What makes it Bourbon

All Bourbons are whiskey but not all Whiskeys are Bourbon.  For it to be Bourbon it has to be made with at least 51 percent corn (most are usually around 70)  with the rest made up of rye and wheat and sometimes barley. It also needs to be aged in virgin charred oak barrels for 2 years. Rye whiskey is made with at least 51 percent rye.  My personal favorite is Rye. A wheated whiskey has a higher ratio of wheat to it then corn or rye. The most notable of these is William Larue Weller.

Unlike bourbon, which is characteristically sweet, smooth and rounded, rye has a dry, jangly, brash nature. Its spicy flavors practically dance their way through the mouth. In its simplest form, rye is a little grassy and sour, much like rye bread. With age, it becomes more complex and subtle, weaving spice and caramel flavors over and through the grassiness. Yet it retains its angularity, never quite losing its edginess. A manhattan, made as originally conceived - with rye instead of bourbon - is a completely different cocktail, dynamic rather than soothing.

MY choices for Rye are

Sazerac 18yr

Rittenhouse 21yr

Thomas H. Handy

and the ol standby Wild Turkey Rye   probably because I can find it in most liquor shops.

Bourbon

George T Stagg

Wild Turkey 101

Eagle Rare 17 yr

Woodford

Knobcreek


Whiskey

William Larue Weller

Knappogue

Posted by Eviluncle on Thu May 3, 2007 @ 1:03 pm EDT | 4 Comments