The rules for when a spirit can be called a rye and the bottle guidelines are the same as those for a bourbon, with one crucial difference: Instead of using at least 51 percent corn as the base grain, distillers substitute rye. Here are some other parameters an American whiskey-maker must follow in order to call it rye on the bottle:.
One frequent answer is, the price difference for the most expensive whiskeys in the world is drastic. Our list ranges from whiskeys in the millions of dollars, all the way down to a few thousand dollars per bottle.
Is rye or Bourbon better for You?
Both rye and bourbon are delicious accompaniments to cocktails and are great for sipping and relaxing. They are the perfect way to end a long day and when drank in moderation there are no health risks to drinking either of these. In fact, there are some noted health advantages to drinking rye.
The answer is that rye whiskey is made from at least 51%—you guessed it—rye, while bourbon is made from at least 51% corn. The higher percentage of corn makes bourbon sweeter and smoother. (You can easily taste the difference if you make one Manhattan with bourbon and another with rye.) Both spirits are also aged in new, charred, American-oak barrels.
Where does rye whiskey come from?
Rye whiskey was historically the prevalent whiskey in the northeastern states, especially Pennsylvania and Maryland. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was the center of rye whiskey production in the late 1700s and early 1800s. By 1808, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania farmers were selling one half barrel for each man, woman and child in the country.
Both Maryland and Pennsylvania were seen as the premiere producers of rye whiskey. Pennsylvania’s premiere style was Monongahela Rye, a whiskey named for where it was first made, in the valley of the Monongahela River. Supposedly, the whiskey gained its reputation by accident.
What is rye whiskey made of?
In the United States, rye whiskey is, by law, made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye. (The other ingredients in the mash are usually corn and malted barley .).
If a bottle labeled “straight rye” lists no age, it should be at least four years old. Many distillers who release bottles of rye aged more than four years will tell you that, though, even if they don’t have to.
, whistle Pig rye made a worldwide splash., whistle Pig produces six whiskies, all of which are made using aged rye stock purchased from Alberta, Canada. Its first label, 10 Year, released in 2015, is a blend of that whiskey aged in new American oak barrels.