Is there anyavailable excellent rye whiskey?

I am not a rye expert, but if you're looking for 100% rye I understand that Alberta Premium is well-respected.

Best is obviously subjective, but perhaps Rittenhouse straight rye 100 proof is worth checking out. I don't know the Dutch price market, of course. Perhaps @Victor can provide a few thoughts on the matter of rye whiskies?

@NamBeist, it is hard to find anything which is in the same class with Thomas H Handy. Thomas H Handy has in the last 2 to 3 years grown both rare and expensive. Mr. Murray had a big role in that internationally...which has led to a scarcity in the US as well. You are essentially saying, "Give me the best whisk(e)y in the world CHEAP." Sometimes the world will cooperate with that request/demand, and sometimes it will not.

There are only a few ryes in the same class with Thomas H. Handy, and they usually are also expensive, quite expensive. In the same category I would put most, but not all, of the older (18+ yo) Willett Ryes, the nearly vanished Rittenhouse 21, 23, and 25 yo ryes, and a few rare single cask ryes from A. Smith Bowman. There are a few others, equally rare.

I've summarised my preferences on US Ryes in my Eleven US Ryes For The Desert Island List. I don't think you'll easily equal Handy, and to equal or exceed Handy you are likely to pay through the nose, especially outside the US.

Best Quality for Money in Ryes? Most of the Willett Family Estate bottlings would be my choice there. And Old Potrero. If you can get Canadian Whisky I would suggest Wiser's Legacy. Masterson's 10 yo is another good Canadian produced rye, which happens to be bottled in the US. You should also try some of the Austrian, German, and Finnish ryes if you get the chance.

Everyday Rye? For me, I'd take Wild Turkey 101, Knob Creek Rye, or Rittenhouse 100 Proof. These are good solid products. But they are not Handy.

Sounds to me like you want some more Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey.

@Victor What is your experience with rye from High West or Michaels?

@NamBeist van Wees in Amersfoort has a nice selection of bourbon and rye. Check out their website for prices.

@wtrstrnghlt, High West has a lot of nice products. There are multiple reviews on Connosr. Rendez-vous is especially well-liked, and is on the Connosr Top 50 rated list. I like Rendez-vous fine, but seldom crave it to drink. Double Rye is more basic, but good too. The older ones, like the 21 yo are quite lovely, but also rare and expensive. High West procured, blended and bottled their products. They may one day have aged rye stock from their own distillery, but not yet.

I am not familiar with Michaels Rye.

Thank you all very much for your advice. I quess I have to spend time and money to obtain a bottle of Thomas H Handy. It is truly the best rye indeed. I deeply regret that I once left a bottle on the shelf. @Victor I'll try to find european ryes. Yes, you are right. All I want is to enjoy Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey.

@NamBeist, I very much understand your position. Thomas H. Handy Rye is my favourite regular release US whiskey, and one of my 3 all time favourite whiskies of all types. Three years ago, before it was popularised by Jim Murray, I was able to buy as much Thomas Handy Rye as I wanted, for $ 60 per bottle. For the 2014 release, I was not able to obtain a single bottle, at a much higher current price. I would have a hard time paying the current high world prices, despite my love for it. I did put some away while I had the opportunity to do so. My advise: anticipate the limitations of supply and put away stocks of the bottles you really like now. In the short span of 5 years I have seen quite a few desirable readily available products disappear from view.

@Victor I will follow your advice to buy stocks of bottles I really like. When I think of the whiskies I like a lot, I realize that they are already scarce for example Talisker 18 y and Bruichladdich Infinity second edition. I am lucky that some Ardbeg bottles are in my possesion. However, I think I have to look for some new whisk(e)y sensations.

Anyone tried the Hudson's Manhattan Rye? It's expensive but at least it is obtainable here in Aus

@sengjc, Hudson's is a brand which turned a lot of Americans off when they first came out several years ago. They aggressively marketed themselves as elite and then sold their whiskey in 375 ml bottles at prices per unit volume higher (then) than Pappy Van Winkle 15 or the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Whiskeys. They produced a backlash similar to what I've seen with Grey Goose Vodka. I was one of those annoyed by their pretensions, and so I have generally avoided their products. I have tasted their bourbon. It was quite good, but then it had better be for what it costs. So far I have embargoed buying any of their products. I would very much like to taste their rye, but I don't think that I have to date.

