Did you know that rye is a whiskey cocktail’s secret superstar?
Sure, America runs on bourbon, and it’s the more fashionable choice for neat-sipping, but in cocktails? Trust me when I say that Rye is king. If you want proof, this is the perfect list for you because we set up some of the best bottles of rye for mixing in cocktails, and the best part is that they all clock in at under $50.
This list has everything from the classics that have been propping up boozy cocktails for decades to age-stated newcomers with incredibly high values, all for less than $50.
Who’s ready to make some whiskey drinks? These are the world’s best ryes under $50 for mixing in cocktails.
14. Sazerac Rye
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $25
The Whiskey:
Sazerac Rye, or “Baby Saz” as it’s sometimes affectionately called in alternative to the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection’s Sazerac 18, is an entry-level Kentucky rye from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Originally created as an homage to the cocktail that bears its name, this is a bottle with roots in New Orleans, made in a style that’s instantly recognizable as a corn-driven Kentucky whiskey.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose has features of honey and corn pudding, while the subtle influence of rye spice, clove, candied mint, and faint black pepper is barely perceptible. That said, it is quite a balanced nose, as the baking spices and more traditional rye aromas do a fine job of elevating its overall sweetness.
Palate: Once this whiskey crosses your lips, the flavors of candied orange peels, sweet mint, and corn pudding instantly greet you. With black pepper joining at midpalate, along with a touch of clay and nutmeg, it does increasingly receive some spice balance, though its sweetness is undeniably the marquee flavor. Lastly, the mouthfeel is a bit lean, but it works well with these light and sweet fleeting flavors.
Finish: The finish is very brief but crisp, as it leaves one last gasp of candied citrus notes to go with some caramel and allspice.
Bottom Line:
Sazerac Rye is a whiskey ideally suited for bourbon drinkers looking to cross the Rubicon into rye territory. Its sweet flavor profile is instantly recognizable as one where corn is heavily featured, but despite that, it brings a few surprises to the party as well, which makes it a delightful, albeit modest, neat-sipping rye. In cocktails, however, this is a rye to be reckoned with.
13. Widow Jane Paradigm Rye
ABV: 46.5%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
Widow Jane hails from the Red Hook neighborhood in Brooklyn, NY, and is primarily known for its stellar blends of sourced whiskey. For its Paradigm Rye, however, they’ve kicked things up a notch—still utilizing that sourced stock but blending it with their own distillate and proofing it down with their signature mineral water from the Rosendale Mines in New York.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: A bit of cloying, almost artificial sweetness, perfumes the air at first. On a second whiff, a distinct mint tea aroma melds well with the scents of celery seed and chalky sweetness reminiscent of Smarties candies.
Palate: Wow, the palate is resplendent with honey and mint tea before that lovely Smarties candy note arrives at midpalate. Add to that just a touch of oak and a warm, viscous mouthfeel, and this is a pour that you will revel in on the second sip more than the first. And then the third more than the second.
Finish: A touch of tobacco leaf and golden raisins accent the back end of each sip, which has just enough staying power to allow you to savor those well-balanced flavor notes.
Bottom Line:
Widow Jane’s Paradigm Rye is a surprisingly tasty neat-sipper, but given those unexpected flavors, it’s even more useful in mixed drinks. The distinct earthy and herbaceous notes do well to play off any added sweetness or fruit-forward notes you might find yourself mixing up in a cocktail, which makes this bottle such a good choice to have nearby.
12. Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $35
The Whiskey:
Jack Daniel’s Bonded Rye was recently introduced to the JD portfolio, and it’s been going over like gangbusters ever since. Joining the brand’s Tennessee Whiskey and Sour Mash Whiskey in its “Bonded” lineup, this bottle represents the best flavor and the best value of the bunch, as it punches well above its modest price point.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose you do get a bit of that signature Jack Daniel’s bananas foster note but it’s well integrated with a bouquet of sweet mint, sage smudge, cigar wrapper, and roasted almond aromas. All in all, this is identifiably Jack Daniel’s, but with a load of fun surprises along the way.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey immediately comes across as creamy. With dilute caramel, caramelized bananas, freshly cracked black pepper spice, and big-time vanilla pod flavors painting your palate, you’ll immediately find yourself chewing this whiskey as though out of habit. Mining those flavors introduces more menthol, sage smudge, and nutmeg as it starts sticking to the back of your teeth, thanks to its medium-bodied texture.
Finish: The modest finish features an abbreviated showcase of those flavor notes with sweet banana, black pepper, and dilute caramel standing out before it recedes from the tongue.
Bottom Line:
At only $35, this is an incredible delicious rye whiskey, full of flavor and capable of standing tall as a neat sipper. That said, its utility in cocktails cannot be denied as it brings a ton of fruity notes to go with its thick layer of baking spices, which will take any mixed drink you toss it in through a tour of Tennessee.
11. Old Overholt Bottled in Bond Rye
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
Old Overholt Rye is one of the most classic and iconic whiskey brands in America. With a legacy that dates back to 1810 when Abe Overholt assumed management of the Old Overton Farmstead, the contemporary version of this 4-year bottled in bond rye whiskey brand is owned and produced by the world-famous Beam Distilling Co.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this rye is a bit restrained, but it beckons you to the rim of the glass with a whisper of orange peel, vanilla extract, rye spice, and red raisins. There’s also a touch of black pepper and youthful oak to be gleaned after a first pass.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey continues to develop with black tea and baked green apples, joining the medley of vanilla extract, orange peel, and rye spice found on the nose. The mouthfeel is lean and sprightly, allowing the liquid to sashay over your tongue with ease, unveiling those light, sweet-leaning flavors.
Finish: The finish is brief and crescendoes in black pepper spice, walnuts, a touch of menthol, and an expressed orange peel.
Bottom Line:
Old Overholt isn’t typically deployed as a sipping whiskey, often used instead as a stellar mixer capable of punching through in a variety of cocktails. Taken on its own it’s easy to see why this bottle stands so tall in mixed drinks, and though we’d recommend giving it a try neat, using it in cocktails where it shines best is sure to be a reward.
10. Wilderness Trail Rye
ABV:
Average Price: $49
The Whiskey:
Wilderness Trail is known for being one of the industry leaders in terms of innovation, fermentation, and environmental impact, but that doesn’t mean they’re reinventing the wheel. Their flagship rye expression is right down the middle of the road made from 100% local grains with a mash bill of 56% rye, 33% corn and 11% malted barley using Wilderness Trail’s own yeast strains. Also of note: the barrel entry proof for this expression is an atypically low 100 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, it has a smoke-brushed caramel tone that draws you in while stewed apples, rye spice, and vanilla beans emanate in the background. Given a few swirls, the whiskey opens up a bit and becomes lighter, with apricots, allspice, spearmint, and black tea emerging in prominence.
Palate: The first sip from this rye welcomes the fruity combination of stewed apples and dried apricots while toasted Manuka honey and vanilla bean add layers of depth. The texture is fairly rich, while remaining spry enough to easily roll over the tongue, making this one a light sipper more than a rye you need to chew or explore at length.
Finish: The medium-length finish thins out a bit leaving sage smudge, clover honey, and sweet menthol notes sending you on your way.
Bottom Line:
Wilderness Trail’s flagship rye is full of richness, with the sort of broad shoulders you can balance a well-made cocktail on. What it lends in flavor is equally matched by its supple mouthfeel which will result in a flavorful, creamy cocktail.
