadian whisky. Any Canadian whisky. That comes down to the way Canadian whisky has traditionally been made, and a resulting misperception about what it is.
Order Up A Classic Cocktail
Ryes rebirth is in many ways owed to the bartenders who re-popularized the spirit. I definitely think bartenders helped revive that, because its that constant search to have the cocktail the way it was originally made, says Taylor. When we go through these old recipe books and it calls for rye or it calls for a gomme syrup or this thing or that thing, we want to source it and make it the way it was originally supposed to be had.
As more bartenders began churning out old-school whiskey cocktails, rye became a frequent bar staple, and cocktails are often the best introductory tool to introduce a consumer to any kind of spirit or ingredient. It wasnt long before bar customers ordering up perfectly stirred Manhattans were also asking about the whiskey being used and then searching for it on store shelves to bring home.
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What Is A Rye Whiskey
Are you planning to diversify your taste buds? Rye whiskey is a great option. It tastes spicy, grainy and is a hard-end version of Bourbon whisky.
Regarding whiskies, someone famous once said that There is no bad whiskey. There are only some whiskeys that arent as good as others. Rye whiskey falls under the excellent category.
According to statistics, volumes of sales have increased by 1275 percent in the past 29 years. These statistics indicate that the number of Rye whisky consumers has grown tremendously. If you are a whiskey lover, then this is a must-try.
How Rye Is Made
For a spirit to call itself American rye whiskey, it has to conform to a strict set of legal regulations. First, the mash has to be made up of at least 51 percent actual rye grain. The bill’s remaining 49 percent usually winds up being a blend of corn, wheat or malted barley.
Second rule: Certified rye whiskey’s initial booze content can’t be any higher than 160 proof . After all that sweet, sweet liquor has been extracted from the fermented wort, it gets diluted down to no more than 125 proof, or 62.5 percent ABV. Then the liquid gets piped into charred , new oak barrels and left untouched to age.
For straight rye whiskey, you’re looking at a minimum of two years maturation time, though many distilleries choose to let it sit around a little longer for a richer, more complex product. It’s also important to note that straight rye cannot be blended with any other spirits during this process. Pure is pure.
Ohand up in rye-loving Canada, none of these rules apply, including spelling .
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Bare Knuckle Straightrye Whiskey
Bare Knuckle Straight Rye Whiskey is made 100% rye, sourced from local Virginia farms. It is double-distilled and aged in charred new American White Oak barrels from Kentucky. Look for the handwritten age statement on the back of each bottle.
ABV: 45%
Tasting Notes
Bare Knuckle Straight Rye Whiskey is strikingly smooth with traditional rye notes of spice and pepper, with vanilla, cinnamon, and a subtle maple sweetness mellowed by oak from the barrel.
How to Drink
Bare Knuckle Straight Rye Whiskey is outstanding neat, on the rocks, or as the foundation for any classic Rye cocktail. We recommend a Sazerac, Manhattan, or Old Fashioned.
Single Barrel & Cask Strength
Bare Knuckle Straight Bourbon Whiskey is also available in Single Barrel & Cask Strength expressions. Both of these expressions are carefully selected from an individual barrel, handpicked for its superior taste and quality. Bare Knuckle Straight Bourbon Whiskey Cask Strength is bottled directly from the barrel, without dilution. This spirit can range from ~120 to ~128 proof and produces a wonderful depth of flavor and heat.
Bare Knuckle Straight Rye Whiskey Awards
Bare Knuckle American Rye Whiskey Recipes
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How To Taste Rye Whiskey
On that note, Beehan offers many pointers on how to sniff and sip the whiskey neat an important first step during any education. To appreciate a cocktail you have to first appreciate the base spirit, he says.
That familiarization begins with detecting rye whiskeys grassy, peppery, spicy characteristics, he says. To identify them in a glass whether crystal Glencairn or low-maintenance rocks glass he recommends practicing a little restraint.
Dont shove your nose in the glass because its going to burn, he says, referencing the alcohol content rather than its peppery aromas. Delicately sniff from away, to prepare your palate and prime your ability to taste.
Restraint remains the name of the game when sipping rye. Before going all in, Beehan advises taking one very small sip, working the liquid around the mouth, then swallowing .
If your palate is raw and you introduce something as intense as rye whiskey, your brain is wondering, Whats going on? How do I taste this? he says. After your tongue is acclimated, that second sip allows you to pull out all those flavors.
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Prepare 3 Cocktails With Rye Whisky
An essential factor of rye whiskey is that it will show off its presence and holds on to its flavors like spiciness, no matter whatever you mix into it. Some of the best cocktails you can make using Rye whiskey are:
- Vieux Carre: This is a very famous cocktail. You can make it out of a mixture of roasted rye, vermouth, benedictine, pipe tobacco, and bitters. It finally gives out a complex taste.
- Sazerac: This is an old recipe that uses the mixture of rye with sugar cubes of bitters. Once taken, it gives out an unforgettable experience.
