From innovative craft distilleries across the country to the great distilleries of Kentucky, rye whiskey-bourbon’s spicier cousin and America’s first whiskey-has never seen better days. Initially fueled by the explosion of craft cocktails in the late 90s, the current “Rye Revival” has taken on a life of its own.
This class will focus on tracing the evolution of rye whiskey from the early Monongahela- and Maryland-style ryes through the move of most major rye distillation to Kentucky, and through the increase in corn content through the explosion of two very distinctive ryes out of Indiana and Canada. Major talking points will focus on the impact of history and economics on the flavor profiles of rye.
Learning Objectives:
* Learn whiskey tasting and evaluation methods.
* Explore, through tasting, the flavor profiles of selected spirits.
* Characterize the major flavor profiles most present in rye whiskeys.
* Identify the four main sources of contemporary rye (LDI, Alberta, Kentucky, Craft).
* Explain the concept of distillery characteristic in flavor profile.
* Understand why rye was the first grain of choice for American whiskey distilling.
Guests Will Receive:
* One welcome beverage.
* Six tasting pours of rye whiskey.
* Palate-cleansing bread and cheese.
* Two hours of education, with time for Q&A.
* Access to The Study, Astor Center’s state-of-the-art tasting facility.