Whiskey rye is an alcoholic brand made of fermanted grain mesh, it has a good quality and it is good to those who drinks it. Therefore if you are looking for a good brand to go for, here is an article for you. However we will be dealing with various brands of rye whiskey, best, popular, American, and list.
Rye Whiskey Brands
Rye whiskey can be define as two related, but different types of whiskey: American rye whiskey, which is similar to bourbon whiskey, and Canadian rye whiskey. It is however a grain from which some whiskies are made. This has to be made from a mash bill that is at least 51% rye instead of 51% corn. It is distilled in no more than 160 proof and more intense.
But first, we need to understand how whiskey is been produced. Whiskey is made during a process where you distill a fermented grain mash. However, the mash is made out of malt barley and other grains, which you get to pick. The mash bill is thus the combination of different grains that are used. Water is therefore added to the mixture and it is heated. This process thus creates the sugars that ferment and turn into alcohol.
Types of Rye Whiskey
In the United States, rye is not compared to boubon in the market. There are consequently different types of rye whiskey, all of which are determined by the combination of rye and different grains that make up the mash bill. There are yet two main types of rye whiskey.
- American Rye
- Canadian Rye
Best Rye Whiskey Brands
#1. OLD OVERHOLT STRAIGHT RYE
Old Overholt is one of the best rye whiskey brands that seasoned drinkers will be more than familiar with.. There is however decent complexity to the nose, starting with banana and dried coconut notes, and followed by toasted oak. Spicy rye thus leads a well-balanced palate and the body feels weighty for the ABV content. You can absolutely sip on this but hold the ice.
#2. GEORGE DICKEL RYE WHISKEY
George Dickel another example of the best Rye Whisky brands. This is distilled in Lawrenceburg, IN, and also is made using a 95 percent rye and 5 percent malted barley mash bill. The process decreases some of the spicy characters of rye, but the grain is still good, lending dill, mint, and clove notes. This brand is however a good one to take.
#3. RITTENHOUSE STRAIGHT RYE BOTTLED-IN-BOND
Pouring a deep amber hue, this bottled-in-bond rye from the Heaven Hill distillery serves a heady mix of charred oak and spice on the nose. The palate is thus lively, with a robust depth of flavor that makes it ideal for cocktails. It is indeed seen as one of the best rye whiskey brands.
#4. SAZERAC RYE
This is however believed to be made using Buffalo Trace’s low-rye rye mash bill, this whiskey arrives in an attractive, recognizable bottle with a sleek, simple logo. Aromas of stone fruit and toasted oak are pleasant but not overly intense. The palate thus serves a well-balanced mix of banana, grain, and a touch of spice, which lends itself to the whiskey’s namesake cocktail.
#5. OLD FORESTER KENTUCKY STRAIGHT RYE
This brand however is among brands of best rye whiskey and is rated high and its mash bill for is made up of 65 percent rye, 20 percent malted barley, and 15 percent corn. For a Kentucky-born bottle, that is a relatively a big proportion of rye, which adds great character to the finished spirit. Banana, black pepper, and cereals lead the nose, while the recognizable bite of rye emerges on the palate. This is likewise an excellent value for money and perfect for cocktails.
#6. ELIJAH CRAIG STRAIGHT RYE
While this Heaven Hill-produced rye whiskey contains just 51 percent rye in its mash bill, the cereal’s character is notable on both nose and palate. Thus its spicy notes mingle seamlessly with toasted oak, followed by sweet undertones of barley and corn. This among the best of rye whiskey brands is particularly served with a single large ice cube.
#7. HIGH WEST WHISKEY DOUBLE RYE!
High West’s Double Rye! contains an interesting blend of sourced and proprietary whiskeys, which range in age from 2 to 7 years, and have an overall high rye content. The nose also serves as scents of baking spices, maple wood, dried herbs, and black pepper. The body is also lean with a nice concentration of flavors and spiced finish; and also among the best rye whiskey brands.
