Review: A. Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey

Bottle purchased at retail by EZdrinking.

AT A GLANCE

• Owned by: Beam Suntory

• Distilled and Bottled by: James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY

• Spirit Type: Straight Rye Whiskey

• Mash Bill: 80% Rye, 20% Malted Barley

• Still Type: Column Still

• Age: 4 Years

• Strength: 47.5% ABV

• Price: $40

The Overholt brand dates to 1810 when Abraham Overholt turned his family’s farm distillery into a full-fledged business. The Overholt family were German Mennonites who in 1800 moved from Bucks County, north of Philadelphia, out west over the Alleghany Mountains to settle in what is today’s Westmoreland County. People who knew Abraham said he was both “frugal [and] industrious” which is evidenced by the fact that he grew his whiskey business from distilling a few gallons a day to more than 150 gallons in two decades. Abraham passed away in 1870 but his company A. Overholt & Co., and his whiskey continued to live on. In 1951, National Distillers closed the last A. Overholt distillery but the brand continued to source Pennsylvania style rye whiskey until its sale to Jim Beam in 1987. After that, Beam changed the mash bill to a Kentucky-style rye mash, presumable with just 51% rye. There is no public evidence for the original Old Overholt mash bill but in 2022, when Beam Suntory decided to release the A. Overholt rye, they claim that it was a mixture of 80% rye and 20% malted barley. This is a standard Pennsylvania rye mash bill so it is plausible they are telling the truth. Either way it is exciting to see Beam Suntory reviving a true Pennsylvania rye mash bill for his historic brand and there seem to be some rumblings that some distillation for Old Overholt may eventually return to Pennsylvania!

TASTING NOTES

Nose: The nose begins with delicate aromas of honeysuckle that gradually opens to bolder notes of rye spice and biscuits from the malted barley. The whiskey is very floral and has a note of orchard fruits like ripe pear, Fuji apples like some high-quality sakes.

Palate: On the palate the whiskey is soft and warm with notes of bread rolls, black pepper, cloves, and a hint of licorice. At the same time there are lighter fruit flavors reminiscent of apples and ripe cherries that hover over the comforting notes of warm spice.

Finish: The finish is long and warm like being wrapped in a soft blanket. Here again notes of apples and pear skins dance in harmony with light notes of oak and spice. As it slowly fades there is a slight residual acidity that calls you back for another sip.

Conclusion: A. Overholt Straight Rye is a very enjoyable whiskey and will be a good crossover rye for bourbon or single malt drinkers who are not accustomed to the intense spiciness that some ryes bring. While this is probably somewhat less intense than the original Overholt ryes coming out of Pennsylvania, I applaud Beam Suntory for experimenting with a new mash bill and from what I hear, there may be a plan to revive their rye distillation in Pennsylvania which is very exciting. This rye is easy to drink neat and while I don't find the alcohol too intense, a little splash of water won’t hurt it for those who want to bring it down slightly.

Four Empire Rye Whiskeys Worth Serching Out

Rye whiskey has been gradually growing in popularity but the majority of what is being drunk is still coming from Kentucky, Indiana, or Canada. However, since the 1700s rye as a grain and a whiskey flourished in New York it was one of the primary styles of whiskey made in the Empire State. Today a new breed of New York distillers has committed reviving the legacy of New York rye whiskey and in 2015, a handful of them banded together to form the Empire Rye Whiskey Association to collectively promote this historic and style. They define Empire Rye as whiskey made from a mash of at least 75% New York State-grown rye grain, distilled to no more than 160 proof (this is the same for other ryes), aged for a minimum of two years in charred, new oak barrels, with a maximum barrel entry proof of 115 (57.5%) and made completely at a single New York State distillery. Today there are more than a dozen distilleries making their version of Empire Rye and below you will find four that I think are worth searching out.

And, if you are interested in more detail on the history of distilling in New York you can find a whole chapter dedicated to Empire Rye in my book, The Atlas of Bourbon and American Whiskey.

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Sample bottle provided by New York Distilling Co.

New York Distilling Company

Jaywalk Straight Rye Whiskey 46% ABV, MSRP $50

Allen Katz and Tom Potter founded New York Distilling Company in 2011 with vision to revive the long history of distilling in Brooklyn that stretches back to the 1700. Like many other New York distillers, Katz and Potter have been dedicated to sourcing locally grown grains for their whiskeys and even worked with Cornell University’s College of Agriculture to breathe new life into an almost extinct variety of heirloom rye.

