Rye whiskey can have different meanings depending on location. In the US, it must contain at least 51% rye and be aged in charred oak casks. Canadian rye whiskey may or may not contain rye, but must have the aroma and flavors of traditional rye. Rye whiskey is less popular than Bourbon in the US.
The term rye whiskey can refer to more than one type of whisky, depending on the company and its location. In the United States, this type of whiskey must be made with at least 51% rye to be considered rye whiskey. Rye is a type of grain, which gives whiskey a certain taste and aroma. In Canada, however, the rye whiskey label may be given to any whiskey that remains consistent with the taste and aroma of traditional rye or Canadian whiskey and need not contain a certain percentage of rye.
When making rye whiskey in the United States, a distiller may use corn and malted barley along with rye. The whiskey must be aged in charred oak casks, and the whiskey must be no more than 125 proof when cask, meaning the whiskey cannot contain more than about 62% alcohol by volume. If the whiskey is aged for two years or more, the label becomes ‘straight’ rye whiskey.
Canadian rye whiskey is a completely different drink. Instead of rye being the main ingredient, in many cases corn takes over as the main one. While most, if not all, Canadian rye whiskeys contain some amount of rye, it’s not necessary to know how much rye should be used to distill this whiskey. Thus, a whiskey labeled Canadian rye may or may not contain a significant amount of rye, but rather possesses the aroma and flavors of a rye whiskey and is therefore “in the tradition of” a rye whiskey. Most Canadian versions of the whiskey have a minimum age of three years.
This type of whiskey was popular in the northeastern United States, but largely disappeared during prohibition and has struggled to make a comeback since. Today, there are still several smaller distilleries producing rye, but these whiskey varieties are not as popular in the United States as Bourbon or Scotch. Bourbon tends to be fuller than that of rye, which has a spicy flavor with hints of fruit. Bourbon is sweeter than rye and is made mostly from corn. While rye used to be a popular choice for mixed drinks, Bourbon has surpassed rye in popularity and is now more commonly used for such drinks.
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