The Best Rye Whiskey Brands to Try Now

Bourbon may be America's best known contribution to the spirits world, but it's certainly not the only one. Rye whiskey, for example, is like bourbon's more daring, leather jacket-wearing cousin. Distilled from a mash of at least 51% rye (whereas bourbon must contain at least 51% corn) and typically aged in charred oak barrels the robustly flavored grain brings peppery, spicy notes that will really shake up your standard whiskey rotation. A classic cocktail favorite (a Manhattan just isn't a Manhattan without it) rye fell by the wayside in the vodka boom of the '80s and '90s but it's been making a steady resurgence in recent years with rye whiskey production increasing a whopping 1,275 percent since 2009.

If you'rr looking to get in on this trendy tipple, here are some of our favorite bottles to spice up your whiskey collection.