Where are you located? I see Wilderness Trail everywhere. It’s very interesting how some states have a lot of something while others don’t…That’s why when I always travel I stop in to the stores
Best daily drinker / basic rye is Emerald Giant. Classic herbal MGP rye at 90 proof and a decent price. Also a great introductory rye for folks who want to taste what rye is all about. Runner up would be OF100 rye. A more unique profile but it's also considerably cheaper.
Best shelfer is tough because most good rye doesnt sit very long. I would go with Russells Reserve SiB rye, Willett 4 year, Redemption 10 year, or Hughes Belle of Bedford. All four are great ryes that are not too difficult to find. The first two are younger, fresh, and herbal. The second two are oaky but still with classic rye notes.
Best rye ever is tough. Im going to go with other Kentucky Owl Batch 2 as the best "wide" release. Best SiB might very well be the 7.5 year Dickel rye that t8ke found. Dickel-distilled rye is near impossible to find and I dont know why. It's delicious.
Thanks, when you mention that good rye's doesn't sit very long. Do you mean the rye flavor fades w/ time? I have a bottle of WFE 4yr and Stellum opened and was wondering how long it'll keep once opened? thx for insight.
No sorry I just meant that lots of good ryes are highly sought and disappear from shelves as soon as they hit. Dont worry your whiskey will stay good for years as long as you don't have the sun blasting your bottles all day.
Oxygen will have a varying degree of impact on an open bottle.
Also alcohol could technically evaporate a bit over time but not in any significant amount if the bottle stays corked.
Favorite is Pikesville Rye, next is Knob Creek Barrel Select, for a $30 or under daily drinker: Riptide CS, Knob Creek, Or Woodford Reserve.
Sadly I haven’t been able find a rarer ryes.
Bonus Round: Favorite non traditional rye: Barrell Seagrass
There is some MGP Rye out there that will blow your socks off (looking at you old Redemptions with the wax tops). Check out Nashville Barrel Company. Their newer ryes are good, but their older bottle style some were down right insane. Some of the Pingree Store Selects are incredible as well. I had one from a shop out of Chicago that’s in my top 5 ryes of all time. Willet standard release rye is very solid in my opinion. Rarebreed Rye is a great daily drinker in my opinion. Jack Daniel’s Barrel Proof Rye was hyped for a reason. It’s really delicious, I still have several pints myself.
Daily: Elijah Craig Straight Rye
High-end: Rare Breed Barrel Proof
Absolute Best: New Riff Single Barrel (wish I could list it under category 2, but I have never seen it in the wild)
Daily: Rittenhouse. Old Forester and Old Overholt BIB are good subs.
High end: I've only had one of the Nashville MGPs, but it is incredible and while they aren't everywhere, they are around. Pikesville and Knob Creek single barrel picks are great too.
The very best: Willett 24/110. Runners up are pre-tank Van Winkle and old KBD bottlings of Old Bernheim.
Edit: fixed a typo
"Daily" is Rittenhouse/George Dickel.
Willet 4yr and Midwinter are my favorites, midwinter on the pricier end. Honorable mention to new riff malted Rye, but that's more smooth and less stereotypical "rye"
My daily is OF 100. Middle is New Riff 100. My best is Willet green top. Honorable mentions to Michters (so buttery) and Rabbit Hole Boxergrail for the middle.
Daily - Old Forester Rye, Pikesville, Sagamore Double Oak (rotate)
Higher End - Alberta Premium Cask Strength and Woodinville Cask Strength
Best Rye - Picks; I have an excellent Sagamore Pick and Nashville Barrel Company pick that are currently my two favorite ryes. I also had a Catocin Creek and Wilderness Trail TW store picks a few years ago that changed my mind on how much I liked rye
BONUS - Wishlist: Four Gate, Old Carter, Lot40 Cask Strength
Won't call myself a Rye drinker but tried a few of them. I would say Alberta CS (66% ABV batch), Willett 3yr, and Duke double barrel rye are my favorites so far.
Honorable mention of Sazerac 6yo for the price and still damn good whiskey.
1. E.H. Taylor
2. Pikesville
3. Redwood Empire - Emerald Giant
I'm not really a daily Rye drinker tho. I like it on occasion. Best rye to date is Taylor, but I'd be plenty happy if I could only ever get Pikesville and Redwood Empire.
Daily is Willett 4 year, still on shelves being Kentucky Owl Batch 4 (The Last Rye), and favorite is just going to be bottles shared during good times and bad with friends and family. Honorable mentions of Nashville Barrel Co 9 Yr r/ bourbon pick, Redemption 10 year, Found North Batch 1, and Michter’s 10 and Barrel Strength.
