Your reviews are excellent. But what I enjoy more than the reviews is the interaction between you both. The respect you show for each other in your reviews, reflects the loving feelings you have for each other. Phil and Julie, the love and respect you have for each other is so reflective in your whiskey reviews.
I like the rye themed take on this concept! Good on you for leaving some JD on the shelf for the next person. That's good whiskey karma! To have enough is to have a lot & I'm always left shaking my head when I see a bunker with 10 multiples of something.
Julie: "I like where your head is going?" Phil: "Where is my head going?" You two crack me up, great list right here. Im just starting out into my rye collection so now I have a few to keep an eye out for! Cheers.
This might be the absolute best video I've ever watched about, not only rye, but all whiskeys...and I have them streaming daily at work. I've been enjoying Michters Rye but now I'll be trying a few of these. The drummer reference started off really fun with the Def Leppard's Rick Allen, but when you went to Art Blakey, I lost it! Made me sit upright, take note, and completely validated your choices of drummers. Dave Grohl, Jon Bohnam , & Neil Peart were icing on the cake. Love, love, love your show. You two spoke and connected with me today. A sincere Thank You. (Now I'm off to a supermarket that is showing one "JD Single Barrel Special Reserve Rye" in stock.)
We're so glad you enjoyed this. We were just saying this was all off the cuff and was peak Bourbon Van. It'll probably never happen again. Regardless, hope you were able to track down that JD Rye!
Totally agree with your love of 101 rye, it fill both daily sipper and cheap mixer in my book! Wish I could have found the JD. Really enjoy Pikesville and love Julie's laugh!
@@TheBourbonVan Actually found the old forester last night getting groceries. The flavor was sweet and smooth. Can’t believe I only paid $24. Thanks so much for introducing me to this rye👍🏽🥃
So true about the Jack Daniels. I paid $150 non-secondary and I STILL regret not buying the second lmao. Truly a fantastic bottle and one of the few bottles I'd be willing to pay above SRP. Great analogies with the drummers! Cheers!
Great picks. And good drummer analogies. Bonham is definitely top of heap. Daily drinker is Ringo, though. Better than he gets credit for. Always on point. And swinging. Daily sipper: Lot 40 - a bit under the radar Candian but soooo good and easy to find. Cheap mixer: Rittenhouse works A bottle to impress: That Willet 4 year is amazing Friday night pour: Heaven's Door Rye (though I slightly prefer the Highway 61 blend, which is more bourbon than rye) Special occasion bottle: HW Midwinter Night's Dram
Solid picks right there. And of course, Ringo! We have enjoyed everything we've had from Heaven's Door, but we haven't had the rye yet. Sounds like it's time for us to have a look at that one. You're right on that Lot 40 though. Flies under the radar and it's a great pour.
We actually thought about you when we were making this list! We couldn't track down any of the Wilderness Trail you tried a couple weeks ago, though we looked everywhere. Hopefully we'll track some of that down in our travels soon. Cheers!
@@TheBourbonVan very cool! I hope you do find it, the herbal notes came out a little more with the last part, but a good Rye. Keep up the great content, really appreciate your thoughts and up beat nature. Cheers!
A year ago I would have said I only need zero rye whiskeys. I had never met a rye that I liked. Then I decided that I would try to learn to like it. I started with Woodford and had a difficult time finishing the bottle. I moved on until I got to Wild Turkey 81. It was my 4th bottle and the first one that I really enjoyed from the first sip. I've been looking for the 101, but it isn't currently sold in Ohio. Since then I've tried several others and am currently enjoyed Old Overholt 114. I've heard lots of good things about Pikesville and may have to pick one up soon.
We have not seen the Overholt 114 yet, but would love to track that one down. Wild Turkey does a great job with their ryes. We love both the 101 and the Rare Breed. Cheers to your rye whiskey journey, Walter!
@@TheBourbonVan The Old Overholt 114 review is the most viewed video on my channel. I am surprised at that. It was an Ohio rellease so I'm not sure how available it is. but it might just be my favorite rye so far.
When I just started to explore bourbon I tried Rye whiskey and my thought was “Ugh, that’s awful”. Two years after that the same bottle is my favorite one. So far I have more ryes in my collection and I enjoy them much more than any other liquor. In addition of what you guys recommend I would also add High West Double Rye
Whistlepig piggy back 6 year is my favorite cocktail rye in my manhattans at home. All i drink is rye. Love it so much more than bourbon. Im a scotch drinker and rye is a similar kind of thing. Great video
Phil.... Willett Rye... over ice cream?? You’ve hit your head!! Best Old Fashioned Rye... Old Forester!! Great list... and holy heck... WT 101 Rye for $24?!?!?
I love your drummer analogies, and you were spot on with those! I've only been into rye whiskey's for the last year or so and have been looking to try what I can, with several hits and a few misses. The only one on the your list that I've had is the Pikesville which I absolutely love. The rest on your list I'm absolutely going to try, with the exception of the JD, which I probably will never see. I just did a quick internet search on it, and I see it listed for sale btw. $299 - $350, so that puts it out of my range no matter the availability. Another Rye that I really enjoy is the Russell's Reserve Rye which is very tasty. Thanks for the list!!
you should try Lot40 rye Mmmm good Made in Windsor Ont Canada if you can get it don't miss out It will give you a warm Canadian hug as we a say its a 100% rye a must try
Awesome vid love the drummer comparisons....I have never had rye before but thanks to you guys I look forward to trying some of your selections. Keep up the good work.
I’ve never bought a rye, but that’s gonna change! I’m looking forward to trying a few of your picks as well as the Alberta premium. Keep up the great content guys!
