Hit the local Bevmo this morning to restock the liquor cabinet. The bottle jockey who unlocked the Bourbon case grabbed a bottle of Russell’s Reserve Rye instead of the requested Russell’s Reserve . When I discovered his error, after returning home, I decided to take the hit and drink what I got.
Proof that God loves me and is rewarding me for my virtuous life. 
Yowsa! I has me a new favorite.
I’m not quite that classy, but my favorite everyday whiskey is good ol’ Old Overholt Rye. In my opinion, at around $13 a fifth, it’s perhaps the best whiskey bargain out there. I’ve been championing Old Overholt for about five years now, and it’s a nice change of pace from the sweetness of bourbons. Plus it’s nice in a proper old fashioned (which is made with rye.)
Gibson’s Finest, that’s my tipple. Cheers!
I also enjoy a fine rye. I’m with pulykamell that Old Overholt is quite good, especially for the price. And I recently sipped my way through a bottle of Michter’s, which was just lovely.
Mmm . . . rye. Yah, I need to grab me some of that.
Am I the only one who, upon hearing rye being mentioned, immediately thinks of the one Zork game? Return to Zork, maybe?
“Want some rye?! Course ya do!”
And unrelated, but always mentioned in the same breath:
“I need a new battery! Ya hear me?! A new battery!”
But enough thread-jackery.
How is rye different from other type of whiskey? If I had to pick my favorite affordable brands I’d say Maker’s Mark for bourbon and Bushmills for Irish. And gun to my head I get one for the rest of my life, I’m picking Bushmills.
So, how would you compare the flavor of rye to bourbon or Irish whiskey?
Jeff
In the US, rye whiskey must, by law, have a mash bill that is at least 51% rye. The rest is corn and malted barley. This yields a spirit that is a little lighter and a little less sweet than bourbon. I was trying to describe the flavor to my wife last night, and the best I could come up with was that it has a creme middle, without the vanilla/tobacco notes a bourbon would have. Slightly bitter in the aftertaste. Kinda a little peppery. I’m pretty sure Wild Turkey uses a bunch of corn in their mash, because this stuff wasn’t as extreme-rye-tasting as the Jim Beam version. But this stuff is very nice. The aftertaste slows me down a bit, which is a good thing. 
It’s definitely less sweet and drier. Peppery is a good way to describe it. If you know your scotches at all I would say something like Glenlivet:Laphroaig as bourbon:rye. Now, I’m not saying that rye is smoky, but it’ll satisfy palates that prefer spicier, less sweet spirits. When I burn out on the sweetness of Maker’s Mark, I switch to Old Overholt. I need variety in my life. 
I don’t know if it’s available in the States or not, but if you can find it, Forty Creek Barrel Select is highly recommended (by me).
Finally got a bottle of Old Overholt.
Blech. Color me unimpressed. Very bland and tasteless, IMO. But on the same run I bought a bottle of Rittenhouse Rye. Yummo! Peppery at first, rounding out to full, then a burn at the end. Delicious stuff. Right up there with Wild Turkey Rye.
Crown Royal is where it’s at.
Hmmm…Never had Rittenhouse. Don’t even think I’ve seen it here. I don’t like Wild Turkey Rye much, though. Way too aggressive and rough around the edges for my tastes. Jim Beam Rye is somewhere between the two for me. Well, at least we have similar tastes in bourbon.
Gah! Crown Royal is Canadian Whiskey not rye. I know Canadian Whiskey is called rye…but it isn’t. Not like American Rye Whiskey. A Manhattan with Crown Royal is…not a good drink. And I know most bars around here make it that way. They just don’t understand. Nothing against Crown Royal, this is just a knee jerk on my part. Kinda like when people call Jack Daniels a bourbon.
IT ISN’T BOURBON! It’s a Tennessee process whiskey!
:huff:
Anyway… glad you found the joys of Rye silenus. I mostly keep a bottle of Wild Turkey Rye* on hand for Manhattans, but every now and then I like a little neat with a splash of water. Especially on warm nights.
*Wild Turkey is my go to distillery. They get a bad rap from some people, but I would put a shot of 101 up against a shot of Makers any day. In a blind taste test I bet most prefer 101.
YMMV is what makes things interesting. As my grandfather used to say, “If everybody had the same tastes, they’d all be hot for your grandmother.”
I’ve got two bottles of the 18yo Black Maple Hill rye. It’s so good that I get a little depressed when I drink it and realize that I am unlikely to be able to find more.
My fallback pours have been the 13yo Van Winkle Family Reserve rye and of course the standby Old Overcoat, which is all that the stupid state-run liquor stores stock in the rye category. I keep hearing about things like the 18yo Sazerac or the Thomas Handy or the Anchor Hotaling’s, but I’ll never see them.
I don’t think I’ve ever had any rye whiskey, but let me say I’m a big fan of the Wild Turkey products. It’s hard to go in a bar without having a shot of 101. I try to keep a bottle of American Honey at home. I may have to try the Wild Turkey Rye.
Hmmm…a timely thread bump. I was just contemplating what I should have to accompany the first NFL Sunday. I’ll just bop over to the liquor store (which, BTW, is open on Sunday now, neener neener) and see what they have.
Zork Grand Inquisitor.
And I love some rye. I can’t wait for Bluecoat distillery to come out with their rye. Unfortunately, that’s not for another two years or so.
On a cold day, if a bar is out of Irish, I drink rye. It is a warming whiskey to drink. I am not a big fan of mixed drinks, so my test is, “Does it sip well?” And a good rye does.
I think you need to separate personal opinion from fact. Crown Royal is made, at least partly, from rye. And it’s whisky. It’s rye whisky. Now, if you don’t happen to like it, fine. But it’s rye.