Dennis' Whiskey Corner
Serving Information and Reviews to the Curious Drinker Since 1997.
Rye Whiskey
Special Edition
- disclaimer -[Follow this link to the Main Rye Page]
"The Rye Harvest"
A Series of Whiskey Tasting Events
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In order to improve the general knowledge of Rye on the internet, I took it upon myself to organize a series of rye tasting events.
Note: The following rankings only reflects the tastes of the reviewers at the time of the sampling, and the contents of the bottles at hand. Tastes and barrels vary. The reader is encouraged to sample for himself to determine what best suits his own tastes.
ROUND ONE:
All Available* Brands
neat
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The first round took place on the last day of winter 1999.
It was a blind taste test, the results of which were a bit of a
surprise to the reviewers and host alike.
The stronger, spicier ryes faired relatively poorly.
This first session was a comprehensive comparison of
all available straight rye whiskeys. No ice, no water, just
rye.
Our first impressions of the original American whiskey: |
Grand Prize:Old Overholt (4yo / 80°)Runner Up:Pikesville Supreme (80°)The Field (in alphabetical order):Old Rip Van Winkle Old Time Rye (12yo / 90° / bottle #945)Rittenhouse (80°) Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (13yo / 95.6° / bottle #A3301) Wild Turkey Rye (101°) Last Place:Jim Beam Rye (80°) |
ROUND TWO:
80 Proof and High Octane
neat
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The stronger, bolder ryes faired poorly in Round One.
Our hypothesis was that spring was at hand and that
higher proof is more appealing in cold weather.
To remove the climatic factor, this round compared
apples to apples as it were. We held this close
to tax time--when a stiff drink was a welcome relief!
Our second impressions of the original American whiskey: |
High Octane
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80 Proof
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ROUND THREE:
All Available* Brands
mixed: Highball
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For this all-American whiskey, we chose the 4th of July for this blind tasting.
The sun burned perfectly for this warm weather mixed concoction: the Highball.
Be very specific when ordering this drink, highballs come in many
varieties--it can be almost any mix of a whiskey and
a light colored soft drink. Here is the classic recipe used for the round:
|
Grand Prize:Wild Turkey Rye (101°)Runner Up:Old Overholt (4yo / 80°)The Field (in alphabetical order):Jim Beam Rye (80°)Old Rip Van Winkle Old Time Rye (12yo / 90° / bottle #945) Pikesville Supreme (80°) Rittenhouse (80°) Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (13yo / 95.6° / bottle #A3301) |
ROUND FOUR:
All Available* Brands
mixed: Manhattan
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Almost a year to the day that I came up with the idea of a comprehensive rye tasting
the last contest came to a close. Early 1999 December brought a cold snap to
Atlanta and it seemed the perfect time to sip the king of cocktails, the
Manhattans, particularly since I visited the island the previous week.
We found the higher proof brands to make much better mixed
drinks. Their robust flavor could not be eclipsed by the sweet vermouth.
Be careful ordering this in a restaurant,
you will probably get one made with blended Canadian or
American whiskey, if you are lucky you will get Bourbon.
Trust me, ask for straight rye by brand name when ordering one.
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Grand Prize:Old Rip Van Winkle Old Time Rye (12yo / 90° / bottle #945)Runner Up:Wild Turkey Rye (101°)The Field (in alphabetical order):Jim Beam Rye (80°)Old Overholt (80°) Old Rip Van Winkle Old Time Rye (12yo / 90° / bottle #945) Pikesville Supreme (80°) Rittenhouse (80°) Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (13yo / 95.6° / bottle #A3301) |
*These brands were assembled with the help of friends and family from at least three states. With four exceptions, the above are all of the brands of rye that I knew were currently being distilled at the time of the tastings:
- Old Potrero was only available in select restaurants in San Francisco, New York, Washington, and Baltimore (and perhaps some liquor stores in those areas); therefore it was not part of these tastings.
- Olde St. Nick Rye was only sold as an export. It was supposed to be available domestically around mid-late 1999, but I never found it on my liquor store shelves.
- A. H. Hirsch Rye was reported seen by a reader after Round One. I did not find it, though. It supposedly came from the same source as Van Winkle, just different barrels.
- I had read that Seagram makes a rye, but only uses it for blending, sadly the company has not bottled it straight.