Catcher in The Rye Whiskey

In the words of Holden Caulfield, “People always clap for the wrong things.” However, great rye whiskey will always have us clapping for all of the right reasons. There is no better way to wind down from a long day, week, month, year, or even hour than some whiskey. Whiskey is relaxing, and can the edge off of life for a little while. Believe it or not, it is also one of the ways people from around the world can connect. Whisk(e)y is produced in countries worldwide, from Japan to Scotland to India to Australia to Ireland to right here in the United States. In this blog, we will take a look at a whiskey that is made in the US of A: rye whiskey.

What Makes a Whiskey Rye?

Rye whiskey is produced in many areas of the country, with most of it coming from states in the North East, Kentucky, and Indiana. There is actually a distillery in George Washington’s homestead of Mount Vernon, Virginia that sells a rye it claims is very similar to what Washington himself made. A whiskey must meet a few qualifications in order for it to be considered rye. It must be made from at least 51 percent of rye, the rest of the mash is usually corn and malted barley. Rye whiskey must be aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof. Many Canadian whiskies are labeled as rye, but our neighbors up north do not have as many guidelines on how to produce rye whiskey.

How is Rye Whiskey Different Than Other Whiskies?

Rye whiskey is dryer and less sweet than bourbon as its content contains less corn. Many bartenders will use bourbon instead of rye whiskey in their cocktails, so if your cocktail seems oddly sweet you know they did something fishy.

A Few Distilleries

Without distilleries we would have no rye whiskey, so let’s take a look at the places that produce rye whiskey.

Knob Creek Distillery

Located in Clermont, Kentucky, Knob Creek is known for producing bourbon, but also makes rye whiskey. Knob Creek was created by Booker Noe after Prohibition was repealed. Most other distilleries were quickly producing bourbon and whiskey without aging it for very long to get their products on the market as soon as possible, but Booker would have no part in that, and created Knob Creek to bring whiskey and bourbon back to its old glory. Knob Creek gets its name from the stream that flows through Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home in Kentucky, and Julio’s offers their Knob Creek Smoked Maple Whiskey.

High West Distillery

This distillery is located in the Rocky Mountains in the city of Park City, Utah. David Perkins brought his love of biochemistry, bourbon, and cooking to the Rockies and just started making bourbon and whiskey. After Perkins settled there, Park City became a major mining town and Utah’s best place to grab a drink. Now High West has created their own saloon in Park City, and Julio’s offers their Silver Rye Whiskey.

So there is everything you need to know about rye whiskey! If you are now craving rye for your next drink, stop in to Julio’s Liquors. In addition to the whiskies listed above, we also offer Buffalo Trace White Dog Rye, Legs Diamond White Rye, Sapling Maple Rye Whiskey, Slow & Low Rock & Rye, Tap 357 Maple Rye Whisky, Wasmunds Rye Spirit, and many others! And for all of you whisk(e)y enthusiasts out there, be sure to come to our weekly Whisk(e)y Wednesday meetings to talk about and taste some great whiskies!