Distilling Outside the Box: How Malted Rye effects the flavor of Rye Whiskey

If you were to ask a fan of American whiskey to describe the flavor of rye whiskey the first and maybe only descriptor would be spicy. This singular description is largely due to the dominance of both the Kentucky style ryes (51% rye) and the Ross & Squib (MGP) style ryes (95% rye) both of which only use un-malted or raw rye grain. So, if you are only used to drinking these ryes, your first exposure to malted rye in whiskey may not be a pleasant one because the flavors can be so different and outside of the norm for those styles. In general, distillers that use malted rye in their mash will have some grassy, herbal, and sometimes bready notes in their whiskey. In my experience if you are prepared for this, it is easier to actually enjoy the whiskey for what it is. Malted rye opens another dimension of complexity that ryes that only use raw grain can never achieve. So, if you would like to taste how malted rye impacts the flavor of the whiskey, below are four that I highly recommend exploring.

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Sample bottle provided by Mountain Laurel Spirits

Mountain Laurel Spirits

Dad’s Hat Pensylvania Straight Rye Whiskey 47.5% ABV, MSRP $50

Herman Mihalich and John Cooper founded Mountain Laurel Spirits in 2011 with the singular goal of making Pennsylvania rye whiskey. Mihalich and Cooper named the brand in memory of Mihalich’s dad who always wore a hat when he left the house and particularly like Stetson fedoras made in Philadelphia. Dad’s Hat has earned a lot of attention for their whiskeys and in 2015, Whiskey Advocate named their Classic Rye its Craft Whiskey of the Year.

They source much of their grain from local farmers and their mash includes a mixture of 80% rye, 15% malted barley, and 5% malted rye. After fermentation, they double distilled the mash and mature the spirit in charred new oak barrels. Their straight rye is aged for a minimum of four years and bottled at 47.5% ABV.

The whiskey has an inviting aroma of fresh baked rye bread, molasses, a light grassy note from the malted rye, and just a hint of licorice. On the palate similar flavors carry over onto the tongue with notes of toasted rye bread spread with a thin layer of salted butter, followed by tobacco, dried peach, cherry, a hint of caramel and a pleasant grassy character. The whiskey has a long and warm finish that lingers with notes of fennel, rye, dried mint, and stone fruit. Dad's Hat Straight Rye is a delicious whiskey that is a great example of both Pennsylvania rye and judicious use of malted rye which adds a lot of complexity.

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Sample bottle provided by Coppersea Distilling

Coppersea Distilling

Bonticou Crag Straight Rye Malt Whisky Bottled in Bond 50% ABV, MSRP $118

Michael Kinstlick and Angus MacDonald founded Coppersea Distilling in 2012 with the vision of creating whiskeys as they were in the 18th and 19th Centuries before industrialization. MacDonald has since passed away but their distiller Christopher Williams carries on this ethos. He developed a system of floor malting their own grain, which in the 21st Century was almost a completely lost art. They even source their barrels from a local cooper who makes them from New York oak.

Coppersea works with local farmers to grow their grains, and Williams floor malts the rye before it is fermented and double distilled in direct fire copper pots stills. The spirit is then aged in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of four years and bottled at 50% ABV.

The nose is jam packed full of aromas of stone fruit, caramel brittle, vanilla, live oak, and fresh cut grass. On the palate there are flavors of fennel, salted caramel, vanilla, raisins, sweet cherries, dried pineapple, peaches and cream, maple syrup and sassafras, followed by a pronounced dryness from the oak tannins. Bonticou Crag is a beautiful voyage of flavor that deserves to be sipped neat or opened with just a splash of water. If you are a fan of complex whiskeys this is a must.

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Sample bottle provided by Mingo Creek Craft Distillers

Liberty Pole Spirits

Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey 46% ABV, MSRP $47

Jim Hough and his wife Ellen founded Mingo Creek Craft Distillers in May 2016, and their son Kevin joined them a few months later working as the head distiller. The distillery gets its name from the Mingo Creek Society that gathered in 1794 to protest the first whiskey excised tax enacted by the US Government. One of their forms of protest were to plant liberty polls which were simple polls tied three strips of cloth that read No Excise Tax.

In their memory, the Hough’s make several whiskeys including two standard ryes which are both distilled from a mash of 61% rye, 13% red winter wheat, 13% malted rye, and 13% six-row distiller’s malt. Their Pennsylvania straight rye is double distilled, and aged in 53 gallon charred new oak barrels for a minimum of two years.

