Rye Whiskey

WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye

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WhistlePig 10 Year Straight Rye

50% ABV
$75 – $80
Website
Whistlepig 10 yr Straight Rye

What the Bottler Says

The spirit of entrepreneurship.
Fortune, superb taste, and hustle lead us to the discovery of an aged Rye Whiskey stock in Alberta, Canada. We rescued the stock from misuse as a blending whiskey, aged it in new American Oak with a bourbon barrel finish, then hand-bottled this rye on its own. We’re honored to present the most awarded Rye Whiskey in the world.

NOSE: Allspice, orange peel, anise, oak, char and caramel
PALATE: Sweet; hints of caramel and vanilla, followed by rye­spice and mint
FINISH: Long finish; warm butterscotch and caramel.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Crisp rye spice, pine, dill, lemon-scented furniture polish, allspice, soft oak, orange zest, mint, with a hint of peach cobbler.
Palate:  Nice rounded mouthfeel, bright/sharp, vanilla with a lemon/lime zest pop, some mint, oak, caramel, and pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, slightly drying with spice and caramel.
Comments:  This is a very solid rye, with all of the spice-pop you’d expect and hope for. I get a lot of pine notes in the Alberta Distillers ryes, and this is no exception. While quite solid, I’ve always thought it was priced a bit high. No, I can’t point to another 10 yr, 100 proof rye at the same price point (although just a couple of years prior, I was picking up 10 yr Canadian rye under the Jefferson’s label at only 90 proof, but for under $40). For me, while I do enjoy this, there are others I enjoy as much for less money.

Rating: Stands Out

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Few Rye Whiskey

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Few Rye Whiskey

46.5% ABV
$55 – $65
Website

What the Distillery Says

BORN OF HEARTY GRAIN AND PATIENCE.
The generous rye content is married with the sweetness of corn for a genteel interpretation of the venerable spirit. Patiently aged in air-dried oak barrels, its spicy character transcends mere resurgence. Behold – the renaissance of rye.

Mashed, fermented, distilled, aged at least one year in charred new oak barrels, and bottled by FEW Spirits, LLc. Evanston, IL

What Gary Says

Nose:  Bright rye spice, mint, dill, lemon furniture polish with notes of pine.
Palate:  Crisp, bright sharp with lemon spice, mint and a touch of cinnamon.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with dried mint and light pepper.
Comments:  I’m not sure where the ‘patience’ comes from in their claim, since they don’t list an age. It tastes fairly young to me, although I happen to like young rye (maybe the only whisk(e)y category I don’t mind in the 2-3 yr range). While I don’t mind young rye, I’d never cough up over $50 for a bottle of this. If you’re considering it for some other reason (maybe you live in Illinois and want to support local craft?), I’d urge you to try a pour first.

Rating: Average

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Catcher’s Rye Whiskey

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Catcher’s Rye Whiskey

49.4% ABV
$50
Website
Two James Catchers Rye Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

Distilled from 100% Michigan rye and pure water from the Great Lakes, Catcher’s Rye is a testament to the grain’s distinctive terroir. Each drop is artfully produced and aged for a minimum of two years in traditional, charred new American oak 53 gallon barrels. With delicious spice notes and a subtle fig finish, Catcher’s Rye proves there is no substitute for time or proportion. This is a labor of love, accept no phonies.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Bright, intense rye spice with fresh mint, caraway seeds, blood oranges with a squeeze of lemon, dill, hints of tarragon and thyme with a wisp of smoke.
Palate:  Rich mouthfeel, orange marmalade on rye toast, cinnamon sprinkles with allspice, hints of ginger, a bit of pepper and faint anise near the end.
Finish:  Moderately long, drying with citrus spice.
Comments:  This is a pretty intense rye. My first impression of the nose was that this was a young rye, as I find many young ryes have that intensity and pop on the nose – but when I sipped it; completely exceeded my expectations.  I reached out to Two James distillery with some questions, and was delighted when David Landrum -the founder – took the time to provide a detailed response!  Here’s a summary of what David shared:

Mashbill: 100% Michigan Rye (specifically a northern variety: Hazlet)
ABV at Still: Between 65-70% (note that this is lower than many larger distillers, who are coming off closer to the maximum allowed limit for bourbon at 80%)
Barrels: We only use large format (minimum 53 gallon) oak barrels with varying char levels, mostly #3 and #4
Age: We have no age statement on our rye at the moment but everything released is between 4-6 years.
Maturation: Barrels are aged in a rickhouse on the farm where we grow the grain, non temperature controlled

Many rye whiskies are what I’d call ‘barely legal ryes’, meaning that their mashbill is 51% rye with a fairly high corn content.  Four Roses has a rye bourbon mashbill that has 35% rye, so these are closer to that than to a 100% rye mashbill.  Corn brings a lot of sweetness to the party, and David was looking for to “create an assertive whiskey”.  I’d say he certainly succeeded.

