Rye Whiskey vs Bourbon: Start With the Grain
One of the simplest ways to understand whiskey is to look at the grain recipe.
🌽 Bourbon
Often brings:
• Vanilla • Caramel • Brown sugar • Sweet oak
🌾 Rye Whiskey
Often brings:
• Pepper • Cinnamon • Baking spice • Herbs • Dryer oak
Rye isn't necessarily "hotter."
Its spice can come across as pepper, cinnamon or baking spice rather than simply alcohol heat.
The Connecticut keyword research includes searches around rye and American whiskey, including Rittenhouse, Sazerac Rye, WhistlePig and High West.
Try tasting a bourbon and rye side by side.
Ask:
Which is sweeter?
Which is spicier?
Which has the longer finish?
For more whiskey terminology, the Cask & Cork Spirits Guide is a useful educational reference.