#8. KNOB CREEK KENTUCKY STRAIGHT RYE
Owned and produced by Beam Suntory, this Kentucky whiskey is also believed to contain little over the 51 percent rye in its mash bill that allows it to be classified as such. Consequently placed among the best rye whiskey brands, it has a pleasant spice to the nose and floral accents. Thus the palate is fruity and herbaceous, with a rich streak of vanilla and honey.
#9. WOODFORD RESERVE KENTUCKY STRAIGHT RYE
This 53 percent rye from Brown-Forman’s Woodford Reserve distillery is gently spiced, with attractive aromas and a lingering finish. A notable toffee apple note leads the nose, while sponge cake and banana flavors add richness to the palate. With great depth of flavor and careful balance; and also seen among the best of the rye whiskey brands, this will be a familiar profile for fans of Woodford Reserve’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon.
Popular Rye Whiskey Brands
As we all know that rye whiskey comprises of different testure in feel, colour and taste, that will lead us to knowing the popular rye whiskey brands in the market and the brands which is mostly out of stock. Below are thus the list of the popular rye whiskey brands.
#1. Angel’s Envy Rye
Angel’s Envy Bourbons and Ryes come to us from the blessed hands of Louisville Distilling Co. The Angel’s Envy line is, as they say, their masterpiece. inspired by legendary Master Distiller Lincoln Henderson’s lifetime of crafting fine spirits. It is worth mentioning that everything these angels touch has received universal acclaim, so buy whatever you can get your hands on. Its features includes 50% ABV and powerful with a splash of water, it is caramel, more banana, toasted grain, and liquid love in a glass; and not to forget it is the most popular rye whiskey brands.
#2. American Rye
In 2007, a band of dedicated Rye enthusiasts bought a farm which they actually bought a plot of land in Vermont lovingly that is named Whistle Pig Farm. Consequently they teamed up with master distiller Dave Pickerell (formerly of Maker’s Mark) to bring genuine Rye Whiskey back to the forefront of American Whiskeys. They are now true “estate producer,” which means that all aspects of their core Whiskey production are on-site from growing the grain to bottling the spirit. This popular rye whiskey brands possess a dark amber in colour, smells vanilla and English toffee, and taste of plenty of Rye spice with stone fruits, orange-blossom honey, and rancio.
#3. High West Rye
Among the popular rye brands of whiskey this brand is cold, damp and cool. High West Distillery has a dram that is dedicated to just that very thing. This Rye blend is a limited edition that is been finished in French Oak barrels and was made for a chilly, winter-y night. No need to rush spring.
#4. Colonel E.H. Taylor
In 1830, a baby called Edmund Haynes Taylor Jr. was born and he became the father of modern Whiskey. He made top-notch Whiskeys and that made his brands one of the poupalr rye whiskey. In its features aubum is the colour, smells oily rye spices aroma followed by wonderful woody notes, a hint of dried peels, orange zest and flaxseed; not only that it also has a taste of thick flavor of cooked fruit and caramel, potpourri and rye, with a touch of butterscotch and prune.
#5. Sazerac
This brands of popular rye Whiskey has been on the site of the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky for more than two hundred years. The first distillery operation that can be continuously traced to Buffalo Trace was started in 1812 by Harrison Blanton (yes, that Blanton) .But Sazerac has owned the property since 1992 and it has become the flagship distillery for New Orleans-based Sazerac, producing a wide range of Whiskies and Spirits.
There are actually two versions of Sazerac Rye which make it among the popular brands of rye whiskey; they are the 18-year-old “Antique Collection,” and there is the 6-year-old the younger version “Baby Saz.” its colour is rich in rich mahogany, smekls vanilla, clove and pepper, taste of cinnamon, crumb cake, more black pepper, and candied orange zest.
#6. Whistlepig
The Canadian American.
