Best Rye Whiskey

[otto76]

I have been enjoying the Bulleit Rye quite a bit. Also bought a bottle of Old Overholt after seeing it mentioned here repeatedly and like it as well.
I like the Bulleit neat or with a couple of ice cubes and the Overholt with ice and a splash of soda water.

 

[LBussy]

I have an "easy" cocktail I call the "Faux-Fashioned". I LOVE an old-fashioned but sometimes you don't have an orange, don't want to mess with a muddle, whatever. This is one my wife can make for me easily:

2 oz Rye (this week it's Bulleit but I like Templeton's for this too)
3-4 shakes of Angostura orange bitters
1 teaspoon maraschino cherry syrup (or just use some from the jar of cherries)
Ginger Ale
Garnish with a cherry
Serve in a low-ball ideally with one large ice cube

As you can see it has a similar flavor/ingredient profile to an old fashioned, with a little crispness from the Ginger Ale. VERY quick and easy to make, no fresh fruit required. A very good mix for a Rye IMHO.

 

[Mark24]

I LOVE an old-fashioned but sometimes you don't have an orange

this is my problem with old fashioned's also.i have a ton of orange juice but i dont actually have oranges,or would just adding orange juice work.i dont know,i figured id keep it simple with just bourbon,bitters and sugar

 

[Shantytownbrown]

.i dont know,i figured id keep it simple with just bourbon,bitters and sugar

Yes!

 

[LBussy]

this is my problem with old fashioned's also.i have a ton of orange juice but i dont actually have oranges,or would just adding orange juice work.i dont know,i figured id keep it simple with just bourbon,bitters and sugar

I think it's the oils in the rind we want. It's more of nose thing than taste (for me anyway). Try those Orange Bitters - amazing.

 

[triplequad]

I'm setting here with a bottle of Bulleit Rye and Templeton. Alternating back and forth from glass to glass. Trying them in several different combos, straight, on the rocks, and with a splash of soda. They each change dramatically when going head to head. Can't really say if there is a clear winner as an overall drinker for me because of how they change. Straight up I like Templeton, on the rocks they are both pretty darn fine. Mixed with a splash of soda the Bulleit wins out hands down.

I'm going to have to repeat this test when I'm in a different mood and see if my results are the same for me.

It's a small wonder if they taste similar because they both come out of the MGP mega-factory in Indiana and are probably identical products.

Only in the last few months has Templeton agreed to change their labeling and website so that consumers aren't fooled about the state of manufacture or the "authenticity" of the recipe. And it took a lawsuit to make them do that. It's still somewhat misleading as their language still hints, but is careful to not definitively state, that today's Templeton rye has some connection with the prohibition-era stuff from Iowa.

 

[chab]

+1 on Bulleit for reasonable price and great taste.

 

[steep-n-shallow]

Just tried Old Overholt rye last night - straight forward drink, very good taste. But I think, that Bulleit,Templeton and Knob Creek ryes taste better.

 

[BaldyCoot]

So I walked into the liquor store, looking at the ryes, and the guy there says they got a special rye blend in from High West, very limited supply, will go fast. He's usually pretty straight with me, and I figured it's been a crappy few months lately so I'm going to treat myself to a bottle of expensive stuff. And it's nice, peppery rye, nice burn on the way down. But I got curious and went to their website, and they list the two ryes they blended - one is, of course, LDI/MGP.

now they go on about how they found these great ryes (ahem) and brought them to their distillery where they age them further in very special casks. This is the same story that Filibuster tells about their rye. So I suppose they're doing more than just shipping it to Iowa and putting it in bottles like Templeton Rye. Even WhistlePig does the same thing, they just buy a Canadian rye instead of LDI.

So I'm new at appreciating whiskey - is there any validity to "we're making this rye better/special with our unique aging process" or is it all BS? Some of them do taste different, they're doing something to them, but do any of these places really deserve to be called distilleries? Would appreciate the viewpoints of those with more experience and knowledge than me.

 

[Shantytownbrown]

So I walked into the liquor store, looking at the ryes, and the guy there says they got a special rye blend in from High West, very limited supply, will go fast. He's usually pretty straight with me, and I figured it's been a crappy few months lately so I'm going to treat myself to a bottle of expensive stuff. And it's nice, peppery rye, nice burn on the way down. But I got curious and went to their website, and they list the two ryes they blended - one is, of course, LDI/MGP.

now they go on about how they found these great ryes (ahem) and brought them to their distillery where they age them further in very special casks. This is the same story that Filibuster tells about their rye. So I suppose they're doing more than just shipping it to Iowa and putting it in bottles like Templeton Rye. Even WhistlePig does the same thing, they just buy a Canadian rye instead of LDI.

So I'm new at appreciating whiskey - is there any validity to "we're making this rye better/special with our unique aging process" or is it all BS? Some of them do taste different, they're doing something to them, but do any of these places really deserve to be called distilleries? Would appreciate the viewpoints of those with more experience and knowledge than me.

my local shop bought into the other latest market ploy with High West (that a number of distilleries also do)..they bought their own barrel. They bottle it and label it with "bottled for..." I am sure you all of seen it.

Basically the salesman comes to the shop with several samples each supposedly from a different barrel, does a tasting with the owners and staff, who then decide to pick one or more or none...then the stuff is bottled and earmarked only for that shop. At least thats how I understand it works. As I said this is by far limited to High West, but many big labels of bourbon/rye do it to.

This leads to my two questions:

1. is this the "limited supply/special cask" stuff your shop is talking about?
2. in terms of marketing, where would you rate this "tactic" from 1-aint gonna buy into that to 10-awesome idea, I buy every special bottle I can get my hands on...