- Waldorf Cocktail: It comes out as a result of mixing rye, anise, and vermouth mix. It is one of the signature drinks in a famous bar.
What Makes Rye Different From Bourbon
Its not uncommon to see these two liquors grouped together in stores and drinks, but what makes rye so different from bourbon? Some say that when you add rye to your bourbon, it will have a much different flavor profile and character because the two ingredients are so different from one another. Others argue that the only difference between the two is their mash bill.
The difference between rye and bourbon starts with the mash. Rye is made from a mixture of rye and corn, while Bourbon uses only corn in its mash. The use of rye gives the whiskey a spicier taste than it would have otherwise while also adding more depth to the flavor profile.
This blog post will teach you all about what makes rye whiskey different from other whiskies like bourbon or scotch whisky. Youll learn how its distilled, what types there are, and even where to buy it!
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American Rye Whiskey Styles
Rye whiskey is one of the hottest categories in the whiskey world recent years. In fact, rye has quite the extended history in the US, one which is arguably older than bourbons. But Prohibition almost killed the category completely. Fortunately, there are several emerging styles of traditional American rye whiskeys and these days were spoilt for choice. If youre unsure about the different types, dont worry. Weve got your back. Lets look at the major rye whiskey styles that are currently on shelves and how they differ from one another.
Prepping And Cleaning Your Whiskey Still
*DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP!
Keeping up on prep-work for your still is mission critical. Even if you cleaned your whiskey moonshine still after your last run and let it sit for a while, it is still recommended to clean it before transferring your whiskey mash water. This is especially the case on copper stills that are starting to show a salt buildup.
If you want to add packing to your column, this is the time to do it. Pack your column with the amount of copper packing that is appropriate for your setup.
If your still setup has a condenser, hook up your water input and output.
Finally, its time to add your mash water to the whiskey still. Again, you can use a cheesecloth or auto-siphon to transfer the mash water into your still without including solid material. Its very important that you dont allow any solids or sediment to be included in the still.
If this is your first run ever, below is a great walkthrough of how to set up your pot or reflux whiskey moonshine still.
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Best Under $: Balcones Texas Rye 100 Proof
Courtesy of Total Wine
Region: Texas | ABV: 50% | Tasting Notes: Cocoa, pepper, espresso
I was a fan of this one before I moved to Texas two months ago, says Carlos Batista, beverage director for Landrace at the Thompson Hotel San Antonio. Its rich and spicy, chocolatey, and peppery, with tobacco notes. It’s just this and a few ice cubes for me. Balcones is located in Waco, Texas and makes this young whiskey with a mash bill of 100 percent rye grains, including Elbon Rye from the north of Texas along with crystal, chocolate and roasted rye varieties.
What Is Indiana Rye Whiskey
Effective July 1, 2021 Indiana will be the newest state to have its own definition for one of its distilled spirits as agreed to by many of the states distillers, legislators and the governor.
Indiana State Rep. Chris May worked with several Indiana distillers to help create a legal definition for Indiana rye whiskey. To help support local distillers and help make Indiana rye stand out May said its important for Hoosier distillers to have to meet a higher standard to call their spirit Indiana rye whiskey.
We want Indiana to be as popular for its rye whiskey as it is for basketball and racing, May said. Establishing that market, both in sales and tourism, might one day put the success of our states distilleries on par with that of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
The bill which follows pretty closely to the TTBs definition of a straight rye whiskey has a couple of things added to make it unique to Indiana. The full definition for Indiana Rye Whiskey is included below.
The Distillers Rye Swear Factor ScaleAnother way to look at this score is as a swear factor with a score of 4-5 meaning that one could comfortably cook this variety in front of your grandmother, all the way down to a score of 1, recommended to be cooked in the company of sailors and/or distillers only. Read more about this scale here.
Related Story What is American Rye Whiskey?
Master distiller bryan smith
The new law defining Indiana Rye Whiskey goes into effect on July 1, 2021.
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What Is A Good Rye Whiskey
These are the days of revival for rye whiskey. Once upon a time, it rose to heights, disappeared, and is back again with a big boom.
Based on law, you must distill rye whiskey from 51 percent of rye grain. The other ingredients used in it can be corn, wheat, barley, and oats. Change in components can result in a shift in flavors when tasted.
The basic combination used in rye whiskey is 60 percent of rye, 30 percent of corn, and 5 percent barley. However, good rye whiskey comprised a minimum of 51 percent of rye grains and distilled to 160 proof and aged in charred oak barrels.
Canadian Rye Vs American Rye
America isnt the only country with a love for rye whiskey. Rye is also produced in Canada, but it differs from American rye whiskey. Instead of using a mash made primarily from rye, Canadian rye whiskey is made from other grains with just a small amount of rye added for flavor.
- What Does Rye Whiskey Taste Like? Assertive, dry, earthy, spicy
- Rye Whiskey Brands: Whistlepig, Pikesville Rye, Wild Turkey
- Rye Whiskey Cocktails: Rye Old Fashioned, Sazerac, Manhattan
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