Jaywalk is made from a fermented mash of 75% New York rye, 13% New York corn and 12% malted barley. The rye is a combination of their Pedersen Field Race rye, a unique hybrid they developed with Farmer Rick Pedersen up in Seneca Falls and the Horton rye they revitalize with Cornell. The mash is distilled in their hybrid-pot sill and aged in new charred oak barrels for six to eight years before the whiskey makes its way into the bottle.

This is a very exciting whiskey. There are intense aromas and flavors of black pepper, oak and rye spice but these are supported by sweeter flavors of vanilla, light brown sugar, dried apricot, and ripe nectarines. Don’t be afraid to enjoy this neat, but if you find it a bit too intene then it will do well on the rocks or in your favorite cocktail. $50 for this 6+ year old Empire Rye is a solid buy.

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Sample bottled provided by Kings County Distillery

Kings County Distillery

Empire Rye Straight Rye Whiskey 51% ABV, MSRP $99

Kings County Distillery was the first whiskey distillery in Brooklyn, New York to open since Prohibition. Like many other craft distilleries, they sourced locally grown grains and began by selling unaged corn whiskey and aged their bourbon in small barrels. However, over time they have gradually scaled up their barrels and their 375ml hip flasks have largely been replace by new 750ml bottles. In 2016, the American Distilling Institute named Kings County Distillery as their Distillery of the Year.

Their Empire Rye Is fermented from a mash of 80% New York-grown Danko rye and 20% English malted barley and double pot distilled in their Forsyth’s stills from Scotland. After distillation they are aged for a minimum of two years in Brooklyn though their recent releases have aged for at least 3 years.

The whiskey has lovely aromas caramel orchard fruit and baking spices. For a relatively young whiskey it has good structure and balance between flavors of oak, rye spice, fruit and caramels. Enjoy it neat, or with a splash of water, and it makes a fantastic New York Sour!

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Sample bottled provided by Great Jones Distilling Co.

Great Jones Distilling Co.

Straight Rye Whiskey 45% ABV, MSRP $45

Great Jones has the distinction of being the first operating distillery on the island of Manhattan since Prohibition. They source their grain from their sister distillery in the Black Dirt region of New York near the boarder with Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Their whiskeys are made by their Head Distiller Celina Perez, who previously worked for a couple of other spirit companys as well as a bartender and a cheesemonger.

Their straight rye whiskey is made from a fermented mash of 100% New York-grown rye which is distilled in their copper column with pot still doubler. And because of fire concerns their barrels are filled and them moved off site from their NOHO distillery to age for a minimum of 4 years before it is then bottled at 90 proof.

On the nose there is an inviting aroma of warm rye bread and strawberry jam followed by notes of orange zest and vanilla. As it breaths aromas of cracked black pepper and light caramel that evolves into over ripe apricot and toasted oak. These flavors ontinue on the palate and slowly fade on the finish. This is a solid buy at $45 and is fun new edition to the world of New York rye whiskeys. It is well balanced, easy to sip neat, and will work on the rocks or in your preferred rye-based cocktail.

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Sample bottled provided by Finger Lakes Distilling

Finger Lakes Distilling

McKenzie Straight Rye Whiskey 45.5% ABV, MSRP $40

Since 2008 Finger Lakes Distilling has been making a wide array of spirits in New York's famed wine region. The Finger Lakes are in western New York and the cold winters are moderated by lakes that stripe the landscape. When the distillery opened their doors, there were no malt houses in the state so they built their own to malt NY grown barley.

Their rye whiskey is distilled from a fermented mash of 80% NY grown Danko rye, and 20% malted barley which is then aged in charred new oak barrels made from Missouri white oak that was yard seasoned for 36 months. The whiskey enters the barrel at 100 proof and after aging for a minimum of four years before it is then finish in casks that previously held locally made sherry style wines.

The whiskey has lots of fun flavors of fruit and herbs. There is a light sweetness and subtle notes of oak followed by stronger flavors of caramel, clove and bright green apple. McKenzie Straight Rye makes a nice pre-dinner aperitif or post-desert digestive. At 91 proof the whiskey is soft enough to enjoy neat or with a splash of water.

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Honorable Mention

Since the founding of the Empire Rye Whiskey Association, it has expanded to 19 distilleries around New York. Here are a couple others that are also making Empire Rye.

