Have you ever sat down with a glass and nosed and tasted it, and found a ton of notes you didn't know you could get in whiskey. Rye whiskey has done that for me, the spice and sweet, the tart and the fruit. Lets take a trip on the rye side. But first our sponsors are having some great holiday deals go check them out.
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Rye whiskey is a type of American whiskey made with at least 51% rye grain:
Ingredients: Rye whiskey is made from a mash bill that includes rye, corn, malted barley, and other grains. The mash bill can range from 51–100% rye.
Taste: Rye whiskey has a spicier, drier taste than bourbon because rye is spicier than corn. It often has a black pepper or clove-like taste.
Distillation: Rye whiskey is distilled to no more than 160 U.S. proof (80% abv).
Aging: Rye whiskey is aged in charred, new oak barrels.
Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey:
American rye whiskey, which is similar to bourbon whiskey, but must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye grain
Canadian whisky, which is often referred to as (and often labelled as) rye whisky for historical reasons, although it may or may not actually include any rye grain in its production process.
American rye whiskey
Rye grain must make up at least 51% of the mash bill of a rye whiskey in the United States.
In the United States, rye whiskey is, by law, made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye. (The other ingredients in the mash are usually corn and malted barley.)[citation needed] It is distilled to no more than 160 U.S. proof (80% abv) and aged in charred, new oak barrels. The whiskey must be put in the barrels at no more than 125 proof (62.5% abv). Rye whiskey that has been aged for at least two years and has not been blended with other spirits may be further designated as straight, as in "straight rye whiskey".[1]
Rye whiskey was historically the prevalent whiskey in the northeastern states, especially Pennsylvania, New York and Maryland. Pittsburgh was the center of rye whiskey production in the late 1700s and early 1800s.[2] By 1808, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania farmers were selling half a barrel for each man, woman and child in the country.[3] By the 1880s, Joseph F. Sinnott's distillery, Moore and Sinnott, located in Monongahela, Pennsylvania, was the largest producer of rye whiskey, with a capacity of 30,000 barrels a year.[4][5] In 1886, rye whiskey was produced in 17 states.[6]
Rye whiskey largely disappeared after Prohibition. A few brands, such as Old Overholt, survived, although by the late 1960s former Pennsylvania brands like Old Overholt were being distilled mostly in Kentucky.[7]
In the early 21st century, an expanding number of rye whiskey brands are produced by Campari Group (Wild Turkey Rye), Diageo (George Dickel Rye and Bulleit Rye), Heaven Hill (Pikesville Rye and Rittenhouse Rye), Suntory Global Spirits (Old Overholt and Jim Beam Rye), The Sazerac Company (Col. E. H. Taylor, Sazerac Rye, and Thomas H. Handy), and various smaller companies. A particularly large producer is MGP of Indiana (formerly known as Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana), which is a distiller for many brands that are marketed by others (including some of the large companies previously listed).[8][9]