Frequent readers (all 6 of you) are aware that I’m not a fan of what is often referred to as ‘craft whisk(e)y’, because candidly too many of them cut corners with smaller barrels. I really appreciate Two James not taking this course, and more than that – for producing a delicious rye whisk(e)y.  If someone had poured this for me blind and asked what I thought, the word ‘craft’ wouldn’t have entered my thought process.  Sure, you’re paying a premium because of the smaller scale, but if I still lived in Michigan where this is easier to find, I’d have no problem keeping a bottle on hand.  And if you’re a rye whiskey devotee, I’d strongly encourage you to seek this out!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Old Forester Rye

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Old Forester Rye

50% ABV
$23 – $26
Website

What the Distillery Says

In 1870, our founder George Garvin Brown revolutionized the industry by sealing Bourbon in a glass bottle for the first time. Five generations and nearly 150 years later, we are proud to introduce the first Kentucky Straight Rye Whisky from The First Bottled Bourbon™.

A historic recipe, acquired in 1940 by Owsley Brown I, Old Forester Rye features a mash bill of 65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn. Such a high proportion of barley allows for a fully natural fermentation process, forgoing the need for artificial enzymes commonly found in high rye mash bills. Additionally, a generous percentage of malt yields a unique floral character, balancing the sharp, brisk spice of the rye grain. Continuing our legacy of quality and consistency, Old Forester uses its own proprietary yeast strain, produces every barrel, and distills every drop.

At 100 proof, Old Forester Rye plays beautifully in a cocktail but also stands up boldly on its own.

TASTING NOTES
AROMA: Rich brown sugar and magnolia blossom, with hints of soft sassafras and candied lemon.
TASTE: Spice awakens immediately leading with sharp black pepper and cinnamon stick, rounding out with notes of dried dill and baked apple.
FINISH: Allspice and peppercorn introduce a loyal and dry finish which ignites with pine, anise, and bright lemon zest.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, thick nose, chock full of rye spice; mint, dill, and evergreen forest.
Palate:  Soft and round at the start, then sharpens as the journey continues with some herbal dill and mint notes, cinnamon and pepper kicking up over rye toast later.
Finish:  Not very long, with a drying herbal note.
Comments:  I really like this; just a straight up, unapologetically rye whiskey. With the growth in popularity the last few yeas, there has been more rye introduced – some of it solid, and some pretty disappointing.
I don’t get much/any citrus fruit like with some ryes – this plays in the herbal corner of the garden for sure, but it does so beautifully. My benchmark for any rye under $30 (frankly, under $40 even) is how it compares to Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond – and this held its own (in fact, the day of – I preferred this!) And can we take a moment to celebrate a screw-top?
Don’t get me wrong – this isn’t as complex as an 8 year cask strength rye (no age statement, so assuming this is in the ballpark of 4 yrs old).  But if you are a fan of rye whiskey, at this price point – I can’t imagine you being disappointed in a blind purchase.  If you’re not a solid rye fan (like some, not others), I’d urge you to try .

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy; Great Value

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Old Overholt Bonded Straight Rye Whiskey

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Old Overholt Bonded Rye Whiskey

100 ABV
$25
Website

What the Distillery Says

Old Overholt® Rye is one of the oldest, most famous straight Rye Whiskeys on the market today. Old Overholt® Bonded Rye extends this historic brand into the Bonded segment. In accordance with the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, Old Overholt® Bonded Straight Rye Whiskey must be aged for four years, bottled at 100 proof, and contain liquid that is the product of a single distillation season.
Abraham Overholt (1784 – 1870) was one of the fathers of American Distilling, and he took uncompromising pride in his product. When it came to making his whiskey, Abraham Overholt lived by three hard and fast standards – work hard, stand fast, and don’t waver. These three standards were the basis upon which he built Old Overholt® Rye, and the same standards upon which Old Overholt® Bonded Rye is created today

Tasting Notes
Color: Dark honey
Aroma: Robust mix of oak and caramel with soft hints of vanilla
Taste: Harmonious blend of char, spice, and fresh oak
Finish: Long lingering char and light fruit

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rye toast with an herbal (celery, thyme) spicy oak note, wafting mint with just a hint of orange zest.
Palate:  Rye spice with a tangy tangerine note, sour oak.
Finish:  Short and drying with a bit of pepper spice.
Comments:  In full disclosure, I wasn’t a fan of Old Overholt at 80 proof and 4 yrs old (and hadn’t even bothered to try the new 3 yr old version). But I was hopeful here, and decided to taste this up against what I consider the benchmark for a bonded rye: Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond. This was lighter in color than the Rittenhouse, and softer on the nose. On the palate, it was closer – a little less vanilla sweetness but had that rye spice you’d want. While a definite step up, I personally prefer Rittenhouse BIB for the same money – but wouldn’t rule this out if you’re a rye fan and haven’t tried it.

Rating: Stands Out

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