The whiskey has a lovely nose of warm rye bread, fennel, mint, green apple, and caramel. The first sip is very warm on the palate, but it gets softer with each successive drink. There are flavors of oak intermixed with strong rye bread flavors, softened with a touch of honey orange blossom. The finish is bright and lively with notes of menthol, fresh cherries and freshly made lemonade followed by a healthy dose of brown sugar. This is a very tasty rye whiskey with lots of rye character mixed with sweeter fruit notes that are well-balanced with oak. Liberty Pole rye is a must try.

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Sample bottle provided by Disobedient Spirits

Disobedient Spirits

1794 Rye Whiskey 45% ABV, MRSP $60

In 2012, Bob Begg a recently retired teacher from the Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his friend and fellow winemaker Bob Sechrist founded Disobedient Spirits. They began building their distillery the following year and opened to the public in December 2014. Today they produce a wide variety of spirits including several vodkas, gin, rum, brandy, and a few different whiskeys.

Their rye whiskey is distilled from a mash of rye grown in the Monongahela valley, along with malted rye, corn, and chocolate malted barley, and then aged for just three months in small barrels.

The aroma is savory with strong notes of rye grain, wasabi paste, oak leaves, and hint of molasses. On the palate the whiskey has strong grassy flavors from the malted rye mixed with pleasant notes of milk chocolate, that is like drinking a warm cup of hot coco in a pine forest, or enjoying a mug or Mexican chocolate with cinnamon. The finish is light with a bright mint chocolate flavor, and dry oak. At just 3 months old the whiskey is grain forward and Disobedient has done an excellent job with it. And if the idea of cinnamon chocolate in your whiskey without any artificial flavors or sweetness excites you, look for it.

How Old Overholt went from a Leading Brand to Bottom Shelf and Back

Old Overholt labesl from 2012-2023

When Abraham Overholt died in 1870, his company A. Overholt & Co. was well on its way to becoming one of the largest whiskey distillers in the country. Originally, the company branded its whiskey as Old Farm Pure Rye, but in 1888, 18 years after Abraham’s death, they renamed the brand Old Overholt and added his likeness to the logo in his honor. Up until Prohibition the distillery remained largely under family control but when Henry Clay Frick, the last remaining family member passed away in 1919 he left his ownership stake in the distillery to his friend and banking magnate Andrew Mellon. The following year President Harding selected Mellon to be his Secretary of the Treasury, and after a public pressure campaign Mellon sold the distillery to the New York grocers Park & Tilford. But before that, Mellon helped A. Overholt & Co. secure one of the very limited distilling licenses that allowed the company to continue producing “medicinal whiskey” throughout Prohibition. Because of this, Overholt survived while many other distilleries of that era closed, never to reopen.

After Prohibition, a new conglomerate called National Distillers purchased Overholt and continued making its eponymous whiskey at the A. Overholt Distillery in Broad Ford, PA. Old Overholt became one of the five core brands for National Distillers along with Old Taylor, Old Granddad, Old Crow, and Mount Vernon, a straight rye from Maryland. But, despite the post WWII economic boom rye whiskey sales were beginning to slow and in 1951, National Distillers closed the Broad Ford distillery though they continued to source Pennsylvania rye whiskey for the brand. As the years passed on and whiskey sales continued to slump into the 1980s, National Distillers eventually went broke and in 1987, the James B. Beam Distilling Company purchased Old Overholt, Old Crow, Old Granddad and Olt Taylor (which they eventually sold to Sazerac). At that point Beam decided to move production of Old Overholt from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, changed the mash bill to the minimum 51% rye and drop the bottling strength to 80 proof.

For about 27 years Old Overholt sat as bottom shelf whiskey overshowed by other more popular whiskeys in the Beam portfolio. In 2012, Beam dropped the 4 year aged statement down to 3, just as they had done with Old Corw. But, in 2013, something changed and Beam attempted to bring more attention to Old Overholt and its other “Old” whiskey brands, Old Crow, and Old Granddad. At that time nothing had substantially changed but in 2017, the now Beam Suntory began to get label approval for several new Old Overholt expressions. For the first time in about 30 years, Beam Suntory re-released a bonded version of Old Overholt which cause quite a buzz among whiskey writes and bartenders. And, two years later in 2019, Beam Suntory increased the standard bottling strength from 40% to 43% ABV. From then on there has been a steady release of new Old Overholt expressions which has helped to revitalize the brand from its bottom shelf ignominy to a brand that is once again well respected and sought after by American whiskey fans. It has been exciting to see Beam Suntory put some money and effort into supporting this historic brand by creating new and interesting offerings such as the return of the 4-year age statement on the standard bottle, the 11 Year Old Cask Strength, and the A. Overholt Straight Rye made with a traditional Pennsylvania rye whiskey mash bill. Hopefully this trend will continue and who knows what we will see in the future for this more than 200-year-old brand.