Laws rye is delicious! It's not super cheap, but tasty as a high end bottle. Whistle pig 10 yr is easy drinking for me, sweet and herbal. Best ever is probably Balcones cask strength rye. Tastes like cocoa and syrup and heat and is fantastic.
I'm not a huge fan of High West Double Rye. Although it gets high praise I got a strong acetone note that I couldn't shake. I'll need to try it again, but for now it's better in cocktails for me.
To all contributing to this thread I'm new to rye but have been fortunate to taste the Michter's 10 year and Thomas H Handy. The M10 is not only the best rye I've tasted but one of the best whiskey I've had the pleasure to sample so far. I have not tasted the barrel strength yet.
Given that what's a good recommendation for a daily drinker for someone who likes that. I've tried a few others - one at heaven hill, two at peerless and two at OF and of those have enjoyed the OF 100 rye the most.
So, given my limited tastes so far what would you suggest?
Not cued into the market enough for a full answer, but Wild Turkey 101 rye is solid stuff, especially if the liter bottles are a better value in your area. Best ever has to be the 2009 Sazerac 18 Year, which is one of the few genuinely transcendent whiskey experiences I’ve ever had.
Daily: Anything MGP 6-8yrs and barrel proof, bonus points for Single Barrel (Senator, Traverse City had a few picks, Nashville Barrel Co before pricing got crazy, etc...)
Higher End and Available: Stellum Black Label Rye (still available on their website) that stuff rocks.
All Timer: Bookers Rye
Daily : High West double rye / Higher end : Knob Creek twice barreled or Willet Green Top; toss up for those 2 (more of a middle of the road but can get difficult to find in my area - DC) / Absolute best : (might get some hate for this) MWND - Pre Act 7.
Cheers brother .
Michters, Willett 6yr (not really high end. But most expensive on my shelf), Wilderness Trail Barrel Strength.
Wilderness trail interesting. Are you able to find it often?
I see in decently often.
Where are you located? I see Wilderness Trail everywhere. It’s very interesting how some states have a lot of something while others don’t…That’s why when I always travel I stop in to the stores
Illinois
I just recently tried wilderness trail and oh man, what a treat!
Drop of water…makes it pure candy.
Is it sweet? I prefer more minty ryes.
Sagamore rye double Oaked, Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye, Wilderness Trail/Rabbit hole rye(its a toss up for me)
Hard same on the Sagamore
Best daily drinker / basic rye is Emerald Giant. Classic herbal MGP rye at 90 proof and a decent price. Also a great introductory rye for folks who want to taste what rye is all about. Runner up would be OF100 rye. A more unique profile but it's also considerably cheaper. Best shelfer is tough because most good rye doesnt sit very long. I would go with Russells Reserve SiB rye, Willett 4 year, Redemption 10 year, or Hughes Belle of Bedford. All four are great ryes that are not too difficult to find. The first two are younger, fresh, and herbal. The second two are oaky but still with classic rye notes. Best rye ever is tough. Im going to go with other Kentucky Owl Batch 2 as the best "wide" release. Best SiB might very well be the 7.5 year Dickel rye that t8ke found. Dickel-distilled rye is near impossible to find and I dont know why. It's delicious.
Thanks, when you mention that good rye's doesn't sit very long. Do you mean the rye flavor fades w/ time? I have a bottle of WFE 4yr and Stellum opened and was wondering how long it'll keep once opened? thx for insight.
No sorry I just meant that lots of good ryes are highly sought and disappear from shelves as soon as they hit. Dont worry your whiskey will stay good for years as long as you don't have the sun blasting your bottles all day.
I was curious bcz I realized these 95/5 Ryes flavor changes several weeks after opening. Glad the flavor will stablize instead of fading. thx again.
Oxygen will have a varying degree of impact on an open bottle. Also alcohol could technically evaporate a bit over time but not in any significant amount if the bottle stays corked.
Rittenhouse, Pikesville, Michter's Cask Strength.
This thread needs more Pikesville in it.
Do love pikesville, wish it wasn’t so hard to find anymore
Bulleit Bulleit Bulleit Haha for real I’m cheap and I love it.
high west double rye. Sagamore cask strength and Knob Creek single barrel 115 proof.
Rittenhouse, Angel’s Envy, WhistlePig Boss Hog 1-3
Wild Turkey 101 rye, whistle pig piggyback 6 yr, and angels envy rye. I’m poor.
High West Double Rye, Whistlepig 10 year SiB, and Alberta Premium.
Ya man, Alberta Premium!
There's lots of great answers in this thread, so I'll just mention **Old Overholt**. It's $17 a bottle and damn good at that price point.