 

[beeranon]

So I'm new at appreciating whiskey - is there any validity to "we're making this rye better/special with our unique aging process" or is it all BS? Some of them do taste different, they're doing something to them, but do any of these places really deserve to be called distilleries? Would appreciate the viewpoints of those with more experience and knowledge than me.

Matt, I think there is some validity to the claim that a bottler's aging process is what makes the whiskey unique.

Barrel type, charring, even the position in the warehouse (the only difference between a bottle of W.L. Weller and Pappy's is the warehouse location where the whiskey is aged; one 12yo is $20 and the other is $50 when you can find it...) all make a difference in the end product.

I'm certainly no expert, but the distillation process for a given mashbill is going to yield pretty much the same white liquor, with the only variable being the water.

 

[Shantytownbrown]

Matt, I think there is some validity to the claim that a bottler's aging process is what makes the whiskey unique.

Barrel type, charring, even the position in the warehouse (the only difference between a bottle of W.L. Weller and Pappy's is the warehouse location where the whiskey is aged; one 12yo is $20 and the other is $50 when you can find it...) all make a difference in the end product.

I'm certainly no expert, but the distillation process for a given mashbill is going to yield pretty much the same white liquor, with the only variable being the water.

you know, Jay is right, and I forgot about that in my comments above...
if I re-think it, maybe it is a good marketing technique to be able to pick the barrel you want. I think my shop owner did say the saleman told him where in the "house" the barrels were stored...

So maybe it makes very little differnece where the white dog is put through the pipes...

Buffalo Trace did a release a few years ago of many small bottles all from different mashbills and different barrels (varied by char, where on teh tree to wood was obtained, maybe even what part of this particular oak forrest?? my memory is a bit unclear on those details)

They didnt reveal anything until you tasted then went online to fill out a survey, then they told you all about your numbered bottle.

Dad and I tried one (too much $$ to try more)...they were supposedly in search of the holy grail...does anyone know if it was found???

 

[beeranon]

Buffalo Trace did a release a few years ago of many small bottles all from different mashbills and different barrels (varied by char, where on teh tree to wood was obtained, maybe even what part of this particular oak forrest?? my memory is a bit unclear on those details)

They didnt reveal anything until you tasted then went online to fill out a survey, then they told you all about your numbered bottle.

Dad and I tried one (too much $$ to try more)...they were supposedly in search of the holy grail...does anyone know if it was found???

Forgot all about the Single Oak Project! Info at the link.

 

[Sepsis]

I have tried a few ryes and my fav so far has to be the Lot 40 2012 batch rye. It is very complex and everyone at my last party loved it. Not a fiery spice devil like some younger ryes can be. If you see it pick a bottle up. Price varies between $45 to $65. Has anyone else tried this gem?

 

[ByMyBeard]

I had the pleasure of trying a couple while in Vegas. HW Double Rye and George Dickel Rye. The HW seemed to me pretty spicy, but perhaps a bit harsh neat. The Dickel didn't seem as pronounced. Though to be honest, a lot of consumption had taken place by this point.....

 

[docholliday77]

Not a rye expert, but prefer Bulleit to Knob Creek rye (although I like "plain" Knob Creek). I use lots of whiskies to make my Manhattans, but I do enjoy a rye in my rotation for this purpose.

 

[PGHChris]

So I'm new at appreciating whiskey - is there any validity to "we're making this rye better/special with our unique aging process" or is it all BS? Some of them do taste different, they're doing something to them, but do any of these places really deserve to be called distilleries? Would appreciate the viewpoints of those with more experience and knowledge than me.

Do yourself a favor and get yourself some rye from Wigle. It is made, start to finish, from the raw ingredients, to the still, to the barrel, to the bottle, in one place, and it is fantastic. If you can get your hands on a bottle of their "Deep Cut", do not hesitate. Great stuff, and worth every penny IMHO.

https://www.wiglewhiskey.com/

 

[LBussy]

Do yourself a favor and get yourself some rye from Wigle. It is made, start to finish, from the raw ingredients, to the still, to the barrel, to the bottle, in one place, and it is fantastic. If you can get your hands on a bottle of their "Deep Cut", do not hesitate. Great stuff, and worth every penny IMHO.

https://www.wiglewhiskey.com/

I've not tried that but no doubt your opinion is a valid one. I think it still fails to answer Baldy's question and I think he has the meat of it. White spirit is very much the smallest part of what goes into what we enjoy. There's a better than fair chance I could distill something and a skilled ... what are they called ... barrelmaster? Aging expert I know there's a name for it ... they could make it into something special. The opposite would also be true. If I tool the running out of Wigle's still and tried to age it, it may not even stand with McCormick's.

 

[PGHChris]

I've not tried that but no doubt your opinion is a valid one. I think it still fails to answer Baldy's question and I think he has the meat of it. White spirit is very much the smallest part of what goes into what we enjoy. There's a better than fair chance I could distill something and a skilled ... what are they called ... barrelmaster? Aging expert I know there's a name for it ... they could make it into something special. The opposite would also be true. If I tool the running out of Wigle's still and tried to age it, it may not even stand with McCormick's.

Actually, Wigle sells white rye and different size barrels - they encourage you to try to turn their rye into something special. I got a barrel for my dad for Father's Day; it was a lot of fun and what came out was great.

Anyway - I know that doesn't answer the question, but my point was that I've never had a better whiskey than one that was made, start to finish, in one place. Maybe I just haven't tried enough?

 

[LBussy]

That's awesome ... I may look into that.

I guess I was just pointing out that the finishing is probably more responsible for the character than anything else. It doesn't make much difference to me if the spirits are distilled from rye watered by Unicorn tears if the barrel aging is done by Joe Bob Barker from down in the holler.