My curiosity with alcohol led me back to trying whiskey after parting ways with it many, many years ago. Back then, I knew nothing about different types of whiskey. Now, during my recent education, I was trying bourbon, and when learning about bourbon I found out that it is usually produced with with varying amounts of corn, rye, and barley. Bourbon must be at least 51% corn, and varying degrees of other grains. The rye adds a spicy flavor to the finished spirit, often a peppery or a cinnamon flavor.
After trying the Old Grand-Dad Bottled in Bond, which has a spicy kick, I found that I liked the spice. So when looking for other things to try, I ran across rye whiskey, which must be at lease 51% rye! An affordable and popular bottle is Rittenhouse Rye. It isn’t as rye forward as some rye whiskeys, some of which are 95% rye.
In Coke, the spicy flavors really work well. I have yet to try it, but I’ve read that an old fashioned be quite good using rye instead of bourbon!
Distiller: Heaven Hill
Age: At least 4 years (a bottled-in-bond requirement)
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Price: $26 for 750ml
Buy Again: Yes, but I’ll probably try another brand, or something with an even higher rye content
