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Please read and drink responsibly.
Each year we taste and review hundreds of American whiskeys, which are predominantly bourbons but also include ryes, malts, finished whiskeys, and other classifications of American-made whiskeys. Our annual “Best Whiskeys of the Year” series features five categories: “Best American Single Malt, “Best American Whiskey,” “Best Rye,” “Best Finished,” and “Best Bourbon,” finally culminating with our overall #1 Whiskey of the Year.
Our Best Ryes of 2024 start with those ongoing releases or new ones released in 2024 and rated 3.5 barrels or higher, but are not based purely on our initial tasting and individual rating. Instead, we retaste and discuss this wide range of whiskeys extensively. We ask questions, such as is the whiskey exciting, memorable, unique, and most importantly, how does it compare to the rest of the field for the year.
We look for whiskeys that move us, and dig into whiskeys that may be off the beaten path. While availability and price are factors, they are not absolute. The intent is to highlight the whiskeys of the year that stand out the most to us, even if they might be difficult to obtain - and the reason we maintain evergreen “Best of” lists to highlight more readily accessible whiskeys. Ultimately, we must agree on which whiskeys make the list, and which do not - combining the diversity of our different palates.
Hard Truth Distilling Co. is another story of sticking to what you do; working hard to figure out how to create the best product possible. The company has made a name for themselves with a string of bourbon and rye releases featuring interesting mashbills. Their ryes in particular, which are farther along in age than their bourbons, have been true standouts. And that all culminated with Hard Truth Master Distiller’s Reserve 2024 Blend.
Featuring a blend of three of their rye mashbills goes to show how important blending really is to a whiskey. On their own, each of Hard Truth’s ryes have been good, but combined, a bit of extra magic is going on. There is an overall richness to Hard Truth Master Distiller’s Reserve 2024 Blend that can’t be understated.
Rye blends aren’t as plentiful as bourbon blends and typically don’t receive anywhere near the fanfare either. Though many complain of rye’s inherent lack of complexity or overabundance of spice and heat, nowhere is that proven more wrong than this release. Hard Truth Master Distiller’s Reserve 2024 Blend is complex, layered, flavorful, and above all delicious. Rye lovers take note, don’t miss Hard Truth Master Distiller’s Reserve 2024 Blend.
Mad River Distillers is located in northern Vermont, with one location in Burlington. They have been around longer than you may think, and that is showcased with an impressive 10 year old rye release. A double digit aged rye is still relatively uncommon, though over the past two years, Beam, Templeton, Michters, and Bulleit have done their best to fix that. However what you don’t see, is a craft distillery with a double digit aged rye that should instantly pique any rye lover’s interest.
Mad River Founders Reserve 10 Year Rye is all about the chocolate, and it starts with the rye grains Mad River used for this release. Utilizing a 100% rye mashbill of danko rye and complemented by un-malted, malted, and chocolate rye variations, chocolate is bred into the core of this rye. Every part of this whiskey’s soft-to-intense chocolate notes can be smelled or tasted throughout. Though far from one-note, it's how the chocolate interacts with the rest of the rye’s flavors that helps fill out the sip. Mad River Founders Reserve 10 Year Rye is not your grandfather’s rye, and that’s OK because we have plenty of those. Mad River Founders Reserve 10 Year Rye pushes boundaries, which means it won’t be for everyone. They aren't the only producer distilling with chocolate rye, but they are the only ones that have added the element of high age to it. If you're open to a new style of rye with a rich tapestry of flavors, spearheaded by notes of chocolate roasted rye and aged oak, Mad River Founders Reserve 10 Year Rye is a true standout in 2024.
A decade ago, few people would have guessed that Jack Daniel’s would be making one of the world’s best ryes. But beginning in the early 2010s, the Lynchburg, Tennessee distillery has introduced a number of ryes to the marketplace, starting with Unaged Rye in 2012, Rested Rye in 2014, Single Barrel Rye in 2016, and Tennessee Rye in 2017, Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye in 2022, and a green labeled, higher aged, Single Barrel Rye in late 2023 and 2024. As it turns out, the series of releases gave whiskey fans a chance to taste the evolution of Jack Daniel’s rye whiskey.
But earlier in 2020, the company launched Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Special Release Barrel Proof Rye, a limited edition as a one-time release. The rye was met with warm reception from consumers, and arguably the first Jack Daniel’s rye whiskey that really put the distillery on the map when it came to their unique tasting rye. The product eventually became a permanent line extension in late 2023.
We reviewed a 136.6 proof barrel released in 2024, and tasted a handful of others with varying proofs, as bottled proof ranges from 125-145. While the exact flavor profile varies a bit from barrel to barrel, what is consistent is how bold and impressive this whiskey is. It’s not a typical Kentucky or Indiana rye, nor should it be considering it originates from Tennessee, and Jack Daniel’s isn’t attempting to release a whiskey like anyone else. Master Distiller Chris Fletcher largely attributes this to the yeast strain used, a proprietary yeast strain used since 1938 that’s used in the distillery’s sour mash process. Put simply, Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye is one of the boldest and most memorable ryes released in 2024.
When people talk about great ryes, Sazerac is one that usually bubbles up to the top. Yes, it helps that one of the most popular cocktails served around the world shares its name, but that’s not the only reason. Buffalo Trace has produced some fantastic Sazerac 18 Year releases in the late 2000s and early 2010s that were part of a single tanked batch that was drawn down for years that set the benchmark for its category early on. As a result, fans of the brand have held onto the dream of one day having the brand return to its original form. With 2024’s release, the wait is finally over.
Ever since running out of the steel tanked batch and switching to distilling new batches in 2016, Sazerac 18 Year hasn’t quite hit the same high point it used to. With a rich, full flavored sip, that all changed this year. In 2024 Sazerac 18 Year finally returned to form, offering an elegant sip that harkens back to the day of the early 2010s. Rye lovers will be pleased, and those who are fans of the brand will be ecstatic. The old magic that made Sazerac 18 Year so special was regained this year and fans have even more reason to be excited about this well aged rye in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection for the foreseeable future.
Watershed, a craft distillery based in Columbus, Ohio has been producing bourbon for a number of years, however they just released their first rye in 2023. The limited availability of their rye right now is due to the fact that they initially only laid down 5 barrels to age. The company had plans to distill a few barrels per year but got sidetracked, and right now they're releasing one barrel of rye per year while they distill and age additional rye. But wow, what a special rye they produced this year.
As you might expect with a whiskey that’s 145.4 proof, nothing about Watershed Barrel Strength Rye Batch 002 is understated. The sip is big and bold from start to finish delivering flavors that mingle well together, but always make their presence known. You wouldn’t be faulted for thinking this rye’s HAZMAT nature would be what would be most intriguing about it, but you’d also be wrong, as it’s the flavors of the sip that are the star of the show. With just their second rye release ever, Watershed Distillery delivers not just a high proof whiskey, but one that packs a flavorful punch that rye lovers will go crazy for and earns a spot as one of the best ryes released in 2024.
