As temperatures dip ever further in the evenings, we find ourselves drawn back to darker and more potent spirits to keep our hearts and bellies warm. Rye, one of the hardiest grains, also serves as the key ingredient of a category of whiskey that should be perfect for bolstering you against the coming cold.

In the family tree of American whiskeys, rye is bourbon’s bold and fiery twin brother. Prized for the distinctive flavor it receives from its namesake grain, rye is often characterized as having spicy, savory notes in contrast to bourbon’s relative mellowness.

Dabbler Depot stocks a wide variety of ryes to suit all tastes, but we found ourselves curious about which ryes represented a great balance of flavor and value. With those two considerations serving as our guiding principles, our staff conducted a blind tasting of 10 different rye whiskeys to determine which ryes reign supreme.

A quick note on methodology: Our four-person tasting team individually blind-tasted all 10 whiskeys consecutively and wrote our tasting notes independently. Then, we met as a group to share our thoughts and establish our favorites before revealing the identities (and price points) of the whiskeys we had been tasting. Our final rankings here balance our collective blind rankings against the product’s price, and some whiskeys gained points for offering an especially great value.

The Field

Our field consisted of 10 rye whiskeys with price points varying from $21.99 up to $99.99, including (in alphabetical order):

• 45th Parallel New Richmond Straight Rye Whiskey
• Barrell Seagrass Rye Whiskey
• Etesia Rye Whiskey
• J. Carver Hunt Club Double Barrel Rye Whiskey
• Michter's US-1 Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
• Rebel Straight Rye Whiskey
• Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond Straight Rye Whisky
• Sterns American Small Batch Avon Rye Whiskey
• Studio Rye Malt Whiskey
• WhistlePig 10 yr Small Batch Rye Whiskey

Tasting Notes

45 Parallel New Richmond Straight Rye • $43.99
92 Proof

Made by the folks at 45 Parallel Distillery from this whiskey’s eponymous town, New Richmond Straight Rye Whiskey boasts a rich caramel sweetness and warming spices on the nose that progress through to the palate and are buttressed by full-bodied rye malt structure and a medium peppery spice. A bit minimalistic in its flavor profile, but it’s a strong candidate for those looking for a good locally produced rye.

J. Carver Hunt Club Double Barrel Rye Whiskey • $44.99
Private Reserve 2020 • 80 Proof

This rye whiskey from Waconia’s J. Carver Distillery was aged for 15 months before being finished in the distillery’s own apple brandy barrels for an additional 15 months. The resulting whiskey is led by a caramel apple aroma with light citrus and smoky undertones on the nose. The flavor is very mellow—in fact, too mellow for our tasting panel. The light body is accentuated by very light grain and rye spice that dissipates quickly on the finish. More pronounced flavors and a longer finish would have helped this rye score higher.

Michter’s US-1 Kentucky Straight Rye • $44.99 • HONORABLE MENTION
Barrel No. 22D1440 • 84.8 Proof

Citrus notes of blood orange and bright lemon meet with brown sugar, vanilla, and toffee on the nose of this whiskey, and the impression of orange peel continues in the overall flavor. There was some dissent about the flavor complexity here amongst our tasters, with a few giving high marks for body and spice while others found it pleasant but indistinct. Everybody agreed that this was a well-balanced rye with no glaring weaknesses and a lot of positive attributes.

Rebel Straight Rye Whiskey • $25.99 • HONORABLE MENTION
90 Proof

Rebel Straight Rye Whiskey features a surprisingly delicate and floral nose containing notes of elderflower and honeysuckle, along with fruitier flavors like pear and melon as well. The impression of pastoral softness continues as the whiskey crosses your tongue with a gentle, multi-layered cooling sweetness and the barest hint of spice and grain. Finishes very soft with a lingering note of flowers and light alcohol warmth. The overall impression is a refined and delicate whiskey that is far mellower than the typical rye. Less “flamethrower” and more “vanilla candle” (in a good way).

Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond Straight Rye Whisky • $26.99
100 Proof

Rittenhouse offered our tasters notes of honey, vanilla, oak, and orange oils as well as a prickle of savory fennel on the nose. The flavor was rated as universally pleasant but fairly unremarkable, with tasters commenting on a light grain sweetness with oaky notes and caramel. This whiskey finished a bit hot for a few of our tasters—unsurprising given its higher proof—but overall rated as well-balanced, restrained, and perhaps lacking in a bit of spice and personality.

Stearns American Small Batch Avon Rye Whiskey • $48.99
Batch No. 000121 • 95 Proof

Our tasters praised the Minnesota-made Stearns for its distinctively nutty and savory aroma that also offered notes of apples and herbs. This whiskey is slightly more assertive in its rye usage, and our tasters enjoy the peppery spice and grain flavor present throughout, even if it left a few wanting even more rye character. Stearns is relatively light-bodied and easy-finishing for its proof, which most of our tasters praised as smooth and sippable. This whiskey was produced by Bent Brewstillery (Roseville) for Stearns American (Avon). 

Studio Rye Malt Whiskey • $45.99
Batch No. 27 • 94 Proof

Musty and woodsy aromas with a strong sour-spicy aroma reminiscent of dried cayenne pepper. Medium-to-full body with an especially pronounced expression of rye spice. Strong notes of oak abound as well, and linger on the palate along with a bit of alcohol burn. Left a strong overall impression but may be a bit aggressive for folks who are newer to the rye category.

The Top 3

No. 3

WhistlePig 10 yr Small Batch Rye • $99.99
Batch No. A/357 • 100 Proof

WhistlePig’s 10 yr Small Batch Rye is brimming with a very bright aromatic character that is filled with apple skins, overripe banana, sherry, and vanilla. Undertones of honeyed oak and a very light graininess can be found, though you need to dig under the fusel alcohol aromas to find them. Bubblegum and overripe banana esters are contrasted with spicy black pepper and lightly salty flavors. The finish is a bit hot on the tongue and could probably be aided with a few drops of water or an ice cube. It tastes well-aged and the fairly complex flavors meld well together. It would have rated higher with an elevated rye malt character in the flavor, but overall a lovely whiskey.

No. 2

Etesia Rye Whiskey • $21.99
80 Proof

This dark horse entry in the tasting really wowed our panel during the blind tasting portion and surprised us, even more, when we learned about the ludicrously low price point of $21.99. Butterscotch, cream soda, baking chocolate, and toffee notes are met with apple and cherry fruit for a rich aroma. Full-bodied and chewy on the palate with sweet caramel, oak, vanilla, and grilled stone fruit flavors that finish with a pleasant rye tickle. While a bit less refined than either of our other two top 3 finishers, this rye seriously punches far above its weight. This is most certainly the best-value rye in the tasting and will make a perfect bar staple on your home’s liquor shelf. If this whiskey had a more defined rye character and less sweetness, it may have just taken the top prize.

No. 1

Barrell Seagrass Rye Whiskey • $85.99
119.48 Proof

Barrell Seagrass Rye Whiskey takes top honors in our blind tasting and it’s easy to see why. Seagrass—a blend of Canadian and American rye whiskeys finished in Martinique Rum, Madeira, and apricot brandy barrels—pours beautiful and lush in the glass. Honeydew melon, candied orange peel, white flowers, and warming spices bolster a firm graininess on the nose. Salt and rye spice roll into maple syrup and melon sweetness on the palate, while lingering notes of tobacco and slightly charred oak round out the dry finish. The layers of flavors that unfurl in this whiskey wowed our tasters and each of us felt the price point was entirely justified for what is a superb dram of whiskey.