I got together with some buds last night for some bluegrass pickin' and whiskey drinkin'. Someone broke out a bottle of Jim Beam Rye Whiskey, which I just had to try since I'd never had rye whiskey before. I'm now a certified rye whiskey fan.
Jim Beam Rye has an earthier and slightly more muted flavor than its made-from-corn cousin, Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon. And the burn one feels on the back of one's tongue when sipping bourbon or Tennessee whiskey is more muted as well.
Dennis' Whiskey Corner has the skinny on rye whiskey in general. A sample:
"George Washington made rye whiskey at his home, Mount Vernon, Virginia. Indeed, the domestic rye whiskey industry had a proud tradition in the United States, particularly in the north-south neighboring states of Pennsylvania and Maryland. Unfortunately it never quite recovered from Prohibition. During and after Prohibition Americans turned to blended Canadian whisky to fill a demand that would take several years to mature in casks at home. Also American tastes had dulled quite a bit during Prohibition, and the market share never reäppeared. To this day the straight rye industry is far under appreciated. With the introduction of some new labels, though, a renaissance of rye seems to be on the way!"
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