Rye was America's whiskey before bourbon was, it nearly went extinct after Prohibition, and it's now the fastest-growing corner of the American whiskey shelf, mostly because every good Manhattan, Sazerac, and Old Fashioned was written for it. The two things worth knowing: a "Kentucky-style" rye is barely over half rye grain and drinks round and sweet, while an "Indiana-style" 95% rye is all pepper, dill, and mint, and the one you want depends on the drink. Here are twenty ryes in stock right now, from a $28 bartender's workhorse to WhistlePig 12, sorted by price, with the style and the job noted for each.
Shop all rye whiskey in stock at Chips Liquor
Under $35: The Cocktail Workhorses
Rittenhouse Rye Bottled in Bond ($27.99)
The bartender's rye, behind more Manhattans and Sazeracs than any other bottle of the craft cocktail era. Heaven Hill's 51% rye at 100 proof, bonded. Dried banana, peach, white pepper, leather. Rounder and sweeter than the Indiana style, which is exactly why it plays so well with vermouth and bitters. Every home bar should have one.
Bulleit 95 Rye ($28.99)
One of the whiskeys that brought rye back in 2011: 95% rye from Indiana at 90 proof. Dill, pine, mint, orange peel, a dry peppery finish. The definition of the modern Indiana style, and the crisp Manhattan rye.
Sazerac Rye ($29.99)
The New Orleans original from Buffalo Trace, "Baby Saz," younger sibling of the Antique Collection's 18 Year. Low-rye mash bill at 90 proof: orange zest, clove, raisin, apricot, black licorice. Breaking Bourbon called it an essential rye and a must-have at the price. The definitive rye for a Sazerac, naturally, and one of the best sellers in the shop.
Woodford Reserve Rye ($29.99)
53% rye with a healthy dose of corn, triple pot-distilled, 90.4 proof. Pear, honeycrisp apple, pepper, tobacco, and a finish that lingers for minutes. A rye for bourbon drinkers, in the flask bottle.
Elijah Craig Straight Rye ($34.99)
Heaven Hill's rye recipe (the one behind Rittenhouse) at 94 proof under the Elijah Craig label. Black pepper, summer fruit, kettle corn, caramel, allspice, butterscotch. If you already like Elijah Craig Small Batch, this is the next bottle.
Redwood Empire Emerald Giant ($34.99)
The best-value craft rye on the West Coast: 95% rye, four years, 90 proof, from Graton, California, and they plant a tree for every bottle. Pine, anise, green peppercorn, leather. A go-to Old Fashioned rye.
$35 to $60: The Step Up
Pinhook Rye'd On ($39.99)
The first whiskey released from Castle & Key, the restored distillery Colonel E.H. Taylor built in 1887, abandoned from 1972 until its revival. 60% rye, 97 proof, around three years. Hay, cinnamon, peach, apricot, mint. Gentle and fruit-forward, and a collector's piece for anyone following Castle & Key.
High West Double Rye ($42.99)
Two ryes blended: young, spicy 95% Indiana rye and High West's own pot-still 80% rye aged up to seven years, at 92 proof. Pepper, mint, dill from the young one; honey, vanilla, oak from the old. The workhorse behind a Sazerac or a Boulevardier.
Michter's US*1 Kentucky Straight Rye ($44.99)
Unusually for the price, every bottle comes from a single barrel. Rye grain sheared before mashing, heat-cycled warehouses, 84.8 proof. Caramel, cherry, green apple, cinnamon buns, gingerbread. Don't let the proof steer you away. The Manhattan rye for someone who finds 95% ryes too sharp.
Woodinville Straight Rye ($44.99)
100% rye grown on one Washington farm, distilled in Woodinville, aged in central Washington's extreme temperature swings, 90 proof. Honey, spearmint, cream soda, cracked pepper. A true farm-to-bottle rye and a great Sazerac base.
Sagamore Spirit Signature Rye ($45.99)
Baltimore's revival of Maryland rye, the softer, fruitier East Coast style, proofed with spring water from the limestone aquifer under the farm that raised Native Dancer. 83 proof: vanilla, candied orange peel, clove, walnut. Easy-drinking, and the bottle looks the part.