In 2007, a band of dedicated Rye enthusiasts bought a farm in Vermont lovingly named Whistle Pig Farm. They teamed up with master distiller Dave Pickerell, formerly of Maker’s Mark, to bring genuine Rye Whiskey back to the forefront of American Whiskeys. What they do is outsource elements of their production to Canadian distillers, using grain produced by others. Their ultimate vision is to make Whistle Pig an “estate producer,” which means that all aspects of Whiskey production will be onsite, from growing the grain to bottling the Spirit. This is among the reason why this brands is among the popular rye whiskey brands.
Having done with the popular rye whiskey brands, let us now go over to American rye whiskey brands.
American Rye Whiskey Brands
American whiskeys may often be categorised as pertaining to toastiness, spice and vanilla sweetness. This is in large part due to the generous use of new charred oak (predominant in most styles of US whiskey, and used exclusively in the production of bourbon), which lends stunning sweet flavours such as vanillins, and other flavour compounds.
Rye whiskey is made with a mashbill that mainly features rye. The result of this is a more spicy whiskey with lots of complexity. Great examples include Sazerac rye whiskey, Rittenhouse Straight Rye and Pappy Van Winkle’s Rye. American rye whiskey, as well as its 51 per cent rye, is also made with corn, barley and wheat. When distilled it must be no more than 80 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV) and stored in barrels at no higher than 62.5 per cent ABV. It’s then aged for a minimum of two years, and must not be blended with other spirits.
#1. Rittenhouse
Rittenhouse is a production by Heaven Hill Distilleries made to honour the tradition of Pennsylvania (or “Monongahela”) rye whiskeys. Rye whiskeys were previously a giant of the industry that were devastated by the legislative and practical implications of Prohibition. Unlike other venerated forms of whiskey known throughout the United States.
Philadelphia’s famous Rittenhouse Square inspires a name that demonstrates that Heaven Hill’s Rittenhouse is all about honouring the storied past of Pennsylvania rye whiskey and bringing it dutifully to modern palates. The modern whiskey consumer has an insatiable appetite to re-discover classic whiskey styles and Rittenhouse is distilled to appease that very appetite.
#2. American Tennessee Whiskey
It was the Irish and Scottish distillers who brought the wonderful libation to America. Often, American whisky possesses a rustic quality, a sort of tangy top note too. This is down to the widespread use of virgin oak for the majority of their whiskeys. Tennessee whiskey differs only slightly from bourbon. It is a sour mash whiskey that is filtered through sugar maple charcoal prior to ageing. This technique is known as the Lincoln County Process. There are only two brands that produce Tennessee whiskey: George Dickel and, of course, Jack Daniel’s.
#3. American Single Barrel Whiskey
Single barrel whiskey is amongst the rarest of any spirit from America. The term refers to whiskey which has been aged in a single barrel, and has been bottled unblended. These are also often bottled at natural cask strength “straight from the barrel”, and because they are unblended they usually offer an unbridled level of richness and complexity, and are held in a special place by connoisseurs of bourbon and other whiskeys.
#4. New York Distilling Company
On December 5th 2011, the 78th anniversary of Prohibition’s repeal in America, the New York Distilling Company opened its doors in Brooklyn. Producing high quality American gins and rye whiskey brands with cocktail enthusiasts in mind, they look to honour the fantastic tradition and culture surrounding mixology in New York. Famous for co-founding the Brooklyn Brewery in 1987, Potter took a four year break to pursue kayaking adventures.
To make their spirits, they use a hybrid distilling system. This was specially chosen as it gives them a lot more versatility when it comes to what they can produce, as they continue to tinker and experiment.Providing spirits to the five boroughs, is the New York Distilling Company’s passion. From public fundraising events, naming their craft gins after prominent New Yorkers of the past and only using grain produced in New York for their rye whiskey, they obviously have a lot of love for their home.
#5. Bourbon Whiskey
Bourbon is the most prominent style of rye whiskey brands produced in the american, enjoyed in saloons around the world sipped neat or in brilliant bourbon cocktails. Back in the days of yore Irish and Scottish immigrants brought distillation to Kentucky. A farmer would whack a portion of their crops into their still and they’d have what we’d see today as the precursor to bourbon whiskey.