Excellent video! Loving rye lately, only this year, now completely hooked. Have around 50 so far, but still looking for that Jack Daniel's you have. I have their lower proof single barrel but it's not very special. Today added three more top 15 favorites, in order of preference: the white label Catocin Creek barrel proof(double gold 2017), the Stellum Black,(Stellum single barrel was so good had to splurge on the Black), and the Redemption 10yr. Expensive day. Need an intervention lol,but this is my reward for being on day 170 without cigarettes!
Moved to Louisville 37 years ago, and fell for bourbon. Suddenly I'm only collecting rye. Almost praying NOT to find any allocated bourbon bottles because I'm spending way too much on rye now, and don't seem to be ready to stop! Sipping the Stellum Black right now, and it's just incredible.
I said bonham right before hearing you say it 😆🤘BAM gave me goosebumps and I have two bottles of this here in seattle only two at store no remorse for being selfish cheers good show guys
I so want to enjoy rye whiskey but I'm not there yet. I keep trying my Pikesville from time to time but it hasn't clicked yet. The peppery finish kind of spoils it for me. I had a similar experience with Old Forester 1920 (but not peppery) and now I absolutely LOVE that juice and I really think that will happen with rye whiskeys one day. In the mean time I WILL get a bottle of WT 101 Rye because I haven't tasted a Turkey product that didn't blow my socks off! Great video!
Looks like WT 101 Rye is now the list. It is one bottle that is readily available in my neck of the woods. At least I have seen bottles at several stores. OF Rye 100 proof is as good as you both described and has become scarce here in the Midwest unfortunately. Now onto to your last drummer reference for the JD Rye (now in the unicorn stratum and nowhere to be found) you should of segued after complimenting Norman with “sharped dress cat” with Frank Beard of ZZTop! Priceless! Outstanding episode!
Whiskey availability is so funny. Y’all can’t find OF 100 rye but it’s literally everywhere around me here in Nashville but WT 101 rye is really tough to find here. Nonetheless, great vid!
It's so strange. We've had people tell us they find Willett easily in their area. It's impossible to find here. We came really close to choosing Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye for our Friday Night Pour, but it was important to us that we chose something more readily available when possible. Now we're hearing that some people can't find Pikesville. You just never know!
@@TheBourbonVan Yep, that Willett is everywhere around here. So is Pikesville. I probably even find Rare Breed rye more than I find 101 rye. It’s ridiculous.
Rewatching this again and enjoying the fact most of these are not only available to me but on-point as they're underrated great ryes. Comparing it to your 2021 Rye selections.... only one on that list I can obtain within 100 miles of me. Are you getting snooty? ;-}. That probably says more about Idaho liquor stores than it does you! One of my favorite surprise ryes (too low proof, though) is CR Northern Harvest Rye... tastes like Christmas to me. HW makes great ryes as well.
Haha, we might be getting snooty! I think we're just lucky to have discovered so many great whiskeys in our travels. A ton of small distilleries are doing amazing things and we're thrilled that we get to try them and share their successes.
“Let’s get rye into it”... “this will a-ryes to the occasion”... love it! You missed “this seemed like the rye-t idea” or using “all-rye all-rye all-rye” with a McConaughey accent hahaha. Loved the drummer comparisons... I would go with Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye (probably impress the guests) as Carter Beauford because this rye is easy to listen to yet complex enough to be thoroughly blown away with the solo riffs.
@@TheBourbonVan ah man, I missed it then (or don’t remember... wrinkles don’t always set in my brain hahaha). Nicely done! Cheers and keep the good review videos coming. I love watching and sipping along with you guys.
@@stevenreed007 we appreciate that so much, Steven! If you want ALL the rye puns (and fairly poor editing from one of our earliest videos) check this one out! ua-cam.com/video/2o0E-CwzocU/v-deo.html
Its a new release, but if you happen to see Barrell Seagrass. I HIGHLY recommend it. Its sweet on the front and finishes with a nice rye finish. Super unique, super good!
I am a new subscriber to your channel and enjoy you both. I used to drink Scotch till a friend told me I should try bourbon. I enjoy Old Forester 1910, Woodford Reserve Double Oak and am now thinking of of going to the Rye side of bourbon. I really enjoyed your rye taste test. Next time out I’m getting the Old Forester and Wild Turkey. Thanks for all your help.
My local surprised me this week with several bottles of Michter’s behind locked glass doors. Not going to blow it up but only say that I will be hunting for more bottles of the single barrel rye. If only it was 100 proof or north…
I’ve been drinking Rye for 40 years(I don’t drink Bourbon, but I do drink scotch). I like Bulliet 95, Basil Hayden Dark Rye and Michter’s Rye regular or 10 year.
I really like JD 90 proof rye (now replaced by the 100 proof bonded) which I haven't tried yet. This JD single barrel special release seems like an awesome rye! I'm currently hunting for the 101 rye, which is not too easy to find in my area.
Another great list, thanks! For sure need to grab some Pikesville. Super sad that I never found the JD special, but I take consolation in the fact that Willett is still abundant here in KY. Also just ordered the Seagrass release direct from Barrell that should be delivered today. High hopes on that one. Cheers!
Just cracked a bottle of Pikesville, it is really good! Funny how you mentioned High West, I bought a TW pick of the Double Rye because Dan (Bourbon Junkies) raved about it, and it is FANtastic.
@@TheBourbonVan You had just mentioned that you did not choose any HW ryes, you'd leave that up to the BJ's. The pick I am drinking as I type this is a rum barrel finished, really good, and still available.
I think you guys are great! I found the Willet 4-year to be undrinkable. I'm glad I tried it in a whiskey flight as opposed to buying a bottle of it. Just not for me.
