The Best Rye Whiskeys to Drink in 2024

When it comes to whiskey, Scotch, Japanese whisky, and Irish whiskey are in the midst of a heyday. And if we’re talkin’ American whiskey, bourbon hogs much of the spotlight. But that all-popular, corn-based spirit has an older, spicier sister that’s at the root of several classic cocktails, and deserving of all the renewed attention it’s been getting lately. I’m talking about the best rye whiskey, which predates bourbon by at least a few decades, according to most accounts, and was once the preeminent spirit of America. 

Today, the best rye whiskey has come soaring back into renaissance mode—led by a huge resurgence of rye whiskey cocktails, including the Sazerac, Manhattan, and old fashioned. For many, mixed drinks are the gateway to discovery. Margaritas have paved the way for tequila and mezcal, just as martinis have let vodka and gin shine, and we’d be remiss to forget about Dark ‘n Stormys for dark rum.

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For the 2023 Men’s Journal Spirits Awards, I’ve awarded the 16 best rye whiskey brands that will appeal to every type of whiskey fan. My Best Overall pick is Knob Creek Rye, which recently had a seven-year age statement added to its label. Knob Creek is an affordable and dependable favorite that can stand with the best rye whiskeys.

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Best Rye Whiskey at a Glance

• Overall Best Rye Whiskey: Knob Creek Rye
• Best Single Barrel Rye Whiskey: Michter’s US1 Kentucky Straight Rye
• Best Budget Rye Whiskey: Old Overholt
• Best Rye Whiskey Splurge: Blue Run Emerald Rye
• Best Craft Rye Whiskey: Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye
• Best Cask Strength Rye Whiskey: Barrell Rye
• Best Rye Whiskey to Drink Straight: Widow Jane Paradigm Rye
• Best High Rye: George Dickel Rye
• Best Low Rye: Pikesville Rye
• Best World Rye Whiskey: Stauning Rye
• Best Rye Whiskey for a Manhattan: Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye
• Best Rye Whiskey for an Old Fashioned: Nelson Bros. Rye
• Best Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskey: J. Rieger & Co. Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye
• Best Vintage Series Rye Whiskey: Pinhook Vertical Series Rye
• Best Age-Statement Rye Whiskey: WhistlePig 12 Year Old World Rye

Best Rye Whiskey of 2024

Best Overall Rye Whiskey: Knob Creek Rye

Knob Creek is part of the Jim Beam Small Batch Collection, which also includes Baker’s, Booker’s, and Basil Hayden. While the brand has some great bourbons in its lineup, Knob Creek Rye is truly some of the best rye whiskey you can find. 

Made in the Kentucky style, it contains slightly over the legally required 51 percent rye grain in its mashbill, with a seven-year age statement recently added to the bottle. Expect a slightly sweet and well-aged rye with notes of spice and dried fruit, making this a versatile, affordable rye whiskey should be a staple in any home bar. At 100 proof, it’s plenty strong to use in rye whiskey cocktails.

Best Single Barrel Rye Whiskey: Michter’s US1 Kentucky Straight Rye

Michter’s is unique in that its flagship rye whiskey is a single barrel expression, meaning that the whiskey in the bottle comes from just one barrel instead of a blend of several. Michter’s Rye is a consistent and well-crafted whiskey with notes of spice, salted caramel, butterscotch, and grass on the palate, says Jarrett Karlsbeg, beverage director at the Wythe Hotel in Brooklyn, NY. 

“It’s very smooth, but still has a nice bite to it—and it’s an absolute dream to mix with,” he adds. Mike Vacheresse, owner of Travel Bar in Brooklyn, NY, is also a fan: “The whiskey enters the barrel at 103 proof instead of the industry standard of 125 proof—and the barrels are toasted before being charred,” he says. “These two factors create a rye whiskey that’s robust and full-bodied.”

Best Budget Rye Whiskey: Old Overholt

Old Overholt is another Jim Beam brand, but one that sits comfortably in the lower end of the price spectrum without sacrificing quality. This budget rye whiskey has been a favorite of bartenders for a long time, and over the past few years the brand has gotten some significant upgrades. 

The core expression is now a four-year-old, 86-proof rye. There’s a bottled-in-bond version with a higher 100 proof, and the brand has recently unveiled a spectacular cask-strength, 10-year-old expression. But for a high-quality budget rye whiskey, stick with the original.

Best Rye Whiskey Splurge: Blue Run Emerald Rye

Blue Run has been a runaway success story since its founding a few years ago, with releases selling out as fast as they’re announced. Bourbon Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge is the “liquid advisor” for the brand, and he’s been an integral part of the brand’s superb rye whiskeys. 

Blue Run Emerald Rye was contract distilled at Kentucky’s Castle & Key in Lexington, and is a blend of less than 200 barrels. At $120 per bottle, this rye whiskey is steeper than most, but savvy rye fans won’t be batting an eye.

