Rye whiskey

For other uses, see Rye whiskey (disambiguation).

A bottle of American rye whiskey

Rye whiskey may refer to two types of whiskey: 1) American rye whiskey, must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye; 2) Canadian rye whisky, may or may not include rye, so long as it possesses the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky it may legally be labeled "rye".

American rye whiskey

In the United States, "rye whiskey" is, by law, made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye. (The other ingredients of the mash are usually corn and malted barley.) It is distilled to no more than 160 (U.S.) proof, and aged in charred, new oak barrels. The whiskey must be put into such barrels at not more than 125 (U.S.) proof. Rye whiskey that has been so aged for at least 2 years may be further designated as "straight", as in "straight rye whiskey".

Rye whiskey was the prevalent whiskey of the northeastern states, especially Pennsylvania and Maryland, but largely disappeared after Prohibition. A few brands, such as Old Overholt, survived it. Today Heaven Hill, Jim Beam and Wild Turkey (among others) also produce rye whiskeys, as does a distillery at Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, which sells a version of the rye Washington made. Rye is currently undergoing a small but growing revival in the United States.

Canadian rye whisky

Canadian whisky is often referred to as "rye whisky", since historically much of the content was from rye. With no requirement for rye to be used to make whiskies with the legally-identical labels "Canadian Whisky", "Canadian Rye Whisky" or "Rye Whisky" in Canada, provided they "possess the aroma, taste and character generally attributed to Canadian whisky", in some cases the corn-to-rye ratio may be as high as 9:1. Most contemporary Canadian whiskies contain only a fraction of rye.

In contrast with the US "straight rye whiskey" counterpart, a minimum of 3 years of small (700l/~185USG or less) wooden barrel aging is required for the "Canadian Whisky", "Canadian Rye Whisky" and "Rye Whisky" labels, although they need not be new oak, nor charred.

Differences between rye and bourbon

Rye is known for imparting what many call a "peppery" flavor to the whisky, and it also has a bitter quality. Bourbon is distilled from at least 51% corn mash, is noticeably sweeter, and tends to be slightly heavier bodied than rye. As bourbon gained popularity beyond the southern United States, bartenders increasingly substituted it for rye in cocktails—Whiskey Sours, Manhattans, Old Fashioneds, etc.—initially made only with rye. All other things being equal, the character of the cocktail will be somewhat drier and less sweet with rye, preferred by some.

American distillers

Approximately twenty US distilleries produce about forty different ryes. Among them is a single malt produced by the Anchor Brewery of San Francisco, known as Old Potrero Single Malt Whiskey, one of the few single malt whiskeys made in the United States

Canadian distillers

Approximately a dozen Canadian distillers make rye whisky today. Only a few produce a whisky with majority rye content, most famously Alberta Distillers' Alberta Premium and Alberta Springs, and Wiser's Old Rye Whisky, long distilled on the shores of Lake Ontario. Popular international brands of Canadian whisky are Canadian Club and Crown Royal.

Specialties

“Rock and Rye” is the name of two distinct beverages: a citrus fruit flavored whiskey-based liqueur made from American rye bottled with a bit of rock candy (crystallized sugar); and a toddy made with rye whiskey, bitters, and rock candy.

Rye bottlings

American rye whiskey

• Anchor Distilling Company
  • Old Potrero
  • Old Potrero 18th Century (100% rye mash, oak barrels are toasted rather than charred as for modern whiskey)
  • Old Potrero Single Malt Hotaling's Whiskey
• Austin Nichols (Pernod Ricard)
  • Wild Turkey Rye Whiskey [1]
  • Russell's Reserve Rye [2]
• Black Maple Hill
  • 18 Year Single Barrel Rye
  • 23 Year Single Barrel Rye
• Buffalo Trace
  • Sazerac 6 Year
  • Sazerac 18 Year
• Classic Cask
  • Classic Cask Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey 21 Year
• Heaven Hill
  • Rittenhouse Rye 80 proof
  • Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof Bottled In Bond
  • Pikesville
  • Vintage 23 Year
  • Vintage 21 Year
• Frank E. Wight's Distilling Co. (Loreley, MD)
  • Wight's Sherbrook Maryland Straight Rye
  • Wight's Reserve
• High West Distillery
  • Rendezvous Rye Whiskey (blend of 6-year-old 95% rye and 16-year-old 80% rye)
• Hirsch Selection
  • Vintage 22 Year
• Jim Beam
  • Jim Beam Rye (Yellow Label)
  • Old Overholt
• Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd
  • Red Hook Rye 23 Year (not to be confused with the rye beer made by Redhook Ale Brewery )
• Michters American Whiskey Co.
  • Michters
  • Michters 10 Year
• Old Rip Van Winkle (now distilled by Buffalo Trace)
  • Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year
  • Old Rip Van Winkle Old Time Rye 12 Year (discontinued)
• Templeton Rye
• Tuthilltown Spirits
  • Hudson Manhattan Rye
  • Government Warning Rye
• Very Olde St. Nick
  • Very Olde St. Nick 12 Year Rye
  • Very Olde St. Nick 15 Year Rye
  • Very Olde St. Nick 17 Year Rye
  • Very Olde St. Nick 18 Year Rye
  • Very Olde St. Nick Winter Rye
  • Very Olde St. Nick Summer Rye
• Wight's Rye Distillery (Baltimore County, MD)

Canadian rye whisky

• Alberta Premium (100% rye, 5 years old)
• Alberta Springs (100% rye, 10 years old)
• Alberta Premium Limited Edition (100% rye, 25 years old)
• Canadian 83
• Canadian Club
• Canadian Five Star
• Crown Royal
• Gibson's Finest
• Lot 40 Pot Still Single Canadian (NAS)
• Seagrams VO
• Walker's Special
• Wiser's Old Whisky