What is Rye Whiskey?

Rye Whiskey really falls into two categories. There is the better known American Rye Whiskey but also the unique process of Canadian Whisky, which means that it is legally referred to as 'rye whisky' as well.

American Rye Whiskey

During the turn of the 19th century, Rye whiskey really took off in Pennsylvania and by 1886, it was produced in 17 states. Prohibition then struck and it largely disappeared. It has only really started to come back at the start of the 21st centruy with brands such as Bulleit and Wild Turkey helping its resurgence.

American Rye must be made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye and can be distilled up to 80% ABV. Similarly to Bourbon, it is aged in charred, new oak barrels. In order to claim the title straight rye whiskey, it must be aged for two years, without the addition of colouring, flavouring or other spirits.

For the real connoisseurs, American rye profiles can be subdivided by state. For example, rye's from Pennsylvania typically contain a high percentage of rye, giving it a spicy character, whilst rye from Maryland is more like 70/30 rye to corn, meaning it has a sweeter character. Kentucky style is even more sweet. These levels of distinction were largely lost after prohibition until now, where producers are now using these terms to describe their whiskey for the consumers.

Canadian Whisky

Whilst there is no requirement for rye to be used in Canadian whisky, and typically a lot of the modern stuff contains more corn than rye, historically rye was a major part of it. The whisky is made with a distilled base spirit, usually now from corn or wheat, and combined with a whisky known as the ‘flavouring’ which is the rye part of the blend. Some real Canadian rye whiskies to look out for are Alberta Premium and Canadian Club.