Drinkin' whiskey and rye...

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idbowman

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So I'm thinking about picking up my first bottle of rye. The problem is, I have NO idea what I'm getting myself into, and I'm hoping someone can get me pointed int he right direction.

I know my way around the whiskey family, and would say that I generally prefer Irish versions to the peaty Scotch. I do like American corn whiskey and bourbon from time to time, but I've never had anything rye-based. I also know that a lot of the rye distilleries (Canadian, at least), that get away with using mostly corn and just a bit of rye...I'd like to avoid that, if it's possible to do so without taking out a second mortgage.


So...yeah. What am I in for? How does the rye experience compare with whisky/whiskey/bourbon? Can anyone recommend any decent brands that won't break the bank?
 
I'm certainly no expert on the topic, but Wild Turkey Rye might be a good place to start. That's what I like. It's noticeably "not bourbon", but bourbon drinkers would like it. I'm interested to see other suggestions, even the ones that tell me how wrong I am in liking this. :p
 
Rye whiskys are great, and there are some really fantastic ryes on the market. Rye used to be the primary grain used in distillation by the early American distillers pre-prohibition.

Rye lends subtle flavor nuances to a mash that you just can't get from other grains. The first thing that most people notice is a pleasant spiciness/fruitiness that typically does not come forth in Bourbon. Corn whisky, tends to be sweeter than rye, and rye typically has a drier mouth feel and flavor profile.

Some of my current favorites are Old Overholt, Redemption, Bulliet, & Thomas H. Handy. However there are a lot of other excellent Ryes on the market now, and an increasing number of excellent rye ales now being produced.

I don't think you are getting yourself into anything other than another realm of tasty libations.
 
I'm a rye guy. I wouldn't call myself an "expert," but I've gotten a handle on a few that I find amazing.

Wild Turkey isn't really a great rye. It's just a rye that calls itself a rye with minimum standards to do so 51% minimum, the rest is corn or barley hooch added to make it sell at a particular price point.

Rye I've tried that I really like:


High West Rendezvous Rye or Double Rye (two of my favorites, small-batch craft liquor)
Bulleit 95 Rye (well-balanced, a tad hot)
Rittenhouse Rye (good for the money)
Redemption Rye (bold and savory)
Michters Rye (spicy and a little sweet)

That's just the stuff that made me :cheers: ... YMMV

8)
 
George Kaplan":r6r2icrg said:
Well then, sound like I'm with Bowman on this new "educational" project...
...that must means you have more chances to be amazed, sir. Always look at the bright side of liquor...er... life... *whistles Terry Gilliam tune while on cross* :p
 
To Do List:

1) Buy the following items:
Kyle Weiss":yrz8w2zd said:
High West Rendezvous Rye or Double Rye (two of my favorites, small-batch craft liquor)
Bulleit 95 Rye (well-balanced, a tad hot)
Rittenhouse Rye (good for the money)
Redemption Rye (bold and savory)
Michters Rye (spicy and a little sweet)
2) Drink them
3) Compare them and write about them here Call Bowman to post my bail
4) Compare them and write about them here
 
George Kaplan":6fsop0pq said:
To Do List:

1) Buy the following items:
Kyle Weiss":6fsop0pq said:
High West Rendezvous Rye or Double Rye (two of my favorites, small-batch craft liquor)
Bulleit 95 Rye (well-balanced, a tad hot)
Rittenhouse Rye (good for the money)
Redemption Rye (bold and savory)
Michters Rye (spicy and a little sweet)
2) Drink them
3) Compare them and write about them here Call Bowman to post my bail
4) Compare them and write about them here
:lol: :cheers: Sounds like a great weekend. 8)
 
George Kaplan":kxcpupr8 said:
To Do List:

1) Buy the following items:
Kyle Weiss":kxcpupr8 said:
High West Rendezvous Rye or Double Rye (two of my favorites, small-batch craft liquor)
Bulleit 95 Rye (well-balanced, a tad hot)
Rittenhouse Rye (good for the money)
Redemption Rye (bold and savory)
Michters Rye (spicy and a little sweet)
2) Drink them
3) Compare them and write about them here Call Bowman to post my bail
4) Compare them and write about them here

Saw a sign hanging over a bar, it read...A friend is someone who will post your bail after a wild night of partying...A GOOD friend will be sitting next to you in the cell, saying " DAMN! That was a blast!".
 
Kyle beat me to it, Mitchers is really really good stuff. Rittenhouse is also very good - the price spiked about a year ago. I can't find it for less than $20 any more, but when it was $17/ bottle you really couldn't beat it. Bulliet is high on my to do list. I would caution against ri. It does not live up to its fancy bottle or fancy price tag.

I'll add that for the budget conscious Rye drinker, Jim Beam Rye is only about $10 a bottle and well worth drinking.

 
Thanks guys...I should be making a trip out later this week to pick up some more of my usual fare. I'll have to grab one or two of these while I'm there and give it a shot.

 
Give yourself and everyone several shots, idbowman. :cheers:

Hey Dave, for some reason Rittenhouse had a sudden "shortage" happened about a year ago (probably a factory/company stunt). Demand skyrocketed, and bars were having a hard time battling out getting it at $40.00 a bottle!!! :shock: They trickled it back on the market, and a steady price seems to be about $25 for a bottle, $17 (ironically) seems to be the wholesale (it used to be about $10). Gotta love markets. Michters, High West, and Redemption are often $30 +/- and will beat the pants off Rittenhouse if it gets to that kind of price.

 
thedeep":rfms5u32 said:
Old Potrero. That's it.
*shrug* I've tried it, for $70 +/-, I've had better (but I've had worse). It comes off kind of maltey for some reason, and it has a sweetness I'm not fond of.

Their bourbon isn't bad, though.
 
Kyle Weiss":14r8zyhh said:
thedeep":14r8zyhh said:
Old Potrero. That's it.
*shrug* I've tried it, for $70 +/-, I've had better (but I've had worse). It comes off kind of maltey for some reason, and it has a sweetness I'm not fond of.

Their bourbon isn't bad, though.
On a bourbon note, I had this last week in SF and it really knocked my socks off. Distilled by Buffalo Trace in very small batches. Sorry about the bad pic, it was dark in the bar & I was slightly ripped, not enough to impair my whiskey judging abilities however. ;)


 
A good bit overdue, but I had a chance to try a few ryes in the past few weeks. Definitely something I'll be needing to keep on hand (particularly drawn to Bulliet at the moment, but tastes are always shifting, as we know).

I still don't know that I'd consistently take a rye over an Irish whiskey, but for my money, it's a nicer option than all of the other cousins (scotch, bourbon, and the like).
 
Rittenhouse (Very Good Value)

My favorite, so far is, Whistlepig.
 
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