The Ultimate Rye Flavor Map [Infographic]

Bourbon’s popularity undoubtedly dwarfs that of rye’s, but rye’s invention actually predates that of bourbon’s, going all the way back to 1750. And even though both spirits predominantly hail from Kentucky, rye whiskey’s origins trace back to Pennsylvania. Rye isn’t as in vogue as it used to be; the category has rebounded since the turn of the century, due in no small part to bartenders rediscovering the spirit’s cocktail mixing potential — call it a rye-naissance.

While most bourbons are described with tasting notes like caramel, vanilla, and oak, rye tends to fall into a spicier camp where words like herbaceous, peppery, and dry are thrown around. Still, the two brown spirits share many similarities. They’re both aged in charred new American oak barrels, must be aged for a minimum of two years (to qualify as straight bourbon or straight rye), and both must be bottled at at least 40 percent ABV.

A rye’s mash bill has to contain a minimum of 51 percent rye grain. The rest of the mash bill can be made up of anything from corn to wheat to malted barley. Some companies, like Midwest Grain Products (MGP), will go so far as to incorporate up to 95 percent rye grain in their rye whiskey’s mash bills, giving those expressions a distinctly spicy and herbaceous kick. Of course, it’s not just varying proportions of grains that make rye expressions differ between brands. ABV, distillation methods, warehouse aging conditions, and more all factor into the profile of