Since 2015, Southern Tier Distilling Company has been making a variety of spirits including vodka, gin, whiskey, liqueurs and canned cocktails. Their stills were even built by one of their founders who previously worked as a welder and fabricator. Their rye whiskey is made from NY grown rye and corn, which after distillation is aged in new oak barrels with a heavy #4 char. The current bottlings of their Empire Rye are aged for a minimum of 6 years and bottled at 90 proof.

Black Button Distilling was founded by Jason Barrett who comes from a long line of world class tailors who have made closes for "Presidents, Popes, Kings, and Businessmen", hence the name. Built in Rochester, New York, Black Button is a grain-to-glass distillery with 100% of its ingredients grown in the Empire State. Today Black Button makes several spirits including vodka, gin, liqueurs, and whiskey. Their Empire Straight Rye Whiskey is made from a distilled mash of 94% Danko rye and 6% malted barley which is then aged for a minimum of 3 years before it is bottled unfiltered at 96 proof.

Forget about Dry January, I'm celebrating Rye January

It has become an increasingly popular trend for some drinking aged adults (about 1 in 5 in the US) to take a break from alcohol and participate in Dry January. Now if you feel like you over indulged during the holidays by all means prioritize your health. And, if you are like me and made sure to paced yourself through the holidays and new year’s, join me in celebrating Rye January. For those of us in the northern hemisphere it is still winter and rye spirits pair perfectly with the cold days and long nights. And while rye whiskey may not be the most popular spirit (in 2022 it made up about 7% of US whiskey sales) more and more people are embracing American’s original whiskey. Rye is a more difficult grain to make whiskey from but is also has a broader flavor spectrum than bourbon. The variety of the grain, whether it was malted or not, how it was distilled and how long the resulting spirit was aged all make rye whiskey a wonderfully complex spirit that deserves more recognition. So, for the rest of the month, I will be highlighting some of the different styles in rye whiskey and some individual expressions that are worth knowing about.

Sample provided by Sangfroid Distilling.

AT A GLANCE

Spirit Name: Maryland Rye Whiskey

Owned, Distilled and Bottled by: Sangfroid Distilling Hyattsville, MD

Spirit Type: Maryland Rye Whiskey

Mash Bill: Roughly 66% Rye, 33% Malted Balrey

Still Type: Pot Still

Age: 9-13 Months

Strength: 44.4% ABV

Price: $65

In 2018, Nate Groenendyk and Jeff Harne, two brothers-in-law founded Sangfroid Distilling with the goal of making brandy, rye whiskey, and Dutch-style gins. Their brandies are fermented from whole fruit grown on their own orchards, or nearby farmers in Maryland and Pennsylvania. Each brandy is distilled seasonally depending on when the fruit ripens and they only use the natural yeast on the fruit to ferment their sugars into alcohol. For their whiskeys and gins, they source all Maryland grown rye, spelt, and malted barley. Currently, their rye whiskey is aged for about nine months in 15 gallon charred new oak barrels before being bottled.

Quick note about what is Maryland rye whiskey. I have a whole chapter on it in my book The Atlas of Bourbon and American Whiskey but the Cliffs Notes version is that is was a style of whiskey made in Maryland, Northern Virginia, D.C. and Deleware that was prized in the 1800s for its quality and known generally to have a slightly sweeter profile than Pennsylvania rye whiskeys.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: The nose is packed full of great rye grain aromas of fresh baked bread with a light drizzle of honey.

Palate: Once in the mouth it is like drinking sweet tea with strong dose a lemon followed by doughy rye bread rolls and a touch of cracked pepper spice.

Finish: The finish is soft and light with lingering notes of rye grain and sweet lemon.

Conclusion: At just 13 months Sangfroid’s Maryland Rye Wyhiskey is a very tasty whiskey that has a great youthful grain character which is perfectly seasoned with oak. Easy to drink neat but also works well in a highball.

Old Grand-Dad 114, The Budget Sipper that Online Bourbon Communities Love

Bottle purchased at retail by EZdrinking.

