The Rye (whiskey) Thread
 

I've been watching Mad Men which of course turns me into a total lush. I'm so open to suggestion.

In any case, Don Draper's favorite tipple is rye, and the cocktail he usually gets is the Old Fashioned. I do love me an Old Fashioned, and have started making them at home. I've been using Rittenhouse 100 Proof Bottled In Bond Rye, since it was highly rated in my quick Google search for "rye reviews" and it's quite cheap - $20 for 750 mL. I really like my Rittenhouse Old Fashioneds.

What is your favorite brand of rye?

Are you a friend of Tyler Fitzgerald's? I love when he says "It's the only way to fly....."

Getting back to the question at hand...in honor of my heritage, I like VO, Crown, and Forty Creek.

Getting slightly OT, I'm starting to see A LOT of product placement for Jameson's. Am I wrong in thinking that Irish whiskey is pretty close to Canadian whiskey? I notice there's much less earthy/peat/medicinal aromas with Jameson's than a scotch.

I know nothing about Canadian whiskey, but the difference you mention between Irish whiskey and scotch is exactly right. It's because scotch is distilled using burning peat as a heat source, which imparts that earthy, smoky flavor. Irish whiskey is distilled over a gas flame, so the fire has no impact on the flavor. I imagine distillation of Canadian whiskey is also heated by natural gas.

According to Wikipedia, Irish whiskey is predominately distilled from barley while Canadian whiskey is mainly corn. Canadian used to be mostly rye, however, which is why some uninformed souls use the terms "Canadian whiskey" and "rye" interchangeably.

Guilty as charged....(oh, and it's Canadian whisky) ;)

Heh, guilty as charged myself.

http://www.thekitchn.com/thekitchn/w...spirits-100476

None of which fit either my or the classic definitions of "Rye Whiskey".

Where once rye was the principal ingredient in some Canadian whiskey brands, I doubt that that's true these days, with ingredients like barley and even corn used more often and in larger quantities.

I cling to the traditions of youth, and while a confirmed Bourbon drinker, turn to an Old fashioned made with the notorious and long-lived "Old Overcoat".

Rittenhouse is solid, and beam used to make a decent rye and maybe still does. The rye market has declined substantially.

Jameson's?

1. Ireland's economy has spiraled down hill even faster and further than ours.

2. It doesn't cost that much more to make Jameson's than to produce Bourbons, and Canadians (which are "blended whiskey).

3. Container shipping has dramatically reduced the price of bringing "furrin" products like whiskey to US markets.

4. New and different are key words describing buying habits for younger, affluent consumers. As with sushi and single malts, once hard to find, all sorts of folks expect variety.

5. Poor and troubled, the Erse tend to work to bolster their balance of trade, since the locals can less well afford a large whiskey to set beside their pint on the bar.

I go with Wild Turkey Rye. Makes for a nice Manhattan.

My top 10: 1 - Whistle Pig 10 from VERMONT ? Best there is ! 2 - Old Potrero 'Hotalings', 18th Century, & 19th (San Francisco)(in order of preference). 3 - Van Winkle Family Rye 4 - Bulleit Rye (big bang for buck) 5 - Sazerac (too smooth !) 6 - Templetons (Iowa)(way too smooth) 7 - Sazerac 18 (this low only because of stupidly high price) 8 - Thomas P Handy (too hot, cask strength) 9 - Rittenhouse (can't beat the price) 10 - Alberta Springs Sipping Whisky (10 yr & way way too smooth). wj

Here's an excerpt from a November 2007 Washington Post article on stocking a winter bar:

I used to drink Wild Turkey Rye back in the 90's, but I read somewhere that there are more producers of good Rye now, though it is taking some years to reach the market due to aging. Is there a place that I could purchase a good bottle in NYC that anyone can recommend? I'll be visiting there soon and would love to grab a bottle to take home.

Regarding Irish Whiskey, I love that too so I posted in this thread about that. The Irish Whiskey Thread

Here is a nice article in the Times about rye from a few years ago:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/29/di...pagewanted=all

I've found that the bigger neighborhood liquor stores have good selections. For example, my neighborhood store, Mr. Wright Fine Wine and Spirits on 3rd Ave between 89 and 90 Sts, has a nice selection of whiskies. I bet the Trader Joe's wine/liquor shop near Union Square also has some nice bottles, though I've never been in there and don't know for sure if they only sell wine.

