1. American rye whiskey
    History   Empire Rye   Differences between rye and bourbon 

2. Canadian rye whisky

3. See also

4. References

Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey:

• American rye whiskey, which must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye;
• Canadian whisky, which is often referred to as (and often labelled as) rye whisky for historical reasons, although it may or may not actually include any rye in its production process.

American rye whiskey

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.) It is distilled to no more than 160 U.S. proof (80% abv) and aged in charred, new oak barrels. The whiskey must be put in the barrels at no more than 125 proof (62.5% abv). Rye whiskey that has been aged for at least two years and has not been blended with other spirits may be further designated as "straight", as in "straight rye whiskey".^[1]

History

Rye whiskey was historically the prevalent whiskey in the northeastern states, especially Pennsylvania and Maryland. Pittsburgh was the center of rye whiskey production in the late 1700s and early 1800s.^[2] By 1808, Allegheny County farmers were selling one half barrel for each man, woman and child in the country.^[3] By the 1880s, Joseph F. Sinnott's distillery, Moore and Sinnott, located in Monongahela was the single largest producer of rye whiskey, with a capacity of 30,000 barrels a year.^[4][5] Rye whiskey largely disappeared after Prohibition. A few brands, such as Old Overholt, survived, although by the late 1960s former Pennsylvania brands like Old Overholt were being distilled mostly in Kentucky.^[6]

Today, an expanding number of brands are produced by Campari Group (Wild Turkey Rye), Diageo (George Dickel Rye and Bulleit Rye), Heaven Hill (Pikesville Rye and Rittenhouse Rye), Beam Suntory (Old Overholt and Jim Beam Rye), The Sazerac Company (Col. E. H. Taylor, Sazerac Rye, and Thomas H. Handy), and various smaller companies. One notable producer is MGP of Indiana, which is a distiller for many brands marketed by others (including some of the large companies previously listed).

Rye is currently undergoing a small but growing revival in the United States.^[7] Since the beginning of the 21st century, more producers have been experimenting with rye whiskey, and several now market aged rye whiskey. For example, Brown-Forman began production of a Jack Daniel's rye whiskey and released unaged and lightly aged versions as limited editions. A distillery at Mount Vernon, the homestead of George Washington, sells a rye that is said to be like the whiskey Washington made.^[8]

Empire Rye

In October 2017, seven New York State distilleries announced a new whiskey variety unique to the state called "Empire Rye."^[9] To qualify as Empire Rye, the whiskeys must be made from at least 75% New York State-grown rye, be distilled at a single New York State distillery, be at least two years old and be aged at the relatively low barrel entry proof of 115 or lower.^[10] The original distilleries to produce Empire Rye were Black Button Distilling, Coppersea Distilling, Finger Lakes Distilling, Kings County Distillery, New York Distilling Co., Tuthilltown Spirits/Hudson Whiskey and Van Brunt Stillhouse.

Differences between rye and bourbon

Rye grain is known for imparting what many call a spicy or fruity flavor to the whiskey. Bourbon, distilled from at least 51% corn, is noticeably sweeter and tends to be more full-bodied than rye. As bourbon gained popularity beyond the southern United States, bartenders increasingly substituted it for rye in cocktails like whiskey sours, Manhattans, and Old Fashioneds, which were originally made with rye. All other things being equal, the character of the cocktail will be drier with rye.^[11]

Canadian rye whisky

In modern practice, most Canadian whiskies are blended to achieve this character, primarily consisting of a high-proof base whisky typically made from corn or wheat and aged in used barrels combined with a small amount of flavoring whisky made from a rye mash and distilled to a lower proof. In some cases, the corn-to-rye ratio may be as high as 9:1.^[13] Most contemporary Canadian whiskies contain only a fraction of rye, with the exception of a few brands, such as Alberta Premium and Canadian Club Chairman's Select, which are made from 100% rye mash.

Canadian whisky must be aged in wooden barrels that are not larger than {{convert|700|l|disp=comma}} for at least 3 years, and the barrels do not have to be new oak or charred. This requirement differs from regulations for U.S. blended whiskey, in which the bulk base spirits are not required to be aged.

See also

• List of whisky brands

References

• Laneuville (disambiguation)
• La Neuville (disambiguation)
• La Neuville-du-Bosc
• La Neuville-en-Beine
• La Neuville-en-Hez
• La Neuville-en-Tourne-a-Fuy
• La Neuville-en-Tourne-à-Fuy
• La Neuville-Garnier
• La Neuville-Housset
• La Neuville-les-Bray
• La Neuville-les-Dorengt
• La Neuville-les-Wasigny
• La Neuville-lès-Bray
• La Neuville-lès-Dorengt
• La Neuville-lès-Wasigny
• La Neuville, Nord
• Laneuvilleroy
• La Neuville-Roy
• La Neuville-Saint-Pierre
• La Neuville-Sire-Bernard
• La Neuville-sur-Essonne
• Laneuville-sur-Meuse
• La Neuville-sur-Oudeuil
• La Neuville-sur-Ressons
• La Neuville-Vault