I don’t usually purchase wines or liquors that have a celebrity named to it via ownership . That being said, I would suggest that you 2 try Heaven’s Door Rye . When tasting this a friend who is very picky, on the first sip her eyes widened and said this is GREAT !!!! What is it . She and a few others were taken back when I told them it’s Bob Dylan’s
We really enjoy the Heaven's Door line, especially the whiskeys they source from MGP. We're completely in love with one of their single barrel bourbons right now. We'll need to seek out that rye!
Hi from Seattle. I am looking for pepper. Which ryes are the most peppery? I prefer a bit of sweet but love spice and pepper the most. Can you recommend an affordable and easily accessible peppery rye?
Have to take a trip to Illnois next week for family event..... But while I'm there I will pick up Old Forester Rye..... Can't find it in Missouri.... In the mean time I have discover Redwood Empire Rye... rated 97 points Has a great nose and outstanding taste. Gets better every sip....
Thanks for the recommendations, Craig! We stare at that Kentucky Owl on the shelf and sigh every time we go to the liquor store. $300 is out of our reach for the time being. We never see those Michter's, but they are both very high on our list. If we see them, we'll scoop them up. Cheers!
Great channel great content. Just became a subscriber. Keep up the great work! Since you are a fan of Brown Forman, I highly recommend Cooper's Craft Barrel Reserve and the JD Single Barrel Rye. It's not the barrel proof but it is a good rye.
Hey Christopher, welcome! We gush about the Coopers Craft Barrel Reserve regularly, so you are definitely in the right place. We are planning to spend some time this year exploring more of the JD catalog and we appreciate the recommendation! Cheers!
Hey Tim, Templeton Rye is MGP-sourced whiskey. We like plenty of MGP-sourced whiskey, but Templeton has a bit of a history. We avoid speaking about them, mostly because it almost always leads to people getting really upset. Check out this link for more info: thewhiskeyjug.com/rye-whiskey/5-reasons-dont-buy-templeton-barrel-strength-straight-rye-whiskey/
Great videos, Guys...lotsa fun! Sadly, hard to find most of those here in 🇨🇦. I have the Rittenhouse, and basically use it for mixing. A bottle of the Pikeville should actually be arriving to me today (with another being held onto for me by a friend in MN). I would LOVE to try the Jack Daniel’s Rye as the Single Barrel Barrel Proof bourbon is so good! I’ve heard great things about the Willet and would love to try that too! P.S. Peart and Bonham are probably my 2 favourite drummers!! 😃👍🏼
Hey Paul, glad you enjoyed this one! The drummer thing kinda popped in my head at the last instant. You have to let us know what you think of that Pikesville. Obviously, we love it!
Funny you talk about Willet the way you do. To me, WFE is the utmost “quintessential” rye, because all the flavors you could get naturally from the grain/grass are present, but pleasing, and not sugar coated with a lot of corn mixed in, or barrel influence, or finishings anything like that. It’s not odd or ball, it’s just the textbook of what a rye OUGHT to taste like. If you can’t find this one, Stellum Rye is somewhat close but is a little more citrus and little less botanical.
If I could get WT101 Rye at the price, I'd get it. It's almost 50 here in VA. At that price, hard to justify, even at a liter bottle size. Great idea doing the rye lineup.
@@TheBourbonVan I would say I am still looking for a daily rye sipper. If I'm wanting rye, I would say my go-to would be high west double rye or baby saz. I am still needing to try Old Forrester and rittenhouse. Similar to OGD BiB, I've just ended up getting other things on the shelf. I felt that twist of the arm with OGD so maybe that's my pickup this week.
I have fallen in love with High West recently, in the last 2 months, I have bought 4 of their bottles and Rendezvous tied with Bourye for my favorite thus far. Sadly, I haven't been able to get my hands on midwinter due to price and location
@@austinuden1872 Very true. I recently tried the Old Forester rye and would rate it about average or a little above. Nothing really special, but the High West has a much more pronounced rye flavor which I liked a lot. People also dump on Bulleit bourbon which I also happen to think is pretty good. I guess I enjoy a nice glass of furniture polish.
My wife is the rye drinker. I prefer bourbon. The only one we have is the Wild Turkey 101. She loves High West double rye, Saz jr., Peerless, Redemption, Templeton, and a few more. We intend to buy the Pikeville and Rittenhouse. Never considered Willet because of how bad the pot still tastes. We need to get some Old Forester products. We have over 100 bottles but none from Old Forester.
@@TheBourbonVan Will do, thanks. Interesting how different the mash bills in the OF - 65% rye, 20% barley, 15% corn vs the WT - 51% rye, 37% corn, 12% barley. Leads me to believe they taste nothing alike. That true?
@@TheBourbonVan Picked up the OF yesterday ($24) and yes very bourbon-like. Not as sweet and though a medium finish the peppery spice lingers for some time which I quite liked. My wife dug it too. (Look out, you may have some competition in a year or two : )
I just picked up my first bottle of Wild Turkey Rye 101 a few weeks ago. For some reason, the last few years, only the liter bottle was available in my area, but going for $45 (way too much, in my opinion!). Finally, some sanity has been restored, and now the 750 ml bottle is available for $22 - same as the 101 bourbon. So I finally made a purchase. I didn't like it at first, but maybe due to the bottle getting some air or my palate acclimating, I did start to like it. And like you, I might even like it better than the 101 bourbon. I know the WT101 bourbon is a very popular bottle to bourbon fans, but as much as I've tried to love it, it hasn't happened. Also, strangely, the 101 bourbon is one of a few bourbons that sometimes makes me cough uncontrollably from time to time. I mean, I have had much higher proof bourbons that don't do that to me. The 101 rye, fortunately, has not had that effect on me. LOL Regarding the Old Forester Rye, I really enjoy it, and also like it better than the OF 100 proof bourbon.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the 101 Rye! I enjoy 101 Bourbon from time to time, but I'm much more likely to pull a bottle of JTS Brown, Evan Williams, or Old Grand-Dad Bonded off the shelf. I don't dislike it, but like you said, it hasn't happened.
