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Thread: Rye Whisky

  1. #1
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    Rye Whisky

    Having been a beer drinker since high school, oh, so long ago, I never got into distilled liquors. Occasionally, I would have a drink when the setting called for it. Then I would go for Jack Daniels and water. At home, it would be W.L. Weller Antique and water. Good stuff, in my mind.

    Recently, all of my doctors say I need to lose the beer belly, so I am trying to cut out all the unnecessary carbs, which includes beer. I had already switched to the lowest carb/alcohol content beer I could find (yeech!). But that wasn't working.

    So, I have now quit beer entirely and switched to whisky. Yes, I know the empty calories of alcohol do not help with weight loss.

    Which brings us to the topic - Rye whisky!

    I have long read about and heard songs about Rye whisky. Having never experienced it, I bought a bottle of Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky. WOW! I'm liking this a lot! I'm going to try out some different brands of Rye in the future and see what they are like.

    Does anyone have any suggestions about different brands I should try?
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  2. #2
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    Scotch drinker here so I'm not much help.....

    Are you mixing it or drinking it neat?

  3. #3
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    This has been enticing me since you first posted it---although I had nothing to add

    As a life long Bourbon drinker I have always regarded Rye Whiskey as a country cousin and I am not sure I have ever tasted it. That said I went off to add a touch of education which I found very interesting:

    A bottle of American rye whiskey
    Rye whiskey can refer to either of two, different, but related, types of whiskey:

    American rye whiskey, which must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye;
    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 in its production process.


    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 (80% abv), and aged in charred, new oak barrels. The whiskey must be put into such barrels at not more than 125 proof (62.5% abv). Rye whiskey that has been so 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]

    History
    Rye whiskey was historically the prevalent whiskey of the northeastern states, especially Pennsylvania and Maryland. Pittsburgh was the center of rye whiskey production in the late 1700s and early 1800s.[2] By 1808, Allegheny County farmers were selling one half 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 was the single largest producer of rye whiskey, with a capacity of 30,000 barrels a year.[4][5] Rye whiskey largely disappeared after Prohibition. A few brands, such as Old Overholt, survived it, although by the late 1960s even Pennsylvania names such as Old Overholt were being distilled mostly in Kentucky.[6] Today, an expanding number of brands are produced by Campari Group (Wild Turkey Rye), Diageo (George Dickel Rye and Bulleit Rye), Heaven Hill (Pikesville Rye and Rittenhouse Rye), Beam Suntory (Old Overholt and Jim Beam Rye), The Sazerac Company (Col. E. H. Taylor, Sazerac Rye, and Thomas H. Handy), and various smaller companies. One notable producer is MGP of Indiana, which is a distiller for many brands marketed by others (including some of the large companies previously listed).

    Rye has been currently undergoing a small but growing revival in the United States.[7] Since the beginning of the 21st century, many more producers have been experimenting with rye whiskey, and several now market aged rye whiskey. For example, Brown-Forman has also begun production of a Jack Daniel's rye whiskey, releasing unaged and lightly aged as limited editions. A distillery at Mount Vernon, the homestead of George Washington, sells a rye that is said to be like what Washington made.[8]

    Empire Rye
    In October 2017, seven New York State distilleries unveiled a new whiskey style/category unique to the state called "Empire Rye."[9] To qualify as Empire Rye the whiskies must be made from at least 75% New York State-grown rye, be distilled at a single New York State distillery, be at least two years old, and be aged at the relatively low barrel entry proof of 115 or lower.[10] The original distilleries to produce Empire Rye were Black Button Distilling, Coppersea Distilling, Finger Lakes Distilling, Kings County Distillery, New York Distilling Co., Tuthilltown Spirits/Hudson Whiskey and Van Brunt Stillhouse.

    Differences between rye and bourbon
    Rye grain is known for imparting what many call a spicy or fruity flavor to the whiskey. Bourbon, distilled from at least 51% corn, is noticeably sweeter, and tends to be fuller bodied than rye. As bourbon gained popularity beyond the southern United States, bartenders increasingly substituted it for rye in cocktails like Whiskey sours, Manhattans, and Old Fashioneds, which were originally made with rye. All other things being equal, the character of the cocktail will be drier with rye.[11]
    I did not realize how close the two were (basically only in the corn or rye content).

    FWIW I drink my bourbon "neat"---for my own benefit.

