By Miah Ayaan
If you are looking for a great gift idea for a fellow shopper, look no further than Straight rye whiskey. This wonderful rye is smooth, delicious and perfect for relaxing with friends and family. This whiskey can be paired with a wide variety of food, but it is especially good with barbecue. The gift pack comes with a beautiful brochure that guides customers through a tasting of Wheat Bourbon, Single Barrel Bourbon, Small Batch Bourbon, Rye Whiskey and product information. This guide comes with three premium rums and instructions on how to properly pair them with food.
The distillery offers many popular varieties of straight rye whiskey. They are available in both the traditional “walnut” color, as well as a newer blue label that just make a statement. It is all the same high quality of course, but the color may be a bit different. Both styles have a smooth texture and a mellow, woodsy flavor. The older versions of this whiskey have been sitting in the barrels much longer than the newer distillation process, thus the aging has added a fuller, bolder flavor to the final product.
If you are a serious whiskey drinker, there’s little question you’ve heard that straight rye whiskey is a great choice. But how do you know which straight whiskey is best? Is there a set of criteria? In this article, we will cover some of the basics of choosing a straight rye whiskey.
Cost: bourbon Straight rye whiskey has a very high price tag that puts it out of reach for most amateur drinkers. However, for an investment that brings rewards, it delivers big. The rich caramel and nut flavors found in Rittenhouse are extremely well-suited for mixing into any number of recipes. The simple cost of making this whiskey gives it a big boost over other brands.
Ingredients: American whiskeys vary greatly in terms of quality, aging history and flavor profile. Four popular American whiskeys are all aged differently, with varying maturation periods, flavor complexities and barrel finishes.
Balance: Corn and wheat are usually the chief ingredients in base and high-end rye whiskey. The grains’ dark color and light sweetness make them a natural complement to the woodsy, rich tastes found in the wood. For example, in a rye whiskey recipe that features molasses, the corn should be utilized almost entirely as a sweetener, with the wheat providing a little bit more of a nutty, roasted flavor. Rye can also be spiced using cardamom and coriander. These spices can bring out different character traits in the whiskey, including spicy notes and earthy nuances. Balance is important when utilizing rye; no single spice should dominate the recipe.
Strength: Straight rye drinks do not have much alcohol in them; they’re basically true malt distillers, with much less rye and more barley. That is why it’s difficult to judge rye’s alcohol content without tasting the whiskey. At least one whiskey expert, though, has calculated an average strength of about 10%.
Taste: Straight rye whiskey, like many American whiskers, is a superbly balanced drink, with subtle hints of corn, chocolate and vanilla. A well-made Manhattan or rye whiskey takes several taste notes to produce just the right blend, but you should not be constricted to using these formulas when creating your cocktails. Try different combinations and see which ones produce the results that make the drink. Happy blending!