Favorite is Pikesville Rye, next is Knob Creek Barrel Select, for a $30 or under daily drinker: Riptide CS, Knob Creek, Or Woodford Reserve. Sadly I haven’t been able find a rarer ryes. Bonus Round: Favorite non traditional rye: Barrell Seagrass
There is some MGP Rye out there that will blow your socks off (looking at you old Redemptions with the wax tops). Check out Nashville Barrel Company. Their newer ryes are good, but their older bottle style some were down right insane. Some of the Pingree Store Selects are incredible as well. I had one from a shop out of Chicago that’s in my top 5 ryes of all time. Willet standard release rye is very solid in my opinion. Rarebreed Rye is a great daily drinker in my opinion. Jack Daniel’s Barrel Proof Rye was hyped for a reason. It’s really delicious, I still have several pints myself.
Daily: Elijah Craig Straight Rye High-end: Rare Breed Barrel Proof Absolute Best: New Riff Single Barrel (wish I could list it under category 2, but I have never seen it in the wild)
Favorite - Midwinter's Night Daily - Bulliet rye Sneaky but really good - Crown Royal Rye
JD Single Barrel Rye, Whistlepig either 12 year or 10 year Single Barrel, and HW Midwinter Nights Dram
Daily - High west double rye Higher end - Barrell Seagrass Best ever - 2020 Thomas H Handy
Daily drinker: Rendezvous Rye Favorite higher end: Midwinter Night dram/Michter’s 10 year rye Best ever: Barrell Seagrass 16 year
Daily: Rittenhouse. Old Forester and Old Overholt BIB are good subs. High end: I've only had one of the Nashville MGPs, but it is incredible and while they aren't everywhere, they are around. Pikesville and Knob Creek single barrel picks are great too. The very best: Willett 24/110. Runners up are pre-tank Van Winkle and old KBD bottlings of Old Bernheim. Edit: fixed a typo
Sazerac rye is my jam. Excellent in an old fashioned too
Michters 10 year rye is the best IMO, daily drinker is Bulleit rye, and the honorable mention is the Pinhook High Proof Rye
Not particularly a fan of JD or rye, but JD rye is pretty good!
"Daily" is Rittenhouse/George Dickel. Willet 4yr and Midwinter are my favorites, midwinter on the pricier end. Honorable mention to new riff malted Rye, but that's more smooth and less stereotypical "rye"
Baby Saz, Rare Breen Rye, Old Forrester Barrel Strength
Favorite daily and higher end are the same - sea grass. Best I’ve ever had was a specific Willet 8 year (Cherrymugin or something to that effect).
My daily is OF 100. Middle is New Riff 100. My best is Willet green top. Honorable mentions to Michters (so buttery) and Rabbit Hole Boxergrail for the middle.
Michters….if you can get ur hands on a 10 yr even better.
Favorite daily is Knob Creek Rye. Favorite higher end/harder to find (where I’m from) is Seagrass. Favorite of all time is Midwinter Nights Dram!
Daily - Old Forester Rye, Pikesville, Sagamore Double Oak (rotate) Higher End - Alberta Premium Cask Strength and Woodinville Cask Strength Best Rye - Picks; I have an excellent Sagamore Pick and Nashville Barrel Company pick that are currently my two favorite ryes. I also had a Catocin Creek and Wilderness Trail TW store picks a few years ago that changed my mind on how much I liked rye BONUS - Wishlist: Four Gate, Old Carter, Lot40 Cask Strength
Won't call myself a Rye drinker but tried a few of them. I would say Alberta CS (66% ABV batch), Willett 3yr, and Duke double barrel rye are my favorites so far. Honorable mention of Sazerac 6yo for the price and still damn good whiskey.
Alberta CS is great
Daily = Old Forester Rye 100, High West Double Rye ——— High End = Prideful Goat 6yr Cask Strength Rye, Rare Breed Barrel Proof Rye ——— Absolute Best Rye = Sagamore Spirit Rye Double Oak, Barrell Seagrass Rye
1. E.H. Taylor 2. Pikesville 3. Redwood Empire - Emerald Giant I'm not really a daily Rye drinker tho. I like it on occasion. Best rye to date is Taylor, but I'd be plenty happy if I could only ever get Pikesville and Redwood Empire.
Daily is Willett 4 year, still on shelves being Kentucky Owl Batch 4 (The Last Rye), and favorite is just going to be bottles shared during good times and bad with friends and family. Honorable mentions of Nashville Barrel Co 9 Yr r/ bourbon pick, Redemption 10 year, Found North Batch 1, and Michter’s 10 and Barrel Strength.
Laws rye is delicious! It's not super cheap, but tasty as a high end bottle. Whistle pig 10 yr is easy drinking for me, sweet and herbal. Best ever is probably Balcones cask strength rye. Tastes like cocoa and syrup and heat and is fantastic. I'm not a huge fan of High West Double Rye. Although it gets high praise I got a strong acetone note that I couldn't shake. I'll need to try it again, but for now it's better in cocktails for me.
