There’s a good chance that when you read the words “rye whiskey,” you simply assume it’s a rye-based whiskey. While you’re half right, you’re also half wrong. This is because the term rye whiskey can be used to refer to two different, but very closely related whiskey variations. The first is American rye whiskey and the second is all Canadian whisky. Confused yet? Don’t worry, we’ll explain it.
Bourbon whiskey needs to be made up of a mash bill of at least 51 percent corn to be considered a bourbon. American rye whiskey must be made up of a mash bill of at least 51 percent rye to be considered a rye whiskey. Like bourbon, the rest of the ingredients can vary. We’re talking barley, corn, and wheat. It’s just the 51 percent you need to remember.
While this is beginning to change, traditionally all Canadian whisky was referred to as “rye whiskey.” This is because, for much of its history, Canadian whisky was produced with a high rye content (hence the name). Now, you’re much less likely to see a Canadian whisky labeled as a “rye” unless it actually fits the standard of a rye-centric whisky. Hopefully, that explained why you aren’t wrong for assuming all rye whiskey is rye-based whiskey.
Back to American rye whiskey. A popular style in the 1700 and 1800s in places like Maryland and Pennsylvania, it largely disappeared after prohibition with only a few brands remaining. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that its popularity started to rise again.
Great for sipping if you enjoy a spicier whiskey and as the base for a slew of classic and contemporary cocktails, rye whiskey is in the middle of a contemporary renaissance. This is good news for you because now there are seemingly countless examples of this sweet, slightly peppery, complex whiskey style on the market. Keep scrolling to see twelve of our favorite mixing rye whiskeys (including one from Canada).
Old Forester Rye Whiskey
First introduced in 2019, Old Forester Rye Whiskey is an award-winning, high-malted barley rye using a recipe from 1940 and a proprietary yeast strain. The high malted barley content adds sweetness and helps the fermentation process. On top of this, it’s also 100-proof and filled with flavors like cinnamon sugar, vanilla beans, caramel apples, and a healthy dose of cracked black pepper. The finish is dry, sweet, and warming.
- Origin: Kentucky
- Rye Mash Content: 65%
- ABV: 50%
- Ideal Cocktail: Ward Eight. Subtle citrus flavors and spice in this rye whiskey play well with the other ingredients of lemon juice, orange juice, and grenadine.
Bulleit Rye Whiskey
This award-winning straight rye whiskey first hit shelves right at the beginning of the rye renaissance back in 2011. It’s been a mainstay ever since. Its price and ridiculous rye content (95 percent) have made it a popular choice among bartenders and drinkers alike. On top of the spicy cracked black pepper flavor from the abundance of rye, it also carries flavors of clover honey, sweet toffee, and vanilla.
- Origin: Kentucky
- Rye Mash Content: 95%
- ABV: 45%
- Ideal Cocktail: Manhattan. A cocktail that features very few ingredients (rye whiskey, vermouth, and bitters) is a great choice for a spicy, high-rye whiskey like this.
Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
Made to pay homage to the long rye whiskey history of New Orleans, this throwback-style whiskey was named for the Sazerac Coffee House on Royal Street in the city. This is where the iconic Sazerac cocktail was born, and this whiskey carries on its tradition today. This complex, flavorful rye whiskey is well-known for its notes of cinnamon, cloves, vanilla beans, candied orange peels, and of course gentle, spicy pepper.
- Origin: Kentucky
- Rye Mash Content: Undisclosed
- ABV: 45%
- Ideal Cocktail: Sazerac. How could you mix up anything else besides the rye, absinthe, and bitters-based drink this whiskey was named for?
Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky
The only Canadian whisky that made this list, Lot 40 ticks both boxes. It’s Canadian (so technically by that fact alone it could be referred to as a “rye whisky”) and it’s actually a rye whiskey. And a great, award-winning one at that. This traditional copper pot still distilled rye whisky has a broad flavor spectrum that includes dried fruits, raisins, candied orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, vanilla, and herbal, spicy, cracked black pepper to tie it all together nicely.
- Origin: Ontario, Canada
- Rye Mash Content: 100%
- ABV: 43%
- Ideal Cocktail: Old Pal. This rye whisky-forward cocktail is perfect for such a bold whisky. It’s simply rye whisky, Campari, and dry vermouth.
Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey
One of Jim Beam’s duo of “The Olds,” along with Old Grand-Dad, Old Overholt is believed to be the oldest continually maintained whiskey brand in the US with its origins in Pennsylvania in 1810. It’s known for its cheap price tag and bold, mixable flavor profile consisting of orange zest, cinnamon, vanilla, oak, and gentle rye spice. It’s on the lighter end of the spice scale, making it a great gateway into the rye whiskey world.
- Origin: Kentucky
- Rye Mash Content: Undisclosed
- ABV: 40%
- Ideal Cocktail: Whiskey and ginger ale. No offense to Old Overholt, but this plastic-handled expression is most well-suited for a simple mix of whiskey and ginger ale.
