Being from Iowa, I have to give a shout to Templeton Rye. I've never been a rye drinker but I wanted to try this stuff and it didn't disappoint. It's really very smooth and tasty with a nice warm feeling. I would imagine that it would make a good Manhattan. Might have to give that a try next. If you've ever been thinking about trying rye whiskey I think this would be a good one to start with.
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Any rye drinkers out there?
- Thread starter Garnivore
- Start date
I love Rye... I haven't tried many as their not that common in bars, restaurants etc but have tried the Old Potrero rye from SF. Very nice stuff and when I finish the bottle of Balvanie Doublewood I'm drinking I will probably pick up a bottle of the Old Potrero.
Templeton isn't bad. It's not the best Rye out there, but it's an enjoyable dram, and definitely worth a shot if you're in Iowa or happen to find some at a bar.
The Pappy Rye is overblown. It's alright, but doesn't deserve the obsession people have with it.
Baby Saz (or Sazerac, to most) is a nice, light rye, and mixes well. I almost always drink my Rye straight, or in a Sazerac, so I don't have much to say about mixing, but this one is pretty commonly used in mixed rye drinks. It's not expensive, and is nice.
People also like mixing Rittenhouse BIB (Bottled in Bond) - which is the only way I'd suggest using it - it's not a rye you'd enjoy drinking neat (probably) - it's pretty rough around the edges.
Lots of bars carry Michters Rye, unfortunately. I think it's the worst of the bunch. If this is the only Rye you've tried, well, you haven't really tried rye.
I almost don't want to do this, because I enjoy that Rye can sometimes sit on the shelf at a liquor store far too long, to await my finding it. But in the interest of the public good, here's a list of killer Ryes, that might change your drinking habits should you come across them:
Thomas Handy Sazerac
There are also the Portrero Ryes, which are interesting, but I don't enjoy them as much as the above.
There are others, of course. Don't waste your time with the fancy-bottled RI - IMO, it's not worthy of your gullet.
Rye is more interesting than most bourbons (though there are lots of outstanding and interesting bourbons as well), more complex, and really grows on you once you give it a shot. It's been my favorite whisky for years.
If you find any of the above, go for it. Some are pricey, all are worth it.
The Pappy Rye is overblown. It's alright, but doesn't deserve the obsession people have with it.
Baby Saz (or Sazerac, to most) is a nice, light rye, and mixes well. I almost always drink my Rye straight, or in a Sazerac, so I don't have much to say about mixing, but this one is pretty commonly used in mixed rye drinks. It's not expensive, and is nice.
People also like mixing Rittenhouse BIB (Bottled in Bond) - which is the only way I'd suggest using it - it's not a rye you'd enjoy drinking neat (probably) - it's pretty rough around the edges.
Lots of bars carry Michters Rye, unfortunately. I think it's the worst of the bunch. If this is the only Rye you've tried, well, you haven't really tried rye.
I almost don't want to do this, because I enjoy that Rye can sometimes sit on the shelf at a liquor store far too long, to await my finding it. But in the interest of the public good, here's a list of killer Ryes, that might change your drinking habits should you come across them:
Thomas Handy Sazerac
- Sazerac 18
- Rittenhouse 21, 23 & 25
- Classic Cask 21
- Willett (any of the Willet Ryes, if you're damned lucky enough to find them).
- Black Maple Hill 18 & 21 (or is it 23? It's the silver label). BMH is really Willett, with water added to bring the proof down to (I think) 90. It doesn't say so, but if you drink enough of each, well, it's pretty obvious.
- Red Hook Rye (this stuff is discontinued, as the store in Red Hook Brooklyn that sold it has closed - if you find it, you're getting it off a collector).
- High West Rye (A newcomer, but very nice)
There are also the Portrero Ryes, which are interesting, but I don't enjoy them as much as the above.
There are others, of course. Don't waste your time with the fancy-bottled RI - IMO, it's not worthy of your gullet.
Rye is more interesting than most bourbons (though there are lots of outstanding and interesting bourbons as well), more complex, and really grows on you once you give it a shot. It's been my favorite whisky for years.
If you find any of the above, go for it. Some are pricey, all are worth it.
I haven't had rye in ages. But I do have a funny story.
I have lived in a few different places in the U.S., and of course people use different terminology and different expressions in one locale versus another. But two subjects in which one can find the most linguistic variety, it seems to me, are desserts and booze.
When I lived in New York, "rye" was the generic term for blended whiskey. (To make things more confusing, "rye" also meant "rye"!) One day, a bartender I know here in Minnesota was telling me about a guy who walked into her bar and ordered "rye on the rocks." She is aware of the fact that people from different places talk about alcohol in different ways, but she usually likes to give herself the challenge of figuring it out without asking outright what the customer means. So, she searched the bar, found something she thought would work, and served it to him.
He practically spit it out, asking "what the hell was that?"
She had served "rock and rye"! (For those who aren't familiar with it, it is a very sweet liquor consisting of whiskey with fruit and sugar in it. I call it the sangria of the whiskey world.)
Finally she admitted she was clueless, asked him where he was from and what would be a typical brand of what he was asking for. (It turns out he meant blended whiskey and he was from New York.)
I guess the only actual "rye" I have tried was Jim Beam, and I was not impressed.
I have lived in a few different places in the U.S., and of course people use different terminology and different expressions in one locale versus another. But two subjects in which one can find the most linguistic variety, it seems to me, are desserts and booze.
When I lived in New York, "rye" was the generic term for blended whiskey. (To make things more confusing, "rye" also meant "rye"!) One day, a bartender I know here in Minnesota was telling me about a guy who walked into her bar and ordered "rye on the rocks." She is aware of the fact that people from different places talk about alcohol in different ways, but she usually likes to give herself the challenge of figuring it out without asking outright what the customer means. So, she searched the bar, found something she thought would work, and served it to him.
He practically spit it out, asking "what the hell was that?"
She had served "rock and rye"! (For those who aren't familiar with it, it is a very sweet liquor consisting of whiskey with fruit and sugar in it. I call it the sangria of the whiskey world.)
Finally she admitted she was clueless, asked him where he was from and what would be a typical brand of what he was asking for. (It turns out he meant blended whiskey and he was from New York.)
I guess the only actual "rye" I have tried was Jim Beam, and I was not impressed.
WhiteWolfIndulgence
Prince Sascha
I do get into rye on occasion. Not a bad spirit. I'll dig deeper into it for Pure Indulgence and let you guys know for reviews 