Below is a list of the Old Overholt label approvals that help tell the story of how Old Overholt moved from the bottom shelf to a well-respected brand.

• August 2012: Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey 40% ABV Three Years Old

• August 2017: Old Overholt Bonded Straight Rye Whiskey

• August 2019: Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey 43% ABV (still 3 years old)

• August 2019: Old Overholt Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey (new wording)

• March 2020: Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey 114 Proof 4 Year Special Release

• April 2020: Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey 11 Year 46.3% ABV

• November 2020: Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey 114 Proof Aged 4 Years

• October 2021: Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 4 Years 43% ABV

• April 2022: A. Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 4 Years 47.5% ABV

• April 2023: Old Overholt Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 10 Years

• September 2023: Old Overholt Cask Strength Straight Rye Whiskey Aged 11 Years

Review: A. Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey

Bottle purchased at retail by EZdrinking.

AT A GLANCE

• Owned by: Beam Suntory

• Distilled and Bottled by: James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY

• Spirit Type: Straight Rye Whiskey

• Mash Bill: 80% Rye, 20% Malted Barley

• Still Type: Column Still

• Age: 4 Years

• Strength: 47.5% ABV

• Price: $40

The Overholt brand dates to 1810 when Abraham Overholt turned his family’s farm distillery into a full-fledged business. The Overholt family were German Mennonites who in 1800 moved from Bucks County, north of Philadelphia, out west over the Alleghany Mountains to settle in what is today’s Westmoreland County. People who knew Abraham said he was both “frugal [and] industrious” which is evidenced by the fact that he grew his whiskey business from distilling a few gallons a day to more than 150 gallons in two decades. Abraham passed away in 1870 but his company A. Overholt & Co., and his whiskey continued to live on. In 1951, National Distillers closed the last A. Overholt distillery but the brand continued to source Pennsylvania style rye whiskey until its sale to Jim Beam in 1987. After that, Beam changed the mash bill to a Kentucky-style rye mash, presumable with just 51% rye. There is no public evidence for the original Old Overholt mash bill but in 2022, when Beam Suntory decided to release the A. Overholt rye, they claim that it was a mixture of 80% rye and 20% malted barley. This is a standard Pennsylvania rye mash bill so it is plausible they are telling the truth. Either way it is exciting to see Beam Suntory reviving a true Pennsylvania rye mash bill for his historic brand and there seem to be some rumblings that some distillation for Old Overholt may eventually return to Pennsylvania!

TASTING NOTES

Nose: The nose begins with delicate aromas of honeysuckle that gradually opens to bolder notes of rye spice and biscuits from the malted barley. The whiskey is very floral and has a note of orchard fruits like ripe pear, Fuji apples like some high-quality sakes.

Palate: On the palate the whiskey is soft and warm with notes of bread rolls, black pepper, cloves, and a hint of licorice. At the same time there are lighter fruit flavors reminiscent of apples and ripe cherries that hover over the comforting notes of warm spice.

Finish: The finish is long and warm like being wrapped in a soft blanket. Here again notes of apples and pear skins dance in harmony with light notes of oak and spice. As it slowly fades there is a slight residual acidity that calls you back for another sip.

Conclusion: A. Overholt Straight Rye is a very enjoyable whiskey and will be a good crossover rye for bourbon or single malt drinkers who are not accustomed to the intense spiciness that some ryes bring. While this is probably somewhat less intense than the original Overholt ryes coming out of Pennsylvania, I applaud Beam Suntory for experimenting with a new mash bill and from what I hear, there may be a plan to revive their rye distillation in Pennsylvania which is very exciting. This rye is easy to drink neat and while I don't find the alcohol too intense, a little splash of water won’t hurt it for those who want to bring it down slightly.

Four Empire Rye Whiskeys Worth Serching Out

Rye whiskey has been gradually growing in popularity but the majority of what is being drunk is still coming from Kentucky, Indiana, or Canada. However, since the 1700s rye as a grain and a whiskey flourished in New York it was one of the primary styles of whiskey made in the Empire State. Today a new breed of New York distillers has committed reviving the legacy of New York rye whiskey and in 2015, a handful of them banded together to form the Empire Rye Whiskey Association to collectively promote this historic and style. They define Empire Rye as whiskey made from a mash of at least 75% New York State-grown rye grain, distilled to no more than 160 proof (this is the same for other ryes), aged for a minimum of two years in charred, new oak barrels, with a maximum barrel entry proof of 115 (57.5%) and made completely at a single New York State distillery. Today there are more than a dozen distilleries making their version of Empire Rye and below you will find four that I think are worth searching out.