    1. I enjoy the taste and when I drink it neat I get the full flavor.
    2. Without ice I am "encouraged" to sip. Ice tends to water it down and thus I tend to drink it faster. I can spend hours drinking and enjoying two fingers of a good Bourbon---I am sure I would do the same with Rye.

    I must be getting better because I just remarked to my wife that I haven't had a drink since sometime in August---tomorrow is my 74th birthday---maybe I will have a sip
    Last edited by Dave Grubb; 10-11-2018 at 09:15 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  4. #4
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    The Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whisky I have claims to be 90% Rye.

    I've been switching back and forth between Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey and the Crown Royal Rye for a few days trying to decide which I like better. I think the Rye wins by a nose.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  5. #5
    Wannabe is offline Nov 5, 1946 - Nov 19, 2018
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    Mike, liquor stores have racks of the little airline bottles of different kinds of spirits. Look through those and get a good sampling of rye whiskeys to try out and not break the bank doing it. If one is so bad you can't drink it, it's not much to throw out.

  6. #6
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    That's a great idea!
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  7. #7
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    Can't say that I have ever had any Rye, at least not knowingly. I generally have 3 whiskies that I prefer, Crown Royal, a blended and Wild Turkey, a straight bourbon and occasionally Jack Daniels, a sour mash. Usually I will mix them with water but I like Crown over a couple of ice cubes. Old habit of leaving a bottle of tequila in the freezer, having a swig of that freezing cold stuff is great on a hot day.


    Keep us informed of what rye you favor and I will give it a try, although I can count of my fingers how many times I drink during the year. Happy early birthday Dave, I will have a toddy in your honor tomorrow, to help your celebrate from afar my friend and will toast to your health getting better.

  8. #8
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    Thanks James!
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  9. #9
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    Mike, go buy a small bottle of Jim Bean Black, must be the "Black". Try that. Best sippin whiskey I have ever had.
    OPINION....a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

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    I have a bit more experience with Rye Whiskeys, or Whisky if you prefer. Now, I've never much liked the "harshness" of straight whiskey so I've always cut it with water in the past. I'm guessing my price point has everything to do with the "harshness", so I'm going a bit upscale this time to see what a more expensive whiskey is like.

    I've gone through two bottles of Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye Whiskey. Tried sipping it straight, but still a little harsh for me. I cut it about 3:1 water and whiskey with ice. Pretty good stuff.

    I've had one bottle of Jack Daniels Straight Rye Whiskey. It is not quite as good as the Crown Royal Northern Harvest, but really close.

    Today, I went for what the internet says is some of the better stuff because I wanted to experience something I've never tried. I bought a bottle of WhistlePig FarmStock. A bit pricey for me at over twice the price of the Crown Royal. The aroma is so soft I wondered if the flavor would be the same. Tried a sip and was amazed. This stuff is without a doubt the best liquor I have ever tasted. I can enjoy sipping it straight. At the price, it is not something I can afford on a regular basis, but I will probably be a repeat customer.

    I also bought a bottle of Jack Daniels Single Barrel Rye. It is priced between the Crown Royal and the WhistlePig. The nose and taste is also somewhere in between the two. While better than the Crown Royal, I'm probably not a repeat customer at the current price point.

    At this point in my journey, the WhistlePig FarmStock is the best Rye Whiskey I've tried. This is kind of a fun experience. I'll try something different next time.

    Tom, I forgot about your recommendation while at the liquor store. I do plan to give it a try.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  11. #11
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    Glenlivet Nadurra 16 Yr....

    Give it a try if you want to taste scotch...

  12. #12
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    a good friend of mine really likes this one

    https://www.breakingbourbon.com/high-west-dbl-rye.html
    "The only thing that we learn from torture is the depths of our own moral depravity"

  13. #13
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    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

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    Thanks Dave. Interesting article.

    An update on my education about Rye.

    For the past several weeks, my Rye of choice has been Templeton's 6 year Rye. It is simply amazing to me. Each time I pick up a new bottle of Templeton's I also get a bottle of a different brand for testing. I have now tried Knob Creek and Bulleit. They are both very nice but at the price point I would go with the Bulleit. Neither beats the Templeton's 6 year except in price.

    Sometime I will post what I've learned about where a lot of it is really distilled. Most of you may be surprised.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  15. #15
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    Damn Mike that stuff 91 proof I was just sniffing around about that stuff can't believe it's distilled in Iowa that's intriguing I may just have to get a bottle if it's available around here.
    OPINION....a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge.

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