@@TheBourbonVan I like the EW BIB also, especially for $16. I'm disappointed that Barton Distilleries removed the Bottled in Bond designation from Very Old Barton, but I still enjoy VOB 100 proof quite a bit as well, for a cheaper pour. About $18 by me in the Chicago suburbs.
We've never seen a bottle of Very Old Barton, but we keep hearing good things about them. If we see one in our travels this year, we'll likely scoop it up.
Phil, just want you to know that you 100% nailed the drummer analogies. 👏👏👏
No matter what else happens today, my day is made.
Sazerac is delightful. Great pics!
Your reviews are excellent. But what I enjoy more than the reviews is the interaction between you both.
The respect you show for each other in your reviews, reflects the loving feelings you have for each other.
Phil and Julie, the love and respect you have for each other is so reflective in your whiskey reviews.
Totally agree with WT 101 Rye is absolutely the best for the money and tastes delicious 😋
It always has a spot on our shelf.
I like the rye themed take on this concept! Good on you for leaving some JD on the shelf for the next person. That's good whiskey karma! To have enough is to have a lot & I'm always left shaking my head when I see a bunker with 10 multiples of something.
So true, Jason. We grab a backup bottle when we see something we like at a great price, but hoarding whiskey is just greedy.
Julie: "I like where your head is going?"
Phil: "Where is my head going?"
You two crack me up, great list right here. Im just starting out into my rye collection so now I have a few to keep an eye out for! Cheers.
This list was a ton of fun to put together. The Old Forester and the Pikesville are great places to start for bourbon drinkers. Cheers!
This might be the absolute best video I've ever watched about, not only rye, but all whiskeys...and I have them streaming daily at work. I've been enjoying Michters Rye but now I'll be trying a few of these. The drummer reference started off really fun with the Def Leppard's Rick Allen, but when you went to Art Blakey, I lost it! Made me sit upright, take note, and completely validated your choices of drummers. Dave Grohl, Jon Bohnam , & Neil Peart were icing on the cake. Love, love, love your show. You two spoke and connected with me today. A sincere Thank You. (Now I'm off to a supermarket that is showing one "JD Single Barrel Special Reserve Rye" in stock.)
We're so glad you enjoyed this. We were just saying this was all off the cuff and was peak Bourbon Van. It'll probably never happen again. Regardless, hope you were able to track down that JD Rye!
I love your videos, you are so down to earth. Great job on the drummers anthology by the way.
Thanks a lot, Michael! If we weren't having fun, it wouldn't be worth it.
You guys are great. Do more rye stuff.
Appreciated the drummer references as a drummer myself 😆
Totally agree with your love of 101 rye, it fill both daily sipper and cheap mixer in my book! Wish I could have found the JD. Really enjoy Pikesville and love Julie's laugh!
We feel spoiled right now by all the readily available ryes at great prices. It's a great time to be a rye whiskey drinker!
Loved the drummer analogies. Thanks for introducing these. Very excited to try to some of them👍🏽
Cheers, Dave! Thanks for watching and let us know what you think if you try them out!
@@TheBourbonVan Actually found the old forester last night getting groceries. The flavor was sweet and smooth. Can’t believe I only paid $24. Thanks so much for introducing me to this rye👍🏽🥃
@@davejones5728 That is a solid find at the grocery store! So glad you're enjoying it.
Genius drummer analogies!
Great video! I totally agree with you’re picks. Love the drummer analogies.
Thanks a lot! Cheers, Hollis!
LOVE Pikesville Rye straight up ... but treat yourself to it in a Manhattan = OUTSTANDING cocktail!!!!!! SO GOOD!!
We’ll give it a shot, Robert! Thanks for the tip.
I’m not into rye whiskey, but I really enjoy Old Forester - great stuff and easy on the bank account, too.
P.S. Norman is such a lovely looking cat.
"Tastes like....fun!" Brilliant
Pretty soon it's just going to be laughing and crying emojis.
Good review. And Norman is an awesome co-star. 😸👍
Nice presentation. Keep it up 🎉
So true about the Jack Daniels. I paid $150 non-secondary and I STILL regret not buying the second lmao. Truly a fantastic bottle and one of the few bottles I'd be willing to pay above SRP. Great analogies with the drummers! Cheers!
It's such a special bottle! Glad you're enjoying it. Cheers!
Great picks. And good drummer analogies. Bonham is definitely top of heap. Daily drinker is Ringo, though. Better than he gets credit for. Always on point. And swinging.
Daily sipper: Lot 40 - a bit under the radar Candian but soooo good and easy to find.
Cheap mixer: Rittenhouse works
A bottle to impress: That Willet 4 year is amazing
Friday night pour: Heaven's Door Rye (though I slightly prefer the Highway 61 blend, which is more bourbon than rye)
Special occasion bottle: HW Midwinter Night's Dram
Solid picks right there. And of course, Ringo! We have enjoyed everything we've had from Heaven's Door, but we haven't had the rye yet. Sounds like it's time for us to have a look at that one. You're right on that Lot 40 though. Flies under the radar and it's a great pour.
Fun walk through some good Rye. I would be happy with any of these. Cheers!
We actually thought about you when we were making this list! We couldn't track down any of the Wilderness Trail you tried a couple weeks ago, though we looked everywhere. Hopefully we'll track some of that down in our travels soon. Cheers!
@@TheBourbonVan very cool! I hope you do find it, the herbal notes came out a little more with the last part, but a good Rye. Keep up the great content, really appreciate your thoughts and up beat nature. Cheers!
