News — Rye

You could make the argument that the most important dividing line in American whiskey is citrus. Of course, there’s no citrus in whiskey – but there are chemical elements that the brain recognizes as citrus, most often oranges or lemons. And when they’re there, they lighten a whiskey in a way some people like, and some don’t. Citrus aromas are a top note, meaning when it’s there, it tends to really pop in the first sniff, or the first time the whiskey touches the tongue. It’s quickly overwhelmed by heavier notes like brown sugar or vanilla. Citrus aromas are more...

Researchers look at the perceptible qualities of rye and Bourbon and conclude there's no real difference. Whiskeyvolk disagree: (Researcher Jacob) Lahne’s selection of what he calls “commercial” whiskies used in the study contain just one with no corn (Bulleit Rye) and one with no rye (Maker’s Mark). The rest were blends of both corn and rye, inevitably exhibiting attributes of both. As noted by Dr. Lahne, “it is possible for a 2% difference in mashbill to tip a whiskey from one category into the other”, and it is not possible for even the most discerning tasters to consistently recognize such...