ByErik Ofgang, Contributor. Originally Posted on Forbes Feb 25, 2025, 12:13pm EST
Erik Ofgang is a Connecticut journalist who writes about drinks.
Cover Photo: The highest-ranked rye whiskeys tend to be full of spice character and can be sipped neat or used to power cocktails. getty
Rye whiskey is a category I’ve been exploring more and more in recent years. I’m secure enough in my tasting preferences to admit that historically I’ve tended to prefer bourbon as a sipper, but have always liked rye for the YOU-WILL-NOTICE-ME element it lends to cocktails and, of late, have found the drink increasingly appealing as a sipper on its own. The best ryes are about more than just bite and have a universe of character and spice flavors that I’m finding are a nice change of pace from bourbon (don’t worry, I still love bourbon though). The following rye whiskeys are ones I’ve fallen in love with for a mix of their flavor when poured neat and ability to power cocktails. I’m sure there are many great ryes that are not included on this list, but these are the best I’ve had recently.
Sagamore Small Batch Rye Whiskey, $39
The process Sagamore Distillery employs for this rye hits all the right notes. It’s hand-bottled, non-chill-filtered, and made with local rye and non-GMO corn from the distillery’s Maryland farm. Even better, however, is the way the finished product tastes. Nice and warm to start, it gets a hit of spice on the finish and works both as a sipper and ingredient for your favorite rye-based cocktail.
The Beverly High Rye, $60.99
This high rye seeks to be a best of both worlds combination of the spice-forward flavor of rye and the smoothness of bourbon. To that end, this whiskey is a blend of half straight rye and half straight bourbon, resulting in a spirit with a majority rye final mash bill. The finished product tastes just like you’d expect given that description. Warm and inviting on the front end, it closes smooth and caramel-like and is an excellent sipper.
New Riff Distilling Rye Whiskey, $45.99
New Riff Distilling’s core rye whiskey is bottled in bond without chill filtration and always carries an age statement. It’s mashbill is 95% rye and 5% malted rye, resulting in a, you guessed it, rye-forward flavor that is bursting with spicy character. This makes it perfect for fans of full rye flavor and also a great drink to use as a mixer in cocktails to give whatever you’re making a true rye kick.
Russell’s Reserve 6 Year Old Rye Whiskey, $44.99
This is older than many rye whiskeys and utilized specially selected barrels that are bottled and 90-proof. The ensuing liquid tastes like everything you want a rye to be. It starts smooth with a spice-forward and complex finish; it’s always a standout in my own tastings as well as blind tastings I host with others.
Stauning Rye Sherry Cask Finish, $75
Rye whiskey was developed and popularized in the U.S., but unlike bourbon, it does not need to be American to qualify as rye. And this premium offering from Stauning Whiskey in Denmark demonstrates that you don’t need to be in the U.S. to make great whiskey. This whiskey is made with rye grown locally to Denmark’s distillery and then aged Pedro Ximénez and palo cortado casks. The finished product is bursting with sherry fruit flavors. I get caramel notes on the finish, but other whiskey drinkers have described these as brown sugar notes.
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