It’s derived from France’s Bourbon dynasty, but no one is 100% sure where exactly the name for the spirit came from. The mash bill of a bourbon must be made with at least 51% corn. Bourbon must be aged in new, charred oak barrels. The spirit can’t be distilled to more than 80% ABV, and bourbon must be bottled at 40% ABV or more.
#6.Blanton
Blanton’s Bourbon as among the american rye whiskey brands was launched in Kentucky in 1984, majoring on its credentials as a single barrel bourbon. Master Distiller at the time Elmer T. Lee was challenged to create an exceptional bourbon. Near retirement, Lee took inspiration from his time working in the 1940s working under Colonel Albert B. Blanton, who was president of the distillery until 1952. Blanton would hand-pick barrels and bottle the bourbon one barrel at a time, and so Blanton’s Single Barrel was created as a tribute to these previous bottlings. The expression was introduced to the market only one year before he retired.
Blanton also determined what kind of warehouses would be used. In 1933, after the repeal of Prohibition, production went into overdrive, though with this came a shortage of storage space for barrels. Blanton offered a solution – to use metal warehouses as it would take the shortest time to build. However, this resulted in a unique ageing process for the bourbon, as the temperature change inside the metal warehouse was much more drastic, and so the oak interacted more with the liquid inside it. Still, Blanton’s only uses metal warehouses to age its whiskey.
#7. Jim Beam
A group of German immigrants moved to America during the eighteenth century. The first distillery was founded by one of their number, Johannes ‘Jacob’, of the German family, Boehm. The family named was changed to the more Anglo-American ‘Beam’. Jacob Beam had land in Kentucky and quickly noticed how well-suited the area was for cereal farming. He grew corn and grains which he eventually started using for distillation. In 1795, Jacob began selling his whiskey under the name Old Jake Beam from his distillery, Old Tub.
In 1960, Booker Noe was appointed the Master Distiller at the Boston facilities and, in 1987, he launched a brand of bourbon bearing his forename; Booker’s was the first cask strength bourbon. There has since been a range of various bourbons released by Jim Beam, including the world’s top selling premium bourbon, Knob Creek, named for a creek just south of the distillery where a young Abraham Lincoln once played. Alongside Vin and Spirit AB, Jim Beam formed Fortune Brands in 2001, the various wine and spirits brands owned by the company are operated by the holding company Jim Beam Global.
#8. Four Roses
There are several stories as to how the brand was named; perhaps the official version is most worthy, if only for its charm. It is said that Paul L Jones Jr was madly in love with a beautiful unnamed Southern girl. He feared rejection and rather than ask her in person, he sent her a letter proposing marriage. She replied saying that if she wore a red rose to the upcoming local ball, it would signal a favourable response. To his delight, she was not wearing one red rose, but a corsage four. Thus, the brand name was born. The story is fundamentally flawed, however, for Paul Jones never married.
The official version continues – in 1884, Paul moved his distilling operations to Louisville, Kentucky. He registered the Four Roses name in 1988. The Frankfort Distilling Company acquired the Paul Jones Company in 1922, one of a handful of companies legally permitted to distil for medicinal purposes during Prohibition. Seagram acquired Frankfort in 1943 with a vested interest in the Four Roses brand and during the mid twentieth century Four Roses became a highly popular bourbon and a top-seller in America, despite this, Seagram ceased selling to the US market and focussed its attention on the rapidly expanding Asian and European markets. The Kirin Brewery Company acquired Four Roses in 2002 and today the range is made up of seven different products, just two of which have been launched solely for the American market.
Rye Whiskey Brands List
Whisky is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn. Whisky is typically aged in wooden casks, made generally of charred white oak. This is a list of rye whisky brands arranged by country of origin and style.