And, if you are interested in more detail on the history of distilling in New York you can find a whole chapter dedicated to Empire Rye in my book, The Atlas of Bourbon and American Whiskey.

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Sample bottle provided by New York Distilling Co.

New York Distilling Company

Jaywalk Straight Rye Whiskey 46% ABV, MSRP $50

Allen Katz and Tom Potter founded New York Distilling Company in 2011 with vision to revive the long history of distilling in Brooklyn that stretches back to the 1700. Like many other New York distillers, Katz and Potter have been dedicated to sourcing locally grown grains for their whiskeys and even worked with Cornell University’s College of Agriculture to breathe new life into an almost extinct variety of heirloom rye.

Jaywalk is made from a fermented mash of 75% New York rye, 13% New York corn and 12% malted barley. The rye is a combination of their Pedersen Field Race rye, a unique hybrid they developed with Farmer Rick Pedersen up in Seneca Falls and the Horton rye they revitalize with Cornell. The mash is distilled in their hybrid-pot sill and aged in new charred oak barrels for six to eight years before the whiskey makes its way into the bottle.

This is a very exciting whiskey. There are intense aromas and flavors of black pepper, oak and rye spice but these are supported by sweeter flavors of vanilla, light brown sugar, dried apricot, and ripe nectarines. Don’t be afraid to enjoy this neat, but if you find it a bit too intene then it will do well on the rocks or in your favorite cocktail. $50 for this 6+ year old Empire Rye is a solid buy.

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Sample bottled provided by Kings County Distillery

Kings County Distillery

Empire Rye Straight Rye Whiskey 51% ABV, MSRP $99

Kings County Distillery was the first whiskey distillery in Brooklyn, New York to open since Prohibition. Like many other craft distilleries, they sourced locally grown grains and began by selling unaged corn whiskey and aged their bourbon in small barrels. However, over time they have gradually scaled up their barrels and their 375ml hip flasks have largely been replace by new 750ml bottles. In 2016, the American Distilling Institute named Kings County Distillery as their Distillery of the Year.

Their Empire Rye Is fermented from a mash of 80% New York-grown Danko rye and 20% English malted barley and double pot distilled in their Forsyth’s stills from Scotland. After distillation they are aged for a minimum of two years in Brooklyn though their recent releases have aged for at least 3 years.

The whiskey has lovely aromas caramel orchard fruit and baking spices. For a relatively young whiskey it has good structure and balance between flavors of oak, rye spice, fruit and caramels. Enjoy it neat, or with a splash of water, and it makes a fantastic New York Sour!

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Sample bottled provided by Great Jones Distilling Co.

Great Jones Distilling Co.

Straight Rye Whiskey 45% ABV, MSRP $45

Great Jones has the distinction of being the first operating distillery on the island of Manhattan since Prohibition. They source their grain from their sister distillery in the Black Dirt region of New York near the boarder with Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Their whiskeys are made by their Head Distiller Celina Perez, who previously worked for a couple of other spirit companys as well as a bartender and a cheesemonger.

Their straight rye whiskey is made from a fermented mash of 100% New York-grown rye which is distilled in their copper column with pot still doubler. And because of fire concerns their barrels are filled and them moved off site from their NOHO distillery to age for a minimum of 4 years before it is then bottled at 90 proof.

On the nose there is an inviting aroma of warm rye bread and strawberry jam followed by notes of orange zest and vanilla. As it breaths aromas of cracked black pepper and light caramel that evolves into over ripe apricot and toasted oak. These flavors ontinue on the palate and slowly fade on the finish. This is a solid buy at $45 and is fun new edition to the world of New York rye whiskeys. It is well balanced, easy to sip neat, and will work on the rocks or in your preferred rye-based cocktail.

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Sample bottled provided by Finger Lakes Distilling

Finger Lakes Distilling

McKenzie Straight Rye Whiskey 45.5% ABV, MSRP $40

Since 2008 Finger Lakes Distilling has been making a wide array of spirits in New York's famed wine region. The Finger Lakes are in western New York and the cold winters are moderated by lakes that stripe the landscape. When the distillery opened their doors, there were no malt houses in the state so they built their own to malt NY grown barley.