FYI, here is Mr Wright's current stock of ryes.

Thanks. I'll be staying near Times Sq, on 44th. Is there any good liquor store in Hells Kitchen?

Rittenhouse 100 is my "house" rye, but I tend to end up drinking more Van Winkle or Sazerac Rye as getting Rittenhouse in Europe is tricky.

At the moment there's actually a global rye shortage in general after a ton of crops were wiped out last year, so getting any rye outside of the US and the world's best 5-star hotels is a lot more difficult than usual.

I agree and speaking of 5-star hotel's, the FS London has an awesome bar which includes Pappy.

I have not imbibed in years.

However, when I did, I was very partial to "Knob Creek". Unique, elegant, and did the trick. ;)

I liked it so much, I stopped drinking my Favorite Scotch at the time, "Glenmorangie" pronounced like Orangie. I went through about 20 different Scotches before I found this, then started drinking Knob Creek Whiskey. Go figure.

Knob Creek is a bourbon, not a rye.

Check out Park Avenue Liquor. Prices won't overwhelm you, but you should find their selection satisfactory.

http://www.parkaveliquor.com/

http://www.parkaveliquor.com/shop/scotchwhisky/122/rye

Bulleit makes a decent rye whiskey. In addition to their regular bourbon.

Best regards,

William R. Sanders
Social Media Specialist
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide

[email protected]

Their Rye is far superior to their Bourbon and unsurpassed at its price level IMO. I like some other Ryes better, but they all cost twice as much. wj

I was just walking down 9th ave in NYC and spotted a well stocked liquor store near 46th. They had several Rye's and I bought a bottle of Bulleit for $38 with tax.

This is going back to Europe with me. :) Thanks to everyone in this thread!

Whether rye was similar in taste to Irish whisky was asked earlier; certainly both are quite different from Scotch but that only makes them similar in the sense that all red wine is the same :) Ignoring the mass-market products (which are trying to be bland), Jameson is generally sweeter, lighter and more watery than rye, while rye has a unique flavour (not like rye bread, but on that line) and more viscous. Fine rye is remarkably nuanced and under-rated, making it cheap (at least in the US which doesn't tax alcohol much).

Irish Whiskey and Scotch are both made from barley. Others will know better, but I think the difference between the 2 is that the Scots let the barley sprout and it's dried with various degrees of peat smoke. The Irish use the raw (unmalted), some malted, and no smoke. Irish is distilled 3X. Scotch 2X. Irish is generally lighter. There's lots of new barrel treatments with Irish now that are producing a fuller taste profile though. Rye tastes nothing like Irish (or Scotch for that matter). More like Bourbon. Lots of Bourbons have a pretty high rye content in addition to the corn. If you want to try something interesting - The fine Bourbon maker Pritchards, produces a Whiskey that's half barley and half rye. It's a roller coaster ride, but I prefer their bourbon actually. wj

Just a bump to say I think I've found the best Bourbon/Rye bar in the world. The Bourbon Bar at the Intercontinental Atlanta (Buckhead) has the largest selection of American whiskey I've ever seen or heard of. ^

"Jack of Diamonds"

I grew up with some alternative lyrics and chorus:

"Jack o'Diamond, Jack o'Diamonds, I cry.
If I don't get Jack o'Diamonds, I surely will die"

"If the ocean was whiskey and I was a duck
I'd dive to the bottom and never come up.
But the ocean ain't whiskey and I ain't a duck
So I'll play Jack o'Diamonds and trust to my luck."

Agreed, and like another here, I like the rye better than the Bourbon.

But then I grew up with "Old Overholt" and am hardly a connoisseur.

Presumably, the old category, Monongahela, indicated a rye-based whiskey.

Rye was the most popular whiskey in the country before it was banned. It has more forceful taste and inspired the creation of cocktails. Now curious drinkers and bartenders are increasingly seeking out the flavor of rye. The best value of rye is wild turkey 100 proof and the Concoction Creek rye which was my first experience to rye. It was local and dam tasty.

Bump to say I'm enjoying a nice 1L bottle of Knob Rye. Strong but good.