American Rye A Guide to the Nation's Original Spirit

What is going on with rye whiskey? Suddenly both experienced and new whiskey lovers are turning to rye as their primary object of interest. And just as suddenly the market is flooded with new offerings of this “old fashioned” spirit—the growth from just a dozen brands 15 years ago to more than 225 today is unprecedented. Author and spirits expert Clay Risen now offers a road map to the phenomena of rye. A detailed introduction includes a history of rye, how it's distilled, aged, and earns its distinguishing qualities. Sections include info on how to start collecting rye, read a whiskey label, and how to have a whiskey tasting. Extensive rye whiskey accounts are organized alphabetically by distillery and brand and each of more than 225 expressions include a color photo of the bottle, info on proof, age, average price, tasting notes (nose, palate, finish), and is rated on a four-star scale. The author with a group of expert tasters “blind tasted” each and every one—a first for a spirits book of this scale. The result is a groundbreakingly innovative and invaluable asset for the whiskey lover navigating the world of American rye.

Clay Risen is a reporter and editor at The New York Times and the bestselling author of Single Malt: A Guide to the Whiskies of Scotland; American Whiskey, Bourbon and Rye: A Guide to the Nation’s Favorite Spirit; and The Crowded Hour: Theodore Roosevelt, the Rough Riders, and the Dawn of the American Century. A graduate of the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and the University of Chicago, he grew up in Nashville and now lives in Brooklyn, New York, with his wife and two young children.