@Victor

You are right about the price about AUD$90 for a 375ml bottle of the Manhattan Rye vs. AUD$70 for a 750ml bottle of the Eagle Rare 10 YO or Bernhein Original in comparison.

I suppose the general consensus is these are over priced in the US since they appear to be starting to "product dump" the Manhattan Ryes in Australia...

The Canadian rye called Lot 40 is excellent, if you can find it. I like the High West ryes also. I have a Single Cask Nation bottling from a Catoctin Creek cask, which is probably the best rue I have ever tried. That is available on their web site.

@McTeague I will try to find the ryes that you have recommanded. Thank you for advice.

Seeking more expert advice in the realm of straight rye. Here's a list of what's readily available in Australia: - Rittenhouse Bottled In Bond Straight Rye - Wild Turkey Kentucky Straight Rye - Jim Beam Rye - Michter's US*1 Rye - High West Rendezvous Rye - High West Double Rye - Tuthilltown Hudson Manhattan Rye - Koval Single Barrel Rye - Knob Creek Rye - Woodford Reserve Master's Collection New Cask Rye - Woodford Reserve Master's Collection Aged Cask Rye - James E. Pepper 1776 100 Proof Straight Rye

What would you recommend as a good all-rounder for a person wanting to explore this genre of whiskey?

@sengjc, for 'good all-rounder' standard rye from your list I would suggest the Rittenhouse 100 Proof Bottled In Bond, Knob Creek Rye, and the Wild Turkey Rye, but the Wild Turkey Rye only if it is the 101 proof. NOT THE 81 PROOF OR LOWER WILD TURKEY RYKE. Not only are these three solid US ryes, they are also well known and available enough that you can compare notes with others. Those three represent the 50-50.5% abv solid standard ryes from, respectively, Heaven Hill, Jim Beam, and Wild Turkey.

If I were buying from that list, I would also buy the High West Rendezvous, and MAYBE the James E Pepper. High West Rendezvous is usually quite lovely, but it is not very typical in that it is usually sweeter (along with the big spiciness) than are most US ryes. I've never had James E Pepper, but it is the only MGP/LDI rye on your list. Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana, now MGP, produces Bulleit Rye, Templeton Rye, Redemption Rye, George Dickel Rye, James E Pepper Rye, half the vattings for some of the High West Products, including Rendezvous and Double Rye, and many of the young Willett Family Estate Ryes. MGP rye is usually pretty predictably good, and can be fantastic. MGP rye is more rounded in style than the others, and so is, in my book, anyway, a little less typical of the US straight rye style. MGP is actually similar in its rounded style to Alberta Distillers Limited, which makes most (but not all) of the best rye whiskies in Canada.

@Victor

Thanks for the comprehensive write-up.

I missed one more in the list: Sazerac Rye from the Buffalo Trace.

Any thoughts on that one? It is lower proof compared to the ones you are recommending.

@sengjc, lots of people like Sazerac Rye. Standard Sazerac Rye is ok, but I prefer the other 3 (4 including Rendezvous) I mentioned previously. My bottle of Sazerac Rye (sometimes referred to as "Baby Saz" vis a vis Sazerac 18 yo) took a very long time to open up. That annoyed me. A US straight rye should not make you wait for a lot of flavour.

@Victor

Thanks for the feedback. I think I have my rye "road map" marked out. :D

After tasting through a few samples at a local bottle shop, I can say the James E. Pepper 1776 100 Proof Rye has a really lovely nose and a sweeter, peppery, heavy bodied profile while the High West Rendezvous Rye has a more refined and more subtle profile with lots of complexity and a herbaceous note to it - suitably impressed by them. :)

I haven't tried the Knob Creek Rye yet.

New last year, Canadian Club Chairman’s Select 100% Rye (aged 7 years).