9. Sagamore Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
Sagamore Spirits was long known for sourcing MGP rye while they bided their time, aging their own distillate. Now that distillate is fully mature and supporting the brand’s Reserve Series Bottled in Bond expression.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins slightly herbaceous with a hit of cardamom, thyme, and youthful oak, before it spreads its wings unveiling sweet butterscotch hard candy and Stroopwafel notes to go with a touch of peanut shell.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey quickly reveals its richness with a slick texture that’s spry across the tongue. The flavors of caramel and waffle cone make it into the mouth along with some black pepper, Angelica root, red apple skin, and lemon zest.
Finish: The finish is short-to-medium, which is the perfect balance, as it allows just enough time for those disparate flavors to coalesce.
Bottom Line:
Sagamore’s Bottled in Bond Rye is an animal totally of their own making, and they have every reason to be proud of it. Bringing Maryland rye back to prominence is a tall task, but one that should be easily within Sagamore’s grasp if this rich rye is any indication. Enjoy it neat if you must, but just know it makes one hell of an Old Fashioned.
8. New Riff Bottled in Bond Rye
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $50
The Whiskey:
New Riff Bottled in Bond Rye is a powerhouse offering that delivers a ton of bang for your buck. This is another bottle that can easily pull a double shift as a neat sipping treat, or a mixing whiskey that’s hard to beat.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins with spearmint bubblegum, confectioner’s sugar, and subtle black pepper notes to go with some oak and caramel candy. In time that sweet spearmint notes becomes more robust, as does the balance of the baking spices with some nutmeg joining the black pepper kick.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey doesn’t disappoint. The sweet spearmint bubblegum note is still front and center, while some cardamom and black pepper keep its overall sweetness in check. The texture is spry and speciously rich, allowing the whiskey to coat your tongue and savor it’s various flavors at length. Fun stuff!
Finish: The finish is where the subtler rye and baking spices come to the fore as a touch of sage and menthol join nutmeg and black pepper to leave the final impression. Also of note: the flash appearance of some clover honey.
Bottom Line:
New Riff’s Bottled in Bond Rye is a flavor-packed, balanced, bottle of rye whiskey and that’s precisely what leads to it working so well in cocktails. You want a whiskey that has plenty of backbone but isn’t a peacock that screams “look at me!” in every mixed drink. New Riff Bottled in Bond Rye is exactly that.
7. Knob Creek 7-Year Rye
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $37
The Whiskey:
Knob Creek’s original rye whiskey, this 7-year expression debuted back in 2012 and has been a staple on backbars ever since. The expression welcomed a return of its 7-year age statement in 2023, and that’s holding firm for 2024.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes on Knob Creek’s 7-year rye begin with honeysuckle, raw mint, and black pepper, with a touch of dill seed, oak, and hazelnut all having their say in this charming bouquet of aromas.
Palate: On the palate, all of the nosing notes persist to varying degrees, with the honeysuckle and raw mint notes blending well with the black pepper and hazelnut. At the same time, the oak is relegated to being a featured player, and the dill seed notes are faintly evident.
Finish: The finish welcomes an uptick of the spice notes, with rye spice and nutmeg seizing the reins while some gentle tannins and caramel come through.
Bottom Line:
Knob Creek fans rejoiced when this classic rye revived its 7-year age statement, and even with the lineup’s expansion, including a new 10-year offering, the OG still hits the sweet spot. While the 10-year is a bit more peppery, making it stand out in cocktails, the 7-year is mellow enough to elevate your mixed drink without drawing too much attention to itself.
6. Pikesville Rye Whiskey
ABV: 55%
Average Price: $57
The Whiskey:
Pikesville Rye used to be a pillar of America’s twin whiskey capitals, Maryland and Pennsylvania, calling the former home. Now, this whiskey is made in Kentucky by Heaven Hill but still honors its past with its throwback label.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Pikesville Rye is incredibly expressive with dense molasses, pine, rye spice, raw mint, potting soil, and dark chocolate. It’s a tightly wound and incredibly enjoyable nosing experience that rewards your patience as those notes slowly uncoil.