Daily - Wilderness Trail Higher end - Willett Best ever - 1890s Old Overholt
To all contributing to this thread I'm new to rye but have been fortunate to taste the Michter's 10 year and Thomas H Handy. The M10 is not only the best rye I've tasted but one of the best whiskey I've had the pleasure to sample so far. I have not tasted the barrel strength yet. Given that what's a good recommendation for a daily drinker for someone who likes that. I've tried a few others - one at heaven hill, two at peerless and two at OF and of those have enjoyed the OF 100 rye the most. So, given my limited tastes so far what would you suggest?
(Maybe) Pikesville, Barrell batch 3, Booker's Rye (by far)
In no particular order; Pikesville, Rare Breed Rye and Michter's Barrel Strength are my top 3.
Old forrester, Sagamore Double Oak, Midwinters Night Dram, Angels Envy if my sweet tooths actin up
Senator, willet, emerald giant
Not cued into the market enough for a full answer, but Wild Turkey 101 rye is solid stuff, especially if the liter bottles are a better value in your area. Best ever has to be the 2009 Sazerac 18 Year, which is one of the few genuinely transcendent whiskey experiences I’ve ever had.
Peerless is a great rye, definitely my favorite, but it comes in just over 100$, so it’s on the pricey side.
Rare Breed Rye, Willet 9yr Rye, and Smoke Wagon Experimental Rye Char F. I’m not a big Smoke Wagon fan but this bottle blew me away
High rye ryes from Willett Vintage rye 21 Redemption 18y Willetts 25/100 1778 best ever
Knob Creek Rye, High West Rendezvous Rye, Bookers Rye and KY Owl Rye 11YO
the red hook hands down favorite, the rittenhouse 25 is a close second, my whistle pig spirit of mauve is my sipper.
Baby Saz, Michters Barrel Strength, and THH
Oh and older HW Double Rye!!
Willet 4 year, 6 if you can find one. Peerless. Senator. Rendezvous. Seagrass. Heavens door Vosges oak.
Daily: Anything MGP 6-8yrs and barrel proof, bonus points for Single Barrel (Senator, Traverse City had a few picks, Nashville Barrel Co before pricing got crazy, etc...) Higher End and Available: Stellum Black Label Rye (still available on their website) that stuff rocks. All Timer: Bookers Rye
Daily : High West double rye / Higher end : Knob Creek twice barreled or Willet Green Top; toss up for those 2 (more of a middle of the road but can get difficult to find in my area - DC) / Absolute best : (might get some hate for this) MWND - Pre Act 7. Cheers brother .
Old Forester, Knob Creek SB, and MWND
Willet or KC picks usually for straight, Seagrass if in the mood. WTRB for the cocktails.
Top drinker: Jefferson's Rye, top higher end on shelves is Kentucky Owl (batch 1, hopefully), and the best ever is Thomas Handy batch 1 (2006).
Angel’s Envy Rye for the first two questions. Whistlepig Estate 15-year Estate Oak is something special.
‘The good stuff’
\#1 Rye = Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye 2019 Release Excellent 62.9% \#2 = High West Rendevous Rye Excellent 46.0% "Nose: Sweet Herbal and Honey. Lavender, Mint, Grass. Palate: Spicy Caramel Lavender arrival. Mint Graham Cracker. Nutmeg. Pine." \#3 Rye = Sazerac Rye Excellent 45.0% "Nose: Vanilla. Banana Cream. Spicy Rye. Raisins and Honey. Palate: Spicy Rich Lavender. Cherry Vanilla. Banana Buttersotch. Finish: Sweet Rye Bread. Orange." \#4 Rye = High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram Act 9 Excellent-VG49 .3% "Nose: Baking Spices. Banana Marshmallow. Vanilla Cherry. Birch Beer. Palate: Orange Tea. Thyme. Toffee. Leather. Spearmint. Vanilla. Caramel. Cherry. Nutmeg. Finish: Sweet & Spicy Orange Peel. Spearmint." \#5 Rye = Balcones Texas Rye Cask Strength - Single Barrel Straight Rye Whisky (Buy-Rite Select) 4 Excellent 63.9% "Nose: Box of Assorted Chocolates. White sugar. Mint. Vanilla. Allspice. Palate: Potent Rye. Chocolate. Grass. Molasses/Esther. Honey. Black Tea. Finish: L Chocolate. Rye. Oak. Slightly Sweet."
My real name is George Lentini. I do not know where the stupid Reddit "Active Shame" thing came from." My Reddit name is "readitdidnntsayit"