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.