Best Craft Rye Whiskey: Hard Truth Sweet Mash Rye

Most of the rye whiskey produced in Indiana comes from MGP, the factory-like distillery where brands like Bulleit and Dickel source their rye. While MGP’s 95 percent rye whiskey is worthy of its reputation, a far smaller craft operation in the Hoosier state is offering some stiff competition. Hard Truth makes fantastic rye whiskey, and its Sweet Mash Rye expression exemplifies what they’re up to. 

“Sweet mash” means that each distillation begins fresh, as opposed to the sour mash process used by most distilleries where some of the mash from the previous distillation is left in the still. The mashbill is 94 percent rye and six percent malted barley, and while the whiskey is relatively young (under four years old), it tastes surprisingly mature. A series of new cask-finished rye whiskeys from Hard Truth are now available as well.

Best Cask Strength Rye Whiskey: Barrell Rye

Barrell Craft Spirits is a Louisville-based company that sources whiskey from different states and countries, then blends them into something greater than the sum of their parts. Nearly every release is bottled at cask strength, including Barrell Rye, which is released in batches, like the flagship bourbon. 

Batch 4 is the latest, a blend of rye whiskey from Indiana, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Canada that was aged between five and 14 years. The whiskey was bottled at 115.7 proof, which is high but not overwhelming. Add some water if you prefer to proof it down, but try it neat first to truly experience the character of this powerful rye whiskey.

Best Rye Whiskey to Drink Straight: Widow Jane Paradigm Rye

Widow Jane is a Brooklyn distillery that sources much of its whiskey from distilleries in Indiana and Kentucky. It also produces a small amount of whiskey in-house, and for this release distillers have combined both sources into one product. The rye whiskey distilled in Brooklyn is on the younger side, but is blended with more mature whiskey from the aforementioned states. 

“This is a unique rye that features citrus and floral notes as well as classic spicy rye qualities—along with accents of toffee, fresh cut herbs, and tropical fruits,” says Sean Ludford, TAG Global Spirit Awards’ executive director. At 93 proof, this is a complex rye that works wonders in a cocktail, but deserves to be sipped neat or over a single large ice cube.

Related: 20 Best Bourbons for an Old Fashioned, Tasted and Reviewed

Best High Rye: George Dickel Rye

While George Dickel may be known as the other highly revered name in the Tennessee whiskey category (after Jack Daniel’s), the distillery offers some standout expressions that have led a resurgence of broader interest in Tennessee whiskey beyond Jack. 

A small amount of rye is distilled at Dickel, but the flagship rye whiskey expression is produced at MGP in Indiana. It’s then filtered through charcoal (the Lincoln County process) to meet Tennessee whiskey regulations. If you’re going to spring for a single high-rye whiskey (95 percent rye), here it is. 

Best Low Rye: Pikesville Rye

Pikesville is produced at Heaven Hill, the same distillery that makes bourbon brands like Evan Williams and Elijah Craig. Pikesville Rye is made from a mashbill of 51 percent rye, the minimum amount that’s legally required. 

The history of the brand can be traced back to Maryland, but it’s been owned by Heaven Hill for many years and was relaunched in 2015 as a six-year-old, 110-proof rye whiskey. Give this one a shot in your next Manhattan and you won’t be disappointed. 

Best World Rye Whiskey: Stauning Rye

One of the finest new rye whiskeys from outside the U.S., Denmark-based Stauning is making a splash at American bars. Travel Bar’s Vacheresse often includes this whiskey in rye flights to see how people react to it. 

“I love turning people on to Stauning because of the cereal notes that come through, along with the traditional spicy rye flavors,” he says. “It’s made with local grains—a combination of malted rye and barley—with all the malting done in-house.” 

Try Stauning Rye alongside some American rye whiskeys to see how they compare.

Best Rye Whiskey for a Manhattan: Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye

Jack Daniel’s introduced rye whiskey into its lineup a few years ago, but its new Bonded Rye just launched earlier this year. If you haven’t tried it yet, it’s time. “Peppery spices mix with crisp fruit scents on the nose, combined with black pepper, cinnamon, and maple sugar on the palate,” says Rivas. 

The classic Jack Daniel’s banana and fruit character comes through, complemented by enough spice to make this a perfect rye whiskey for your next Manhattan. At 100 proof, as legally required by the bottled-in-bond designation, it can stand up to a healthy dose of bitters and sweet vermouth without losing its flavor.

Best Rye Whiskey for an Old Fashioned: Nelson Bros. Rye

Nelson’s Green Brier Distillery is known for making Tennessee whiskey, but the distillery also sources and contract distills other styles, including this new rye whiskey. According to Vacheresse, the mashbill and proof of Nelson Bros. Rye make it a great choice to use in an old fashioned. 

