What is Rye Whisky?

Aside from being a hardy cereal grain that has a high tolerance for colder climates, rye is one of the four grains that, when distilled, can be labeled a whiskey.  As I write, rye whiskey is currently undergoing a small but growing renaissance of sorts.  I’m starting to see more and more of the stuff, both in brands and varieties.  So much so that I felt that I should talk about it for a moment. 

Personally, I have little experience with straight rye.  Ten years ago, I found it to be rough or “raw”, like a very young scotch or blended scotch.  Also, unless the bottle tells you it is malted, it’s a grain alcohol, which also tends to be rough in character.  However, when it is part of a mash mixture (less than 50%), it is known for imparting what many call a “spicy” or “fruity” flavor to bourbon or other whiskies. 

Recently however, I have started to alter my opinion.  It can still be rough in character, but that’s only if you like it that way.  The products distillers are putting out today are starting to follow the format set down by the single malt industry.   Many of the bourbon distillers, such as Bulleit, Buffalo Trace, and Jim Beam, have added rye to their repertoire.  Woodford Reserve recently unveiled a “boutique” rye of its own.

Rye whiskey can refer to either of two types of whiskey: 1) American rye whiskey, which must be distilled from at least 51 percent rye or; 2) Canadian whisky, which is often referred to (and labeled as) rye whisky, although it may only include a very small proportion of rye in its production.

In the United States, "rye whiskey" is, by law, made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye, though in many instances it runs from 80 to 100%. The other ingredients of the mash are usually corn and malted barley.  It can’t be distilled higher than 80% ABV (160 proof) or go into the barrel for aging higher than 62.5% ABV (125 proof).   The barrels must be new oak barrels with the interior charred.  Rye whiskey that has been aged for at least two years may be designated as "straight" (i.e. straight rye whiskey.)

In Canada, Canadian law allows Canadian whisky to be called Canadian Whisky, Canadian Rye Whisky (that’s a whole lot of Canadian, eh?), or Rye Whisky, even though the actual amount of rye in the grain mixture is usually very small.  In truth, a corn mash makes up the majority of the spirit with the rye acting more like a “spice” ingredient.  This gives Canadian whisky a much mellower, sweeter character compared to the bolder American version.  Similarly, it must be aged in barrels, but the barrels do not have to be in new oak or charred.

So the next time you pour yourself a dram and you're not in the mood for the complexity of a single malt scotch, or the smoothness of bourbon, a bold rye may make an interesting contrast.

Enjoy!

What is whisky?

When I sat down to write this post, I bounced around the Internet and referred to some of my books to find an easy to digest explanation about what a whisky is.  The problem I found was that the answer was too mechanical (i.e. whisky (ˈwɪskɪ) n. 1: a spirit made by distilling fermented cereals, which is matured and often blended) or assumed the reader already had certain knowledge.  So, let me make this long, but simple.

Whisky is a distilled spirit.  Which means that you have to take something that has alcohol in it and refine or “distill” it.  There is a long list of spirits you can distill. Other spirits include brandy (distilled from wine), rum (distilled from sugarcane or molasses), vodka (distilled from potatoes or grain but not aged), and gin (also distilled from grain and flavored with juniper berries and other ingredients but not aged.)

Whisky is distilled from one, or a combination, of the following four grains: Barley, Rye, Corn, and Wheat.  Simply put, you take water, one of these four grains, add yeast (which converts the sugars in the grain into alcohol), heat it in a copper still, collect the condensation and repeat.

While gin and vodka are also generally distilled from grain, they are not aged in wood barrels.  Whisky is further defined in that the process includes aging in oak barrels.  The oak is air permeable which helps oxidize the raw spirit and release flavor compounds which gives whisky its signature taste.

Remember that the word whisky is a broad term covering categories like Scotch, Irish Whiskey, and Bourbon.  Each of those categories has its own set of rules and regulations that define it.  So, when the bartender asks, "What'll you be having?", don't just say "Whisky", or you'll get a dirty look.  Trust me.

Sláinte