Article here: whiskyadvocate.com/whisky/2014/…

(although it is a C.C. release, it was distilled at Alberta Distillers)

Have since gotten and tried an 'older label' Rittenhouse 100 which a bit too bourbon-like and syrupy for my liking - maybe it is still too freshly opened. I can say that I prefer the Knob Creek Rye to this. Nonetheless, I will let the Rittenhouse sit for a while and revisit in time.

Currently have three more bottles of rye whisk(e)y on order: E. H. Taylor Straight Rye, Smooth Ambler Old Scout 7 Year Old Rye and Whistlepig 10 YO Rye.

Didn't Canadian Club just release a Rye whisky?

@Phil73805, yes Canadian Club 100% has recently been released as a core item; however, it is only available in Canada.......for now.

Take 2 of the Rittenhouse, just to be sure. :lol:

I can say that the second time round, this is shaping up to be more impressive.

Must have been a case of "fresh bottle syndrome" yesterday...

@sengjc, that is good to see that you are getting the WhistlePig Rye. WhistlePig is a wonderful example of what Alberta Distillers Limited can do. The 50% abv strength is possible because it is produced to US straight rye whisky specifications (lower proof distillation, all new wood, no undeclared additives) and bottled in the US as a US straight rye whiskey. Just remember as you drink your WhistlePig Canadian whisky that there is almost not a single Canadian whisky which you can buy in the enormously huge nation of Canada at 50% abv.

Still Waters Stalk and Barrel would be my suggestion, however the batch that was just released was for export only, if you come across it, I recommend grabbing one or two. www.stillwatersdistillery.com/whisky.php

Extremely comprehensive and interesting write-up on all things rye from Victor et al. I'd like to pull the conversation towards the UK market. Here too there are precious few rye whiskies available beyond the most staple US offerings - Rittenhouse 100 (which I love), Bulleit etc...I assume the retailers have done their due diligence and decided current offerings serve the market just fine, but I can't help feel that rye is actually an under-represented segment, and that the level of interest among whisky drinkers in the UK is such that 'we' could support a much better and more varied range. Reading about the options available to those in the US and Canada makes me wince.....

I'm aware these on the other side of the pond may feel the same about Scotch.

I've been a Rittenhouse 100 fan forever. I always have a couple of bottles in my bar and one in a decanter. It makes an incredible Manhattan and is also good neat. I remember when I could pick it up for $15-16 USD bottle. It's now found for about $27 in my area which is still good for an excellant rye. I've noticed a change in it though. It doesn't seem to have the deep flavors it used to have.This happened with the new label. I've been on the hunt for some bottles with the old label but to no avail.

@dougwatts, I am totally simpatico with your interest in getting a larger selection of rye whisk(e)y products available in the UK. Maybe have a chat with Billy/@Cowfish, over at The Whisky Exchange.

It is important to remember that attentive members of Connosr know more about rye whisk(e)y, both US and Canadian, than almost anyone else, as a group, does. If you own 3 or 4 US ryes in your cabinet, your selection of US ryes is greater than would be that of the vast majority of US liquor stores just 6 or 7 years ago.

Interest in US rye whisk(e)y is still very much the province of connoisseurs and bartenders. In the US, the current renewed interest in rye is only 5 years old in a big way, and 10 years old among bartenders. It was US bartenders who rediscovered rye whiskey, because it is such a flavourful choice for cocktail-making. While rye whiskey has come more into the consciousness of American whiskey drinkers than it had been, I would still bet that not 1 American whiskey drinker in 50 has ever drunk a drop of rye whiskey outside of a cocktail.

So, @dougwatts, I would say that you already know more about US rye than almost all Americans do. Talk to Billy. Maybe he can get you something special.

Canada also has some very good actual ryes, e.g. Corby's Lot 40, Wiser's Legacy, the US bottled Masterson's 10 YO Straight Rye and the US bottled WhistlePig 10+ yo Straight Ryes. But...

Canadians call all Canadian whisky "Rye", by law, whether or not it has a drop of rye in it. Happily, there is also a nice resurgence in Canada in making good old school 'real' rye whisky, without all the syrupy glop they put into so much else. They still won't sell it to you except at a very diluted abv. Those mentioned above are very desirable rye whiskies.

Good Luck!

@Victor did you get the chance to sample the Wiser's Red Letter ?