A year ago I would have said I only need zero rye whiskeys. I had never met a rye that I liked. Then I decided that I would try to learn to like it. I started with Woodford and had a difficult time finishing the bottle. I moved on until I got to Wild Turkey 81. It was my 4th bottle and the first one that I really enjoyed from the first sip. I've been looking for the 101, but it isn't currently sold in Ohio. Since then I've tried several others and am currently enjoyed Old Overholt 114. I've heard lots of good things about Pikesville and may have to pick one up soon.
We have not seen the Overholt 114 yet, but would love to track that one down. Wild Turkey does a great job with their ryes. We love both the 101 and the Rare Breed. Cheers to your rye whiskey journey, Walter!
@@TheBourbonVan The Old Overholt 114 review is the most viewed video on my channel. I am surprised at that. It was an Ohio rellease so I'm not sure how available it is. but it might just be my favorite rye so far.
Starting out on Rye from a primarily bourbon sipper. Thanks for the content even though this was a long time ago. Easy list to find
Another great video, you two! One of my go to channels for certain! Cheers?
Cheers, Mike! Glad you're enjoying the channel.
When I just started to explore bourbon I tried Rye whiskey and my thought was “Ugh, that’s awful”. Two years after that the same bottle is my favorite one. So far I have more ryes in my collection and I enjoy them much more than any other liquor.
In addition of what you guys recommend I would also add High West Double Rye
We followed a very similar path. Cheers and thanks for watching and commenting!
@@TheBourbonVan thank you for a great video guys
Great choices and drummers! Really a fan of rye whiskey. 🥃
Where is my head going?? 🙂🙃🙂🙃🙂🙃
LOL we love where your head's going!
I’ve been loving the ryes too! Great list. Awesome drummer analogies. Cheers from a fellow Oregonian!
Right on! Cheers Adam!
Hi Norman! Such a good kitty...
He definitely wins the award for best dressed in this video.
Love it! You guys nailed it. Subscribed!
Right on, Steve! Cheers!
Damn man, you got me with that Blakey comparison. Cheers!
Haha cheers, Connor!
Whistlepig piggy back 6 year is my favorite cocktail rye in my manhattans at home. All i drink is rye. Love it so much more than bourbon. Im a scotch drinker and rye is a similar kind of thing. Great video
I agree with your picks, especially the Willett Rye....so good. My bottle is almost gone😢
Hope you can find more, Rich!
I can't keep this one in stock at my house. It's so good. I didn't realize that it difficult to find in some markets.
Pikesville is great!
So good. Just so good.
I would like your opinion of Templeton 6 year.
Phil.... Willett Rye... over ice cream?? You’ve hit your head!! Best Old Fashioned Rye... Old Forester!! Great list... and holy heck... WT 101 Rye for $24?!?!?
Hahaha, I'm a sherbet guy! Lots of winners on this list today. What a great time to be a rye whiskey fan.
I love your drummer analogies, and you were spot on with those! I've only been into rye whiskey's for the last year or so and have been looking to try what I can, with several hits and a few misses. The only one on the your list that I've had is the Pikesville which I absolutely love. The rest on your list I'm absolutely going to try, with the exception of the JD, which I probably will never see. I just did a quick internet search on it, and I see it listed for sale btw. $299 - $350, so that puts it out of my range no matter the availability. Another Rye that I really enjoy is the Russell's Reserve Rye which is very tasty. Thanks for the list!!
Cheers, Tony! Wild Turkey makes terrific rye.
you should try Lot40 rye Mmmm good Made in Windsor Ont Canada if you can get it don't miss out It will give you a warm Canadian hug as we a
say its a 100% rye a must try
Awesome vid love the drummer comparisons....I have never had rye before but thanks to you guys I look forward to trying some of your selections. Keep up the good work.
Cheers, Kenneth!
I’ve never bought a rye, but that’s gonna change! I’m looking forward to trying a few of your picks as well as the Alberta premium. Keep up the great content guys!
Cheers, we'll keep at it!
Excellent video! Loving rye lately, only this year, now completely hooked. Have around 50 so far, but still looking for that Jack Daniel's you have. I have their lower proof single barrel but it's not very special.
Today added three more top 15 favorites, in order of preference:
the white label Catocin Creek barrel proof(double gold 2017), the Stellum Black,(Stellum single barrel was so good had to splurge on the Black), and the Redemption 10yr.
Expensive day. Need an intervention lol,but this is my reward for being on day 170 without cigarettes!
Moved to Louisville 37 years ago, and fell for bourbon. Suddenly I'm only collecting rye. Almost praying NOT to find any allocated bourbon bottles because I'm spending way too much on rye now, and don't seem to be ready to stop!
Sipping the Stellum Black right now, and it's just incredible.
Congrats on the smoking milestone! We think that Redemption 10 Year is a very special bottle.
Bourbon Junkies sent me here, enjoyed the video 👍 especially the drummer analogies. If only Pikesville was available
Cheers Steve, thanks for watching! We love Chicago, and we love the Bourbon Junkies.
Great vid, love the drummer analogy. I do enjoy me some Pikesville.
It's such a solid bottle, especially for the price.
I said bonham right before hearing you say it 😆🤘BAM gave me goosebumps and I have two bottles of this here in seattle only two at store no remorse for being selfish cheers good show guys
Love the drummer comparisons. Rush is my favorite band and of course Pert rules. Def Lep is a close 2nd. 80s music rules! Love the OF Rye!
Haha, we play the hits here at The Bourbon Van.
This is very cool. Nice video!
Cheers, thank you!
@@TheBourbonVan got a new sub in us. Enjoy your reviews
Likewise! Looking forward to exploring your videos. Cheers!
Great vid, good drummer analogies, got a few new ones to try and find, and Norm's a good kitty. New sub.
