Leslie Sbrocco, host of Taste This, shares a selection of her favorite rye whiskeys. Starting with a brief lesson about the beverage that reaches back to our Founding Fathers, she ends with recommendations of a few lesser-known distilleries from around the country.
Rye Whiskey vs Bourbon
Rye whiskey, by law, is a whiskey that is distilled from at least 51 percent rye, a type of grass that is a member of the wheat family and closely related to barley. Bourbon, on the other hand, is a whiskey distilled from at least 51 percent corn and gets its name from Bourbon County, Kentucky - its birthplace. In general, bourbon is sweeter than rye, with a slightly smokey flavor from the charred barrels it’s aged in.