The expert distillers at Bulleit offer us their sweet and fruity Rye offering, adding even more rye into the mix than their traditional bourbon. Bulleit Rye has a mashbill of 95% rye and just 5% malted barley and is produced in small batches, allowing the flavour to really bloom. The nose is awash with sweet cherries and classic vanilla and on the palate you’ll enjoy an intense heat that mellows into a mesh of peaches, cherries, cinnamon and orange zest. A smoky finish is just what’s needed to show a bourbon of true class.

Crater Lake Rye is an American Whiskey distilled in Oregon. Made from a mashbill of 95% rye, this is full of toffee and peppery notes.

A Canadian offering which celebrating a visit from King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in 1939, Crown Royal is a delicately smooth yet full-bodied offering, with oak and vanilla forming the heart of its flavour. On the nose is robust and welcoming, hints of vanilla and fruit urging you to taste. The flavour is delicate, smooth and cream-laden, with oak spice and sweet vanilla working in harmony. A gentle end note lingers.

Few is from Chicago. It wasn’t in the Blues Brothers and it wasn’t mentioned in the musical, but it was in an episode of Criminal Minds, so that’s pretty cool. A spicy little number, good for Manhattans and Rob Roy’s, or sipping slowly on its own.

Another small-batch blend of fine rye whiskies distilled in a small copper pot still, this is a characterful, robust, smoky whisky with a pleasingly sweet palate.

A fantastic rye whiskey produced in Kentucky, the Pikesville brand dates back to 1895 in Maryland. This 6 year old 110 proof was released in 2015, receiving a Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, an "Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation" from the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and was named the Second Finest Whisky in the World in Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2016 as well as the World's Best Rye Whisky at the World Whiskies Awards 2016 - Heaven Hill also won Distiller of the Year at the Icons of Whisky 2016!

Rittenhouse Rye Whisky 100 proof is a hot and spicy offering which spends six years maturing before bottling. Vibrant cinnamon, black pepper and spicy rye are all prevalent in the nose and they lead into a medium body in which the higher proof is immediately apparent on the tongue. Rich notes of tobacco, cinnamon, clove and brown sugar blend together to create a highly spiced offering with just a touch of sweetness. Sip it slowly.

Sazerac Straight Rye Whisky takes its name from the New Orleans coffee house which was known as the home of the Sazerac cocktail. Without this exceptional whisky, the cocktail would be nowhere near as great. Aromas of vanilla, anise, pepper and clove are released but the flavour is subtler, with candied spice and sweet citrus taking over.

Turning Point Rye is an un aged American rye spirit from state of North Carolina. A nicely spicy and surprisingly tasty rye – it will be very interesting to see what the future holds for this Company .

WhistlePig is a fantastic brand of straight rye whisk(e)y which is distilled and initially matured in Canada before being aged further, at the WhistlePig Farm in Vermont. The Master Distiller for WhistlePig is Dave Pickerell, who was the Master Distiller for Maker's Mark for 14 years, (so you know he's good). Their 10 year old straight rye is made with 100% rye and delivers a full-on flavour profile of clove, mint, barrel char, creamy caramels and butterscotch. Properly excellent stuff.

Released in 2016, this is the 15 year old straight rye whiskey from WhistlePig in Vermont - their oldest release so far! Interestingly, their 15 year old expression has enjoyed a finishing period in Vermont oak barrels which have been given a long toast and heavy char. Due to shorter growing seasons and harsh winters, Vermont oak has a tight grain pattern, which can affect the flavour profile of the whiskey - there's some tree terroir afoot here!

The Armagnac-aged rye whiskey named Best in Show after the blind tasting at 2017's San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This fourth edition of WhistlePig's Boss Hog has aromas of apricot, fig, plum and toasted almond, which are joined by cinnamon, citrus and black tea on the palate. This 14-year-old rye whiskey takes its subtitle, 'The Black Prince', from England's Prince Edward of Woodstock. In the 14th century Edward, known as 'the Black Prince', raided France and included many of the best Armagnac barrels in his substantial loot. To tie in with this theme, the hog on the bottle's stopper is wearing chain mail.

In late June, Vermont-based WhistlePig came out with 12 Year Old WhistlePig Old World. This whiskey is the final result of an experiment beginning in spring 2014, during which WhistlePig finished a 12-year-old-rye whiskey distilled in Indiana in former Sauternes, Madeira and Port barrels. Each one of these were first released as limited edition, single cask type expressions, and what’s in bottle here is a marriage of those three. It’s an experiment that’s worked well for WhistlePig, as The Old World Series won the 2015 Double Gold Award for best rye at the 2015 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. It comes from a mash of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, and as for the blend of the three cask types, brings them together into a harmonious three-way offering that’s 30% Sauternes, 63% Madeira and 7% Port. The colour is light, reminding me of a fine clover honey. The nose brings slight vanilla, caramel and apple cider. (I couldn’t help but exclaim, “It smells like enchantment!”) I often find rye a bit abrasive, but that’s not the case with the Old World. It’s smooth on the palate, being both easy and a little buttery. Even though Port is represented the least in this trio, I picked up some of the raisin flavuor that I get with it. To summarise, it’s extremely potable and finishes delightfully.

A solid and spicy rye made to the Michter's recipe, although not distilled at the now closed Schaefferstown distillery. Nonetheless, Michter's is a name with a certain cult cachet in American whiskey circles, and we reckon this will be a big hit over here. We cannot guarantee specific barrel number or year of release of these bottles.

E.H Taylor is bottled at 100 proof and aged for 11 years in Warehouse C at the Buffalo Trace distillery, which was built by Taylor in 1881 and proved to be an excellent aging warehouse. This is a true testament to the founding father of Bourbon.

A rye whisky to be reckoned with Jim Beam use all their tried and tested methods to produce this high quality, critically recommended bourbon. 51% rye in the mashbill ensures fiery heat and an ageing process of four years ensures smoothness and oaky tones which further enhance the quality of the drink. Caramel vanilla warmth help temper the heat of the spice with welcome notes of cherry and nutmeg also coming through. A quality rye whisky certainly worth a go!

Canada’s most famous whisky, Canadian Club has a flavour which fans will know all too well and newcomers will certainly learn to love. Its aroma is sweet with warm notes of barley sugar and biting aniseed, alongside vegetal freshness. When you take the first sip it’s surprisingly gentle, a mellow flavour with dark sugar, essence of rum and winter spice coming through. It’s a generally medium-bodied whisky with many pleasing flavour notes to enjoy.