Cheers, thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts!
Great video! Where did you get the shelves in the background. I need something for my whiskey.
Good question! We found it on Wayfair. Search Maziarz and it should come up for you. If you can’t find it, let us know and we’ll find the specifics.
I so want to enjoy rye whiskey but I'm not there yet. I keep trying my Pikesville from time to time but it hasn't clicked yet. The peppery finish kind of spoils it for me. I had a similar experience with Old Forester 1920 (but not peppery) and now I absolutely LOVE that juice and I really think that will happen with rye whiskeys one day. In the mean time I WILL get a bottle of WT 101 Rye because I haven't tasted a Turkey product that didn't blow my socks off!
Great video!
Looks like WT 101 Rye is now the list. It is one bottle that is readily available in my neck of the woods. At least I have seen bottles at several stores. OF Rye 100 proof is as good as you both described and has become scarce here in the Midwest unfortunately. Now onto to your last drummer reference for the JD Rye (now in the unicorn stratum and nowhere to be found) you should of segued after complimenting Norman with “sharped dress cat” with Frank Beard of ZZTop! Priceless! Outstanding episode!
LOL that was a missed opportunity and we regret it, haha! Let us know what you think of that WT101 Rye!
Whiskey availability is so funny. Y’all can’t find OF 100 rye but it’s literally everywhere around me here in Nashville but WT 101 rye is really tough to find here. Nonetheless, great vid!
It's so strange. We've had people tell us they find Willett easily in their area. It's impossible to find here. We came really close to choosing Wild Turkey Rare Breed Rye for our Friday Night Pour, but it was important to us that we chose something more readily available when possible. Now we're hearing that some people can't find Pikesville. You just never know!
@@TheBourbonVan Yep, that Willett is everywhere around here. So is Pikesville. I probably even find Rare Breed rye more than I find 101 rye. It’s ridiculous.
@@mohnjayer sounds like you have some great options at least!
I couldn’t find Pikesville Rye in Virginia and got it in Maryland for 65 dollars. That 30% price difference is so strange to me
I luv rye whiskey 😊
Rewatching this again and enjoying the fact most of these are not only available to me but on-point as they're underrated great ryes. Comparing it to your 2021 Rye selections.... only one on that list I can obtain within 100 miles of me. Are you getting snooty? ;-}. That probably says more about Idaho liquor stores than it does you! One of my favorite surprise ryes (too low proof, though) is CR Northern Harvest Rye... tastes like Christmas to me. HW makes great ryes as well.
Haha, we might be getting snooty! I think we're just lucky to have discovered so many great whiskeys in our travels. A ton of small distilleries are doing amazing things and we're thrilled that we get to try them and share their successes.
“Let’s get rye into it”... “this will a-ryes to the occasion”... love it! You missed “this seemed like the rye-t idea” or using “all-rye all-rye all-rye” with a McConaughey accent hahaha. Loved the drummer comparisons... I would go with Knob Creek Cask Strength Rye (probably impress the guests) as Carter Beauford because this rye is easy to listen to yet complex enough to be thoroughly blown away with the solo riffs.
Love it, Steven! We actually used that McConaughey pun in a rye whiskey blind tasting video back in November! Great minds think alike.
@@TheBourbonVan ah man, I missed it then (or don’t remember... wrinkles don’t always set in my brain hahaha). Nicely done! Cheers and keep the good review videos coming. I love watching and sipping along with you guys.
@@stevenreed007 we appreciate that so much, Steven! If you want ALL the rye puns (and fairly poor editing from one of our earliest videos) check this one out! ua-cam.com/video/2o0E-CwzocU/v-deo.html
I’ve always done well with Sazerac rye.
Nothing wrong with that pick, Gino. We came very close to choosing that one for our daily sipper.
Great reviews! I went and bought the last bottle of Old Forester in Lane County (Oregon) after watching this. It is delicious!
That's a rare find in Oregon these days! Glad you're enjoying it!
I love George Dickel Rye as my daily drinker.
Wild turkey barrel proof rye
Willett should be Mic Fleetwood ... always surprises!
Its a new release, but if you happen to see Barrell Seagrass. I HIGHLY recommend it. Its sweet on the front and finishes with a nice rye finish. Super unique, super good!
We haven't even heard of that yet. Haha, we'll keep an eye out for it!
I am a new subscriber to your channel and enjoy you both. I used to drink Scotch till a friend told me I should try bourbon. I enjoy Old Forester 1910, Woodford Reserve Double Oak and am now thinking of of going to the Rye side of bourbon. I really enjoyed your rye taste test. Next time out I’m getting the Old Forester and Wild Turkey. Thanks for all your help.
Welcome, Dennis! We're glad you're enjoying the content!
My local surprised me this week with several bottles of Michter’s behind locked glass doors. Not going to blow it up but only say that I will be hunting for more bottles of the single barrel rye. If only it was 100 proof or north…
If you get a chance, try New Riff and Wilderness trail ryes. So good.
Wilderness Trail Rye, fairly new distillery so fairly new band, Abigail from Liliac.
I’ve been drinking Rye for 40 years(I don’t drink Bourbon, but I do drink scotch). I like Bulliet 95, Basil Hayden Dark Rye and Michter’s Rye regular or 10 year.
Bullleit 95 has become a go-to for us, particularly at bars with poor selections. Michter’s Rye is always delicious. Great choices.
The Williet is the best but insanely difficult to find
Mitchel’s is fantastic
I really like JD 90 proof rye (now replaced by the 100 proof bonded) which I haven't tried yet. This JD single barrel special release seems like an awesome rye! I'm currently hunting for the 101 rye, which is not too easy to find in my area.