“The 64-percent rye in the mashbill lies between the 51-percent rye mashbill that I grew up on and the 95-percent rye mashbill that’s common today,” he says. “I also appreciate that this rye is bottled at 100 proof, so it stands up to ice in a cocktail.” Try this one in an old fashioned, and use a large ice cube for flavor retention and to avoid bruising. 

Best Bottled-in-Bond Rye Whiskey: J. Rieger & Co. Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey

“Bottled in bond” means that a whiskey is at least four years old, exactly 100 proof, and the product of a single distillery and distillation season. J. Rieger, located in Kansas City, MO, aged its Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye Whiskey for a total of six years, and bottled it without chill filtration for maximum flavor. 

“It’s wonderfully complex and generous without being assertive,” says Ludford. “There are layers of sweet-and-spicy rye with baking spices, honey, caramel, and roasted nuts on the palate.”

Best Vintage Series Rye Whiskey: Pinhook Vertical Series Rye

Vintage is a concept normally associated with wine, but Pinhook has applied this idea to whiskey. Its Vertical Series Rye follows a batch of barrels sourced from MGP in Indiana, with a new vintage released annually, each about a year older, so you can follow the trajectory of the whiskey as it ages. The series started out with a four-year-old rye and will culminate with a 12-year-old. 

“Last year’s seven-year-old was the turning point for me, when it became a sipping whiskey exclusively—versus the younger batches that I used in cocktails,” says Vacheresse. “This approach makes every single release unique and a true collector’s item,” adds Karlsberg, “something that really represents a moment in time.”

Best Age Statement Rye Whiskey: WhistlePig 12 Year Old World Rye

WhistlePig is a farm and distillery in Vermont that makes its own whiskey on site, but the majority of what’s in the bottle is sourced from Canada and MGP in Indiana. This brand was one of the very first to position rye whiskey as a premium spirit, and it continues to release a trio of fantastic age-statement rye whiskeys as part of its core lineup. 

Its 12-Year-Old World Rye is matured in new American oak barrels before being finished in three different types of casks: Madeira (63 percent), Sauternes (30 percent), and port (seven percent). Those secondary maturations imbue this rye whiskey with a bouquet of spice and fruit notes, making this an excellent age-stated sipper.

Bourbon vs Rye: What Is Rye Whiskey?

Rye whiskey can be made anywhere in the world, but American rye must follow certain guidelines. While bourbon must be made from a mashbill of 51 percent corn, rye whiskey must be made from at least 51 percent rye grain, with the rest usually being a mixture of corn and malted barley. There are many rye whiskeys that are made from 95- to 100-percent rye, which tend to have an even spicier kick. Rye whiskey must be aged in new charred oak containers (virtually always barrels), and there’s no minimum age requirement unless it’s labeled as straight rye whiskey—in which case no color or flavor is allowed to be added. Rye must be distilled to no more than 160 proof, barreled at no more than 125 proof, and bottled at a minimum of 80 proof.

How Is Rye Whiskey Made?

Rye’s origins date back to 18th-century Pennsylvania farmers who needed to find something useful (and profitable) to do with all that excess rye grain. Distilling it, they knew, was a great way to preserve it—and the rest is rye whiskey-producing history. Countless distilleries in the original rye hotbeds of Pennsylvania and Maryland would come to saturate the country’s original whiskey market, and rye would continue to lead the pack until Prohibition. When the Volstead Act was repealed, its sales slowly waned in favor of bourbon. By the early 2000s, there were only a handful of rye brands left.

Rye whiskey is made by milling the grains, adding water, and cooking the mash. Yeast is then added so the liquid can ferment in large vats, during which sugars turn into alcohol. This low-ABV “beer” is then distilled in either pot or column stills, resulting in a high-proof, clear spirit that’s then set in barrels to mature and pick up flavor and color from the wood. Rye whiskey tends to have a spicier, dryer flavor profile than bourbon, which is why it’s the core component of classic whiskey cocktails, like the Manhattan, Sazerac, and old fashioned.

What to Look for When Choosing the Best Rye Whiskey

The most important factor we considered when selecting the rye whiskeys for this list was flavor. Regardless of hype or availability, the whiskey has to taste good to make the cut. Price is a factor as well, so we tried to pick bottles that are relatively affordable and available. Of course, that doesn’t rule out a tasty-but-expensive, limited-edition rye whiskey, and there are indeed a few of those. Overall, quality is the key thing we considered, as far as value and flavor.

Why You Should Trust Us

I’ve written about spirits for numerous publications for nearly a decade. During this time, I’ve sampled thousands of bottles in every category of spirits, visited distilleries around the world to see how the juice is made, and honed my palate and nose. I also judge two spirits competitions, the John Barleycorn Awards and the New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, for which I blind taste hundreds of spirits to determine what stands out based on flavor, mouthfeel, color, and aroma.

To make this list of the best rye whiskey, I sampled most of these products and talked to bartenders and industry experts, who have long track records in the spirits industry and unique interests in rye whiskey.

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