AT A GLANCE

• Spirit: Old Grand-Dad 114 Kentucky Straigh Bourbon Whiskey

• Owned by: Beam Suntory

• Distilled and Bottled by: Jim Beam American Stillhouse, Clermont, KY

• Mash Bill: 63% Corn, 27% Rye, 10% Malted Barley

• Still Type: Column Still

• Age: NAS (minimum of 4 years)

• Strength: 57% ABV

• Price: $30

Old Grand-Dad bourbon is one of the few pre-prohibition brans that has survive to the present. In 1882, Colonel Raymond Bishop Hayden and his business partner F.L. Ferriell built the R.B. Hayden & Company Distillery, in Nelson County, Kentucky and created the Old Grand-Dad brand to honor the legacy of Hayden’s grandfather Meredith Basil Hayden, Sr. for whom the current Basil Hayden brad is also named after. Basil Hayden was born in Maryland to Catholic parents who fled persecution in England. In 1785 Hayden moved his family and a group of other Catholics to Nelson County, and began distilling three years later. Hayden was known for making bourbon with a high rye content so when Raymond Hayden created the brand, he too made a high rye bourbon.

In 1899, the Wathen family purchased the distillery and they continued selling Old Grand-Dad, preserving the legacy of Basil Hayden. During National Prohibition the Wathen family was able to secure a permit to continue distilling and selling medicinal alcohol. In 1929, National Distillers purchased the Old Taylor Distillery and the Old Grand-Dad brand from the Wathen’s and expanded the Old Grand-Dad line to include the 114 expression along with an 86 proof bottling and a bottled in bond.

Then in 1987, Beam purchased National Distillers which gave them ownership of the Old Crow, Old-Grand Dad and Old Taylor thought they eventually sold Old Taylor to Sazerac. Beam absorbed the Old Crow brand but did not keep its original mash bill but did keep the Old-Grand Dad high rye bourbon mash bill and yeast strain which they still use today.

TASTING NOTES

Nose: At 57% ABV the nose is surprisingly muted with notes of caramel, toffee, clove, and green apple slices dusted with cinnamon.

Palate: On the palate the alcohol is fairly moderate though the bourbon has an intense flavor of baked apple, baking spices, warm oak, and just hit of vanilla sweetness.

Finish: The whiskey has a long finish with lingering flavors of cinnamon apple, vanilla, and just a touch of caramel.

Conclusion: Old Grand-Dad 114 is a gem of a whiskey hidden in plain sight. This is a great example of how higher proof whiskeys can sometimes drink softer and with grater flavor intensity than at 80 proof. For these reasons it is no wonder that OGD 114 is a fan favorite of both experts and online bourbon communities. Lastly, if you are a fan of Jim Beam bourbons or find some of their 80 proof offerings somewhat lackluster, this higher proof bottling has a good chance of winning you over.

Four of the Best Aged Rums being made in the United States

American rum is going through a bit of a renaissance and there are a growing number of high-quality aged rums being distilled right here in the US. Overall rum is the US’ fourth favorite spirit after vodka, whiskey, and tequila. According to the Distilled Spirits Council in 2023 about 57% of all rum sales were flavored or spiced and the top five brand made up about 77% of the US rum market. However, 10 years ago, the top brands made up more than 80% of the market which tells me that more people are slowly starting to shift their buying habits away from Bacardi and Captain Morgan towards more interesting rums.

If you are a dedicated rum fan or just looking to explore the rum world beyond the five major brands, here are four of the best aged rums being made in the US. And while there are many others, this is a good place to start.

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Bottle purchased at retail by EZdrinking.

Oxbow Rum Distillery

Barrel Aged Straight Rum 47.5% ABV, MSRP $40

Oxbow is one of a very small number of truly estate-distilled rums. This means that they control the entire process from planting the sugar cane in their rich Louisiana soil, to the processing of their own grade A molasses, and on to fermentation, distilling, aging and bottling.

Their barrel aged straight rum is aged for a minimum of two years in new charred oak barrels which helps to give it great depth and complexity. The run is a symphony of flavors with notes of dried fruit, baking spices, oak, vanilla and a very subtle perception of sweetness. Unlike some other rums this has absolutely zero sugar added after distillation and bottling. All of the perceived sweetness comes from their high-quality molasses and patient maturation in oak.

Oxbow has not taken any shortcuts with this rum and if you are looking for a new aged rum to enjoy or you are a fan of brandies such as cognac or armagnac there is a very good chance you will love this too. Enjoy Oxbow’s aged rum on neat, on the rocks or in your favorite rum cocktail.

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Bottle purchased at retail by EZdrinking.

Roulaison Distilling Co

Barrel Aged Reserve Rum 47% ABV, MSRP $40

Andrew Lohfeld and Patrick Hernandez founded Roulaison Distilling Co in 2016 as a tribute to the long history and culture of cane cultivation and rum making in Louisiana. Roulaison is a French term that refers to the cane harvest season that in Louisiana can span from September to January.

