Rye whiskey
American whiskey from a mash of at least 51% rye, aged in new charred oak — drier, spicier and leaner than bourbon. What a Manhattan or a Sazerac usually means.
spicy · peppery · dry
Kinds
- Kentucky style (51–60% rye)
- Rounder, with bourbon's sweetness.
- High rye (90–95%)
- Intense: dill, mint, black pepper.
- Bottled-in-bond
- 50%, at least four years old, one distillery and one season.
Knowing it
- Where to buy
- A 45–50% bottle stands up in stirred drinks; bottled-in-bond rye is often the best value.
- Worth knowing
- Fat-washes beautifully with brown butter: brown 100g butter, pour it warm into 750ml rye, shake, leave a couple of hours, freeze until the fat sets, and strain the whiskey through a coffee filter.