#1. Beam Suntory, Inc
In this list of rye whiskey brands, this brand is an American multinational company that produces alcoholic beverages. It is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings of Osaka, Japan, and the company’s headquarters are in Chicago, Illinois. It is the third-largest producer of distilled beverages worldwide, behind Diageo and Pernod Ricard. The company’s principal products include bourbon whiskey, tequila, Scotch whisky, Irish whiskey, Canadian whisky, vodka, cognac, rum, cordials, and ready-to-drink pre-mixed cocktails.
#2. Alltech
This brand is among the top in the list of rye whiskey brands, and it is an American company, headquartered in Nicholasville, Kentucky, with operations in animal feed, meat, brewing, and distilling. Alltech develops agricultural products for use in both livestock and crop farming, as well as products for the food industry. Alltech operates under three main divisions: animal nutrition and health; crop science; and, food and beverage.
#3. The Brown–Forman Corporation
In this list of rye whiskey brands, Brown corporation is one of the largest American-owned companies in the spirits and wine business. Thus, it is based in Louisville, Kentucky, it manufactures several well-known brands throughout the world, including Jack Daniel’s, Early Times, Old Forester, Woodford Reserve, GlenDronach, BenRiach, Glenglassaugh, Finlandia, Herradura, Korbel, and Chambord.
#4. Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.
Heaven hill is a private, American family-owned and operated distillery founded in 1935 and headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky; that produces and markets the Heaven Hill brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a variety of other distilled spirits. Its current distillery facility, called the Heaven Hill Bernheim distillery, is in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the seventh-largest alcohol supplier in the United States, top among the list of rye whiskey brands; the second-largest holder of bourbon whiskey inventory in the world, the largest, independent, family-owned and operated producer and marketer of distilled spirits in the United States, and the only large family-owned distillery company headquartered in Kentucky
#5. Luxco, Inc.
Luxco Inc. is a privately owned producer and marketer of distilled beverages and liqueurs. Formerly called the David Sherman Corporation, the company was renamed in 2006. Founded in 1958 in St. Louis, Missouri, by David Sherman Sr. and Paul A. Lux, the company sells beverages across the United States with some international trade. In January 2021, MGP Ingredients announced a planned purchase of Luxco. We can also classify this brand among the good rye whiskey brands list we have.
#6. Castle Brands
This is a developer and international marketer of premium and super-premium beverage alcohol brands. Its core spirits include rum, whiskey/bourbon, liqueurs, and vodka, which are marketed; and sold in the United States, Canada, Europe, Latin America and Asia. We cannot mention this list of rye whiskey brands without listing this brand.
#7. Sazerac Company, Inc.
Sazerac company is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionaire William Goldring and his family. As of 2017, it operated nine distilleries, had 2,000 employees, and operated in 112 countries. It is one of the two largest spirits companies in the U.S and among the top in the list of rye whiskey brands.
Among these brands listed above, there are other list of of rye whiskey brands not mentioned. We will list them in our next article.
What Whiskey Is Made From Rye?
Whisky is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn.
Why Is Rye Whiskey Different?
The flavor distinctions between rye and bourbon are based on their primary ingredients. Rye has more intense flavors that develop on the palate
What Is the Difference Between Canadian Whiskey and Rye Whiskey?
Traditionally, Canadian whisky is made with a 100 percent mash bill. American rye whiskey, on the other hand, has a mash bill that is at least 51% rye, with the rest typically made up of corn and malted barley.
Is Scotch a Rye Whiskey?
The three kinds of whiskey have been around since the 18th century. Bourbon whiskey was first made in the US without many rules. Scotch whiskey is made by distilling malted barley over peat fires (peat is a type of soil), and rye whiskey must be made from at least 51% rye grain.
What Is the Difference Between Whiskey and Rye?
Rye is usually spicier and has a stronger taste than bourbon. Bourbon whiskey is usually sweeter and smoother than rye. It often has hints of vanilla, oak, and caramel.