WhistlePig PiggyBack 6 Year ($48.99)
Dave Pickerell's last creation, blended in summer 2018 for bartenders: 100% rye, six years, 96.56 proof. He passed that November; the label carries his Stetson. Cinnamon, tobacco, brown sugar, Red Hot cinnamon on the finish. The WhistlePig to stir into a Manhattan without a second thought.
Wilderness Trail Single Barrel Rye ($59.99)
Sweet-mash rye from two fermentation scientists in Danville, entered into the barrel at the lowest proof in Kentucky, bottled at cask strength from one barrel. Drinkhacker rated it an A-: lemon peel, orange creamsicle, clove, chili pepper, barrel char. The most interesting Kentucky rye under $60.
$60 to $130: Cask Strength and Age
Willett Family Estate 4 Year Cask Strength Rye ($69.99)
The whiskey that made Willett rye a cult item: a blend of Willett's high-rye (74%) and low-rye (51%) recipes, four years, cask strength around 110 proof, non-chill-filtered. Cherry, honey, rye bread, menthol, green tea, black pepper. The most accessible way to taste Willett's own distillate, and the rye enthusiasts argue about most.
High West Rendezvous Rye ($69.99, five bottles)
The whiskey that launched High West and the base for Midwinter Night's Dram, now a limited seasonal release built around more of High West's own pot-still rye, four to seven years, 92 proof. Cinnamon sugar, citrus, cherry, mint, pepper. Each year's batch varies, which makes it fun to collect.
Sagamore Spirit Single Barrel, San Diego Barrel Boys Pick ($69.99)
A private barrel chosen for Chips Liquor by the San Diego Barrel Boys, one of SoCal's most active whiskey clubs: six-year rye from Barrel 11, Floor 3, Rack 2, at 110 proof, far above the 83-proof Signature. Candied orange, clove, nutmeg, brown sugar, walnut. One barrel only; when these bottles are gone the whiskey doesn't exist anymore.
The Senator Single Barrel 6 Year Barrel Proof ($79.99)
One of the purest expressions of Indiana rye you can buy: a single barrel of six-year 95% MGP rye at 110.36 proof, non-chill-filtered, from Proof and Wood's DC Collection. Lemon, orange, pepper, cherry, dill, mint, a long spicy finish. Boston Rye called it bright and a solid value for aged barrel-proof rye. Six years is the sweet spot where MGP rye keeps its dill-and-pepper and picks up real oak.
Barrell Seagrass ($89.99)
Barrell's most adventurous rye: Indiana, Tennessee, and Canadian ryes finished separately in Martinique rhum agricole, apricot brandy, and Madeira casks, reassembled at 118.4 proof. Gummy bears and cotton candy over rye spice, red fruit, apricot brandy. Breaking Bourbon rated it 4 out of 5 and called it a bold risk that nails it. A rye like no other.
WhistlePig 10 Year Small Batch ($89.99)
The bottle that launched WhistlePig and, arguably, the premium rye category: aged 100% Canadian rye rescued from being blended away, finished on the Vermont farm, 100 proof. Peppery rye, apricot, citrus zest, dill, honey, brown sugar. The most awarded rye in the world, by WhistlePig's count. Ten years and 100 proof is a great Manhattan and a polished neat pour.
WhistlePig 12 Year Old World ($129.99)
Twelve-year rye finished in Madeira, Sauternes, and Port casks and married, 86 proof. Raisin, dates, stewed dark fruit, maple, vanilla fudge, with rye pepper arriving late; several tasters call it almost Scotch-like. Double Gold for best rye at San Francisco in 2015, 93 from The Whiskey Wash. The rye gift for someone who doesn't think they like rye.
Quick Picks
- Manhattan: Rittenhouse, or PiggyBack for the upgrade.
- Sazerac: Sazerac Rye, or Woodinville.
- Old Fashioned: Redwood Empire or Elijah Craig Rye.
- Neat, Kentucky style: Wilderness Trail Single Barrel.
- Neat, Indiana style: The Senator.
- Cask strength cult bottle: Willett 4 Year.
- Gift: WhistlePig 10, or Old World for the non-rye drinker.
- Nobody else has it: the Sagamore SDBB barrel.
Shipping Rye From Chips Liquor
Every bottle above is in stock at our Pacific Beach shop in San Diego and ships fast to most states. The seasonal High West Midwinter Night's Dram Act 13 is also on the shelf while it lasts. For the corn side of the aisle, see our best bourbon under $60, or browse the full rye collection.