Wild Turkey 101 Rye Whiskey
Wild Turkey 101 Bourbon is one of the most beloved on the market. Ask a handful of bartenders to tell you their favorite inexpensive, bold bourbon and they’ll list Wild Turkey 101. The brand’s rye version is pretty memorable as well. This 101-proof rye whiskey was aged for a minimum of four years in new, charred American oak barrels. The result is a slightly smoky whiskey with hints of toasted vanilla beans, oaky wood, clover honey, dried fruits, and slight, warming peppery rye.
- Origin: Kentucky
- Rye Mash Content: 51%
- ABV: 50.5%
- Ideal Cocktail: Vieux Carre. This rye-centric cocktail has a ton of ingredients including rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, cognac, Peychaud bitters, Benedictine, and Angostura bitters. It requires a flavorful high-proof whiskey that will stand up.
High West Double Rye! Whiskey
Utah’s High West is a big name in the whiskey world. Its Double Rye is so named because it’s a blend of two different rye whiskeys. One is a 95 percent rye whiskey from MGP in Indiana. The other is an 80 percent rye whiskey produced at High West. They range between two and nine years. This blending of high-rye whiskeys results in a flavorful expression highlighted by notes of honey, mint, vanilla beans, wintry spices, caramel, and a nice kick of peppery heat at the finish.
- Origin: Indiana/Utah
- Rye Mash Content: 95%/80%
- ABV: 46%
- Ideal Cocktail: Old Fashioned. This classic cocktail of rye, simply syrup (or a muddled sugar cube), Angostura bitters, and a dash or two of water deserves a spicy, bold whiskey like High West Double Rye.
Rittenhouse Rye Whiskey
This award-winning whiskey might now be distilled in Kentucky, but it was first created to pay tribute to Philadelphia’s historic Rittenhouse Square. A Popular whiskey in the bartending community, it’s bold, flavorful, highly mixable, and bottled in bond. Aged for a minimum of four years, it’s known for its flavors of raisins, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus peel, and gentle peppery spice at the finish.
- Origin: Kentucky
- Rye Mash Content: 51%
- ABV: 50%
- Ideal Cocktail: Highball. A bold, flavorful whiskey such as Rittenhouse is the perfect complement to club soda, seltzer, or ginger ale in a classic, refreshing highball.
Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey
Elijah Craig, a former preacher, is commonly believed to be the creator of bourbon as he was the first distiller to age his corn whiskey in charred barrels. Obviously, this brand is most known for its bourbon, but you definitely shouldn’t sleep on its rye whiskey. This small-batch rye whiskey is fairly low in rye (51 percent) and high in corn (35 percent) making it a great, oaky, mellow, sweet, honey, vanilla, caramel, and pepper-filled gateway into the style.
- Origin: Kentucky
- Rye Mash Content: 51%
- ABV: 47%
- Ideal Cocktail: Boulevardier. This sweeter, more bourbon-like rye whiskey works great as a base for this classic drink that also includes vermouth and Campari.
Templeton Four-Year-Old Rye Whiskey
While its history is rooted in Iowa, this popular rye whiskey was actually distilled in Indiana at MGP and then bottled in Iowa for years. As of 2018 when it opened a new, $35 million distillery, its production is back in the Hawkeye State. This award-winning, gateway, highly mixable rye whiskey was aged for four years in new, charred, American oak casks. This results in a complex, well-balanced spicy and sweet whiskey with notes of brown sugar, toffee, vanilla, dried fruits, and gentle, warming cracked black pepper notes.
- Origin: Iowa
- Rye Mash Content: 95%
- ABV: 40%
- Ideal Cocktail: Whiskey Sour. While bourbon is often used as the base for this classic cocktail, we believe the bold, spicy, sweet flavor of Templeton Rye is the perfect pairing for lemon juice, egg whites, and gomme syrup.
Redemption Rye Whiskey
This classic, award-winning, pre-prohibition style rye is known for its bold mash bill of 95 percent rye. A favorite among rye whiskey fans for its sipping nature and versatility in cocktails. It’s spicy, sweet, and filled with flavors like rich, oaky wood, candied orange peel, mint leaves, caramel, and a healthy, warming dose of cracked black pepper that dances throughout every sip.
- Origin: Indiana
- Rye Mash Content: 95 Percent
- ABV: 46%
- Ideal Cocktail: Gold Rush. This classic cocktail is the perfect drink for this whiskey to shine. The spicy flavor works well with the sweetness of the honey syrup and lemon juice.
Winchester Kentucky Rye Whiskey
You might be confused by this whiskey’s name. It’s called “Winchester,” but we can’t find any reference to the famous gun or the spooky house that carries the same name. Apparently, it’s a reference to the “Winchester Cowboy,” a term to describe gunslingers that roamed the west. Like many whiskeys on the market, it seems to mostly just be an eye-catching name. There are a lot of unknowns surrounding this whiskey, but it’s believed to be from Kentucky and aged at least a year in charred, American oak. Mysteries aside, the flavor is complex with notes of sticky toffee, vanilla beans, dried fruits, slight smoke, and cracked black pepper. The finish is long, spicy, and filled with warming heat.
- Origin: Kentucky
- Rye Mash Content: Undisclosed
- ABV: 45%
- Ideal Cocktail: Whiskey and Cola. This spicy, sweet, cheap, not overly complex rye whiskey is a great complement to a sweet, effervescent cola.
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