Another great list, thanks! For sure need to grab some Pikesville. Super sad that I never found the JD special, but I take consolation in the fact that Willett is still abundant here in KY. Also just ordered the Seagrass release direct from Barrell that should be delivered today. High hopes on that one. Cheers!
We keep hearing about this Seagrass. Sounds like we need to track it down! And Willett is a terrific consolation prize. It’s delicious.
Just cracked a bottle of Pikesville, it is really good! Funny how you mentioned High West, I bought a TW pick of the Double Rye because Dan (Bourbon Junkies) raved about it, and it is FANtastic.
This video is so old, we can't recall what we said about High West, but the Double Rye finished in Aquavit blew our minds. Always trust in Dan, haha.
@@TheBourbonVan You had just mentioned that you did not choose any HW ryes, you'd leave that up to the BJ's. The pick I am drinking as I type this is a rum barrel finished, really good, and still available.
Ah yeah, now we remember. Haven't had rum finished yet, but that sounds great!
I think you guys are great! I found the Willet 4-year to be undrinkable. I'm glad I tried it in a whiskey flight as opposed to buying a bottle of it. Just not for me.
Thomas Handy Sazerac, straight rye 132,4 proof, are the 1.
Knob Creek special release cask strength rye.
We definitely have our eyes open for one of these.
When I’m wanting a Rye I always grab a Sagamore or my Rare Breed Rye!
Millstone 100 from Netherlands. Stauning Rye from Denmark.
I don’t usually purchase wines or liquors that have a celebrity named to it via ownership . That being said, I would suggest that you 2 try Heaven’s Door Rye . When tasting this a friend who is very picky, on the first sip her eyes widened and said this is GREAT !!!! What is it . She and a few others were taken back when I told them it’s Bob Dylan’s
We really enjoy the Heaven's Door line, especially the whiskeys they source from MGP. We're completely in love with one of their single barrel bourbons right now. We'll need to seek out that rye!
@@TheBourbonVan when I discovered how much I enjoyed it , so far only 2 nd to michter’s 10 yr old I purchased 6 bottles. 😋😋
Hi from Seattle. I am looking for pepper. Which ryes are the most peppery? I prefer a bit of sweet but love spice and pepper the most. Can you recommend an affordable and easily accessible peppery rye?
4 the money redemption is my go 2😊
Have to take a trip to Illnois next week for family event..... But while I'm there I will pick up Old Forester Rye..... Can't find it in Missouri.... In the mean time I have discover Redwood Empire Rye... rated 97 points Has a great nose and outstanding taste. Gets better every sip....
Art Blakey ❤
Subscribed! I simply had to after hearing the brilliant drummer references.
Haha, welcome aboard! Thanks for subscribing!
An tip would be to put the mashbill when the info about the bottle is on screen. Cheers
Where did you guys get that display?
The shelf came from Wayfair. It was easy to put together. It only took Phil 2 glasses of whiskey to build it.
Old Forester is my daily drinker. It's the one that got me into ryes, but nowadays it's scarce in Louisiana. I'm at the end of my last bottle. 😥
It’s a shame that it seems to be disappearing everywhere. Do you have a backup daily sipper?
Question for you 2. have you tried A. D. Laws BIB secale straight rye or Stellum rye. If you did how was it. THANKS
We have never seen any of those, sorry.
We JUST found Stellum Rye on the shelf in Oregon for the first time today. We bought it and we'll post a tasting video soon.
@@TheBourbonVan That sounds Great!! Thank you!
Just bought my first bottle of Rittenhouse. I’ve not tried it yet but looking forward to the first swirl!!!
Kentucky Owl Ryes any of them... fantastic pours! Also check out Michter's BS and 10 Year Ryes. Cheers!
Thanks for the recommendations, Craig! We stare at that Kentucky Owl on the shelf and sigh every time we go to the liquor store. $300 is out of our reach for the time being. We never see those Michter's, but they are both very high on our list. If we see them, we'll scoop them up. Cheers!
Great channel great content. Just became a subscriber. Keep up the great work! Since you are a fan of Brown Forman, I highly recommend Cooper's Craft Barrel Reserve and the JD Single Barrel Rye. It's not the barrel proof but it is a good rye.
Hey Christopher, welcome! We gush about the Coopers Craft Barrel Reserve regularly, so you are definitely in the right place. We are planning to spend some time this year exploring more of the JD catalog and we appreciate the recommendation! Cheers!
Angels Envy Rye, or Barrel Seagrass.
No mention of Templeton and I am curious what y’all think?
Hey Tim, Templeton Rye is MGP-sourced whiskey. We like plenty of MGP-sourced whiskey, but Templeton has a bit of a history. We avoid speaking about them, mostly because it almost always leads to people getting really upset. Check out this link for more info: thewhiskeyjug.com/rye-whiskey/5-reasons-dont-buy-templeton-barrel-strength-straight-rye-whiskey/
Thank you for replying. After I sent the message I did a little research and saw what you are referring to! Thanks
Great videos, Guys...lotsa fun! Sadly, hard to find most of those here in 🇨🇦. I have the Rittenhouse, and basically use it for mixing. A bottle of the Pikeville should actually be arriving to me today (with another being held onto for me by a friend in MN). I would LOVE to try the Jack Daniel’s Rye as the Single Barrel Barrel Proof bourbon is so good! I’ve heard great things about the Willet and would love to try that too! P.S. Peart and Bonham are probably my 2 favourite drummers!! 😃👍🏼
Hey Paul, glad you enjoyed this one! The drummer thing kinda popped in my head at the last instant. You have to let us know what you think of that Pikesville. Obviously, we love it!
1
John Bonham? The analogies were good but no Stewart Copeland? Insanely complex, full of different styles, revolutionary.
I missed a few because I was on the spot!