Their rye whiskey is distilled from a fermented mash of 80% NY grown Danko rye, and 20% malted barley which is then aged in charred new oak barrels made from Missouri white oak that was yard seasoned for 36 months. The whiskey enters the barrel at 100 proof and after aging for a minimum of four years before it is then finish in casks that previously held locally made sherry style wines.

The whiskey has lots of fun flavors of fruit and herbs. There is a light sweetness and subtle notes of oak followed by stronger flavors of caramel, clove and bright green apple. McKenzie Straight Rye makes a nice pre-dinner aperitif or post-desert digestive. At 91 proof the whiskey is soft enough to enjoy neat or with a splash of water.

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Honorable Mention

Since the founding of the Empire Rye Whiskey Association, it has expanded to 19 distilleries around New York. Here are a couple others that are also making Empire Rye.

Since 2015, Southern Tier Distilling Company has been making a variety of spirits including vodka, gin, whiskey, liqueurs and canned cocktails. Their stills were even built by one of their founders who previously worked as a welder and fabricator. Their rye whiskey is made from NY grown rye and corn, which after distillation is aged in new oak barrels with a heavy #4 char. The current bottlings of their Empire Rye are aged for a minimum of 6 years and bottled at 90 proof.

Black Button Distilling was founded by Jason Barrett who comes from a long line of world class tailors who have made closes for "Presidents, Popes, Kings, and Businessmen", hence the name. Built in Rochester, New York, Black Button is a grain-to-glass distillery with 100% of its ingredients grown in the Empire State. Today Black Button makes several spirits including vodka, gin, liqueurs, and whiskey. Their Empire Straight Rye Whiskey is made from a distilled mash of 94% Danko rye and 6% malted barley which is then aged for a minimum of 3 years before it is bottled unfiltered at 96 proof.

Forget about Dry January, I'm celebrating Rye January

It has become an increasingly popular trend for some drinking aged adults (about 1 in 5 in the US) to take a break from alcohol and participate in Dry January. Now if you feel like you over indulged during the holidays by all means prioritize your health. And, if you are like me and made sure to paced yourself through the holidays and new year’s, join me in celebrating Rye January. For those of us in the northern hemisphere it is still winter and rye spirits pair perfectly with the cold days and long nights. And while rye whiskey may not be the most popular spirit (in 2022 it made up about 7% of US whiskey sales) more and more people are embracing American’s original whiskey. Rye is a more difficult grain to make whiskey from but is also has a broader flavor spectrum than bourbon. The variety of the grain, whether it was malted or not, how it was distilled and how long the resulting spirit was aged all make rye whiskey a wonderfully complex spirit that deserves more recognition. So, for the rest of the month, I will be highlighting some of the different styles in rye whiskey and some individual expressions that are worth knowing about.

Sample provided by Sangfroid Distilling.

AT A GLANCE

Spirit Name: Maryland Rye Whiskey

Owned, Distilled and Bottled by: Sangfroid Distilling Hyattsville, MD

Spirit Type: Maryland Rye Whiskey

Mash Bill: Roughly 66% Rye, 33% Malted Balrey

Still Type: Pot Still

Age: 9-13 Months

Strength: 44.4% ABV

Price: $65

In 2018, Nate Groenendyk and Jeff Harne, two brothers-in-law founded Sangfroid Distilling with the goal of making brandy, rye whiskey, and Dutch-style gins. Their brandies are fermented from whole fruit grown on their own orchards, or nearby farmers in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Each brandy is distilled seasonally depending on when the fruit ripens and they only use the natural yeast on the fruit to ferment their sugars into alcohol. For their whiskeys and gins, they source all Maryland grown rye, spelt, and malted barley. Currently, their rye whiskey is aged for about nine months in 15 gallon charred new oak barrels before being bottled.

Quick note about what is Maryland rye whiskey. I have a whole chapter on it in my book The Atlas of Bourbon and American Whiskey but the Cliffs Notes version is that is was a style of whiskey made in Maryland, Northern Virginia, D.C. and Deleware that was prized in the 1800s for its quality and known generally to have a slightly sweeter profile than Pennsylvania rye whiskeys.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: The nose is packed full of great rye grain aromas of fresh baked bread with a light drizzle of honey.

Palate: Once in the mouth it is like drinking sweet tea with strong dose a lemon followed by doughy rye bread rolls and a touch of cracked pepper spice.

Finish: The finish is soft and light with lingering notes of rye grain and sweet lemon.

Conclusion: At just 13 months Sangfroid’s Maryland Rye Wyhiskey is a very tasty whiskey that has a great youthful grain character which is perfectly seasoned with oak. Easy to drink neat but also works well in a highball.