K&L Best of 2010 Awards: Rye

 

So I ran out of Whistle Pig and Rittenhouse Rye and I couldn't take a fancy picture on my new camera, so the professional images from the fancy K&L webpage will have to do.  In any case, our prestigious year end award for rye goes to:

David D picks: Whistle Pig 10 Year Old Rye Whiskey - Dave Pickerell, the former master distiller for Maker's mark, decided to open a distillery in Vermont.  The situation he was presented with was not unlike High West's David Perkins - sell gin and vodka, or go out and find some aged whiskey to sell in the meantime.  Pickerell went to Canada and located some pretty outstanding rye. Big, rich, mouthfilling rye that seemed to impress just about everyone who tasted it.  We're selling a case every two days right now, which should be an indication about how much people like this stuff.  This is fantastic whiskey that bourbon lovers will appreciate as well.

David OG picks: Rittenhouse 25 Year Old Rye - Truly the grandaddy of American rye whiskies.  This ancient beast from Heaven Hill is so rich and complex that it goes beyond any other aged option out there on the market.  Sazerac 18 is comparable, but really doesn't hit the level that the extra 7 years adds to this bottle.  This baby starts lingering into coffee, toffee, and nougat flavors all while keeping that classic rye spice.  Very much the Holy Grail of rye whiskey for the time being.

-David Driscoll