Funny you talk about Willet the way you do. To me, WFE is the utmost “quintessential” rye, because all the flavors you could get naturally from the grain/grass are present, but pleasing, and not sugar coated with a lot of corn mixed in, or barrel influence, or finishings anything like that. It’s not odd or ball, it’s just the textbook of what a rye OUGHT to taste like. If you can’t find this one, Stellum Rye is somewhat close but is a little more citrus and little less botanical.
If I could get WT101 Rye at the price, I'd get it. It's almost 50 here in VA. At that price, hard to justify, even at a liter bottle size. Great idea doing the rye lineup.
Wow, Jason, $50 is pricey for that bottle. Not really a daily drinker at that price, unfortunately! What's your go-to for that daily sipper category?
@@TheBourbonVan I would say I am still looking for a daily rye sipper. If I'm wanting rye, I would say my go-to would be high west double rye or baby saz. I am still needing to try Old Forrester and rittenhouse. Similar to OGD BiB, I've just ended up getting other things on the shelf. I felt that twist of the arm with OGD so maybe that's my pickup this week.
We came very close to including that Sazerac as daily sipper. That’s a solid bottle and it’s great for sipping neat.
@@TheBourbonVan picked up old forester rye. Getting bananas. Which I understand is common for OF.
@@jasonl9084 Definitely a hallmark of the Old Forester brand.
I can say that the Old Forester is a great value at about 25 bucks in CA. At 100 proof its worth more, but don't tell them.
No mention of Sazerac Rye is a shame. My favorite neat or in an Old Fashioned. So flavorful.
Nice whiskey, we agree, but very hard to find for many.
I have fallen in love with High West recently, in the last 2 months, I have bought 4 of their bottles and Rendezvous tied with Bourye for my favorite thus far. Sadly, I haven't been able to get my hands on midwinter due to price and location
High West double rye is awesome and not that expensive.
@@sweynforkbeard8857 for sure, I have that one as well, rendezvous is better, but at half the price the double rye is a bargain for the quality
@@austinuden1872 If you watch their 5 rye video, they hated the High West double rye, and liked the Pikesville and Old Forester Rye.
@@sweynforkbeard8857 everyone has their own tastes and is welcome to dislike things I like and vice versa
@@austinuden1872 Very true. I recently tried the Old Forester rye and would rate it about average or a little above. Nothing really special, but the High West has a much more pronounced rye flavor which I liked a lot. People also dump on Bulleit bourbon which I also happen to think is pretty good. I guess I enjoy a nice glass of furniture polish.
Barrell Seagrass... you won't regret it.
My wife is the rye drinker. I prefer bourbon. The only one we have is the Wild Turkey 101. She loves High West double rye, Saz jr., Peerless, Redemption, Templeton, and a few more. We intend to buy the Pikeville and Rittenhouse. Never considered Willet because of how bad the pot still tastes. We need to get some Old Forester products. We have over 100 bottles but none from Old Forester.
Of those on your list, the Old Forester Rye and Pikesville are definitely the best bang for your buck. Great stuff.
Great list! The Knob Creek 100 Proof Rye would have been a great daily sipper or mixer addition (around $30 so maybe a little pricey 🤷♂️).
We agree, Tristen. There seem to be so many great ryes on the market right now. That KC 100 Proof is a solid pour and a fair value!
Nice review, guys. I haven't dabbled too much in Ryes. I might start w the OF - the one armed drummer that could.
Haha, great place to start, Phil.
@@TheBourbonVan Will do, thanks.
Interesting how different the mash bills in the OF - 65% rye, 20% barley, 15% corn vs the WT - 51% rye, 37% corn, 12% barley. Leads me to believe they taste nothing alike. That true?
That's absolutely true. OF Rye is more bourbon-like than any other rye we've tasted, while WT 101 is a great example of a classic rye done well.
@@TheBourbonVan
Picked up the OF yesterday ($24) and yes very bourbon-like. Not as sweet and though a medium finish the peppery spice lingers for some time which I quite liked. My wife dug it too. (Look out, you may have some competition in a year or two : )
@@philc1884 the more the merrier! Glad you both enjoyed it.
I just picked up my first bottle of Wild Turkey Rye 101 a few weeks ago. For some reason, the last few years, only the liter bottle was available in my area, but going for $45 (way too much, in my opinion!). Finally, some sanity has been restored, and now the 750 ml bottle is available for $22 - same as the 101 bourbon. So I finally made a purchase. I didn't like it at first, but maybe due to the bottle getting some air or my palate acclimating, I did start to like it. And like you, I might even like it better than the 101 bourbon. I know the WT101 bourbon is a very popular bottle to bourbon fans, but as much as I've tried to love it, it hasn't happened. Also, strangely, the 101 bourbon is one of a few bourbons that sometimes makes me cough uncontrollably from time to time. I mean, I have had much higher proof bourbons that don't do that to me. The 101 rye, fortunately, has not had that effect on me. LOL Regarding the Old Forester Rye, I really enjoy it, and also like it better than the OF 100 proof bourbon.
Glad to hear you're enjoying the 101 Rye! I enjoy 101 Bourbon from time to time, but I'm much more likely to pull a bottle of JTS Brown, Evan Williams, or Old Grand-Dad Bonded off the shelf. I don't dislike it, but like you said, it hasn't happened.
@@TheBourbonVan I like the EW BIB also, especially for $16. I'm disappointed that Barton Distilleries removed the Bottled in Bond designation from Very Old Barton, but I still enjoy VOB 100 proof quite a bit as well, for a cheaper pour. About $18 by me in the Chicago suburbs.
We've never seen a bottle of Very Old Barton, but we keep hearing good things about them. If we see one in our travels this year, we'll likely scoop it up.