The rum starts with 100% Louisiana grade B molasses which is fermented in separate batches with two different yeast strains to create two distinct marks (rum bases that can be blended later to create a more complex flavor). The washes are then double pot distilled and some is then matured in used oak barrels at or below 110 proof. After about 3 years of aging, barrels of their rum marks are blended and their Barrel Aged Reserve rum is bottled at 47% ABV.

The rum is complex from the first aroma all the way through to the finish. The spirit and oak have combined to create a new unique whole that is greater than the sum of its parts with sweet notes of creme brulee, followed with floral notes, bright citrus, oak and a resonate earthiness.

If you enjoy higher proof spirits you can definitely enjoy this neat, but with a healthy splash of water the flavors widen and allow you more time to enjoy them. Roulaison’s Barrel Aged rum will also work nicely in cocktails such as a rum negroni, rum flip or a Test Pilot.

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Sample bottle provided by Maggie’s Farm Rum

Maggie’s Farm Rum

Queen’s Share Rum 57% ABV, MSRP $65

While Pittsburgh is not the most obvious location for a rum distillery, Maggie’s Farm has been distilling great spirits in the Steel City for more than a decade. All their rums begin by fermenting and pot distilling a wash of turbinado sugar. The Queen’s Share is made by collecting all of the tails from their regular runs until they have enough to redistill one more time. This oily spirit is then aged in oak barrels until it is ready and bottled at cask strength.

The rum is slightly coy with a light aroma of toasted oak, vanilla, and orange zest. However, on the palate there is an explosion of flavor with deep notes of leather, caramel, orange oil and baking spices. Overall, their Queen’s share is rich with an almost oily texture that makes it a truly regal spirit.

Enjoy this slowly either neat or with a small dash of water. But if you were to use it in a cocktail the Corn n' Oil is an obvious choice.

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Sample bottle provided by South Hollow Spirits

South Hollow Spirits

Twenty Boat Cask Finished Reserve Rum 42.5% ABV, MSRP $100

Founded in 2012, South Hollow Spirits is the first legal distillery on Cape Cod since prohibition. The name Twenty Boat comes from an incident in 1930 when 20 police and Coast Guard boats were dispatched to apprehend a bootlegger who evaded capture during a sting where 250 gallons of rum were confiscated and 10 other men arrested.

Twenty Boat rums begin by making a couple different marks by separately fermenting and distilling washes made from molasses and evaporated cane juice. After being double distilled in their 250-gallon pot still the marks are matured between two and three years in used chardonnay and ex-whiskey barrels. For the Reserve Rum a blend of their marks is selected and then finished in white or red port barrels to add complexity and a light sweetness.

Twenty Boat Reserve Rum is an elegant spirit that is simultaneously light in body but full of deep and dark flavors. The rum is packed full of dark and dried fruits, molasses, baking spices, roasted nuts and rounded out with a light oak character.

At 42.5% ABV this Reserve Rum dances across the tongue like sugar-plum fairies. The elements of oak and spirit are well integrated and it would not surprise me if South Hollow Spirits was using the French style of slow reduction, where the spirit is brought down to bottling strength over weeks or months rather than in a single day. This is definitely a rum to enjoy neat or with just a drop of water to further explore the depts of its flavor.

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Honorable Mention

Two of the earliest new American rum distilleries to launch at the beginning of the Craft Distillery boom were Privateer Rum in Ipswich, Massachusetts and Richland Rum in Brunswick, Georgia. Privateer sought to revive the long tradition of rum distilling in New England and Richland was the first estate rum produced in US in the 21st Century.

Privateer starts with grade A molasses imported from Guatemala which is fermented with their own special blend of yeasts. After fermentation the wash is first pot distilled and then distilled a second time in their hybrid still which allows them to engage or disengage plates in an attached column so they can create rums with varying levels of intensity which they can later blend or age to create their different rum profiles. If you are new to Privateer, try their New England Reserve Rum or their Bottled in Bond Rum.

Richland Rum grows their own sugar cane on the southeastern coast of Georgia. The cane is harvested, pressed and then lightly cooked into a cane syrup which removes some of the excess water, concentrates the cane flavors and creates new flavors from the caramelization process. The cane syrup is fermented and then double pot distilled. Their aged rums start out in toasted and then charred new oak barrels and are usually matured between four and five years for their “Classic” expression. While Richland now offers a variety of cask strength and finished rums, if you are new to their style start with their Classic Single Barrel Select Rum.