Palate: The tip of the tongue is briefly greeted with the citrus splash of tangerines before dark chocolate, allspice, and raw mint sink their hooks into your palate. The toffee aroma from the nose then makes its way to the palate along with a splash of sorghum, red pepper flakes, and, finally, a turn towards milk chocolate that sweetens it up a bit.
Finish: The lengthy finish is full of hazelnut spread, rye spice, mint, and overtures of freshly cracked black pepper. It continues the bold streak that this whiskey kicked off from the moment I opened the bottle.
Bottom Line:
Pikesville Rye is one of the more full-bodied and robust rye whiskeys on this list, making it perfect for punchy, whiskey-forward cocktails. If you’re looking for a particularly viscous rye with a broad range of flavors capable of standing up in a mixed drink, you’ve just found your new best friend.
5. Bulleit 12-Year Rye
ABV: 46%
Average Price: $48
The Whiskey:
Bulleit 12-Year Rye is back again after being originally released in 2019. The 2024 edition actually contains whiskey from the first release, which, if you do the math, means there’s much older whiskey in this blend.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Green caramel apple aromas fill the glass and waft over the rim with a touch of honeyed mint tea, allspice, buttercream, and sweet oak. There’s also a distinctive floral aspect that draws you in.
Palate: Oak and allspice take the lead, but those notes are soon supplanted by a dollop of caramel, a mint milk chocolate shake, and the crisp green apple found on the nose.
Finish: Sweet oak and white pepper are abundant on the finish, which has a medium length that gently recedes, leaving you craving the next sip.
Bottom Line:
Look, Bulleit’s 95% rye and 5% malted barley grain recipe is famous for a reason — it’s a crowd-pleaser that helped redefine the category. With some added age, the whiskey takes on a richer depth of flavor and delivers an incredible value that’s well worth taking advantage of in your favorite rye cocktail.
4. Wild Turkey 101 Rye
ABV: 50.5%
Average Price: $30
The Whiskey:
Wild Turkey 101 Rye has been a staple of the brand since the 1950s, but only since about 1974 has the expression been produced exclusively by Wild Turkey in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Wild Turkey 101 Rye is light and full of rye spice, honeyed mint tea, cornbread, and black pepper.
Palate: When it first passes your lips, Wild Turkey 101 Rye is impressively multi-layered with faint hazelnut notes and significant mint spice, pairing well with clover honey, soft oak tones, nutmeg, and cornbread. The mouthfeel is substantive enough to send those flavors sprawling across the entirety of your tongue and the roof of your mouth but restrained enough that it keeps all of those notes in check, making for a sipping experience that hews toward being refreshing rather than contemplative.
Finish: The finish on 101 Rye has a fair bit of staying power, as the flavor of honey clings to the palate along with some white pepper and youthful oak that tapers off quickly but leaves a satisfying impression.
Bottom Line:
Wild Turkey 101 Rye is the perfect match for a mixed drink. It isn’t overly proofy, which grants it the ability to enhance cocktails without dominating them, but it’s still packed with flavor, allowing the base spirit to stand tall. When sipping this expression on its own, you’ll really be able to appreciate the balance it brings to the table, as well as the streamlined but still multi-layered flavor profile.
3. Rittenhouse Rye
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $28
The Whiskey:
Rittenhouse Rye is one of those back bar staples that’s become so ubiquitous, you might’ve overlooked it. With a history that traces back to Philadelphia, this flavorful bottle was named after the city’s famous Rittenhouse Square.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: On the nose, you’ll pick up notes of banana peppers and red chilli flakes, which are soon joined by dried apricots, subtle butterscotch notes, paprika, and nutmeg.
Palate: On the first sip, Rittenhouse Rye’s flavor profile remains true to its nosing notes. The notes of banana peppers and dried apricots lead the way before red pepper flakes, rye spice, vanilla, cinnamon, and cocoa enter the picture. It’s a spice-laden sip with a fairly lean texture, which gives it more breadth than depth.
Finish: The finish is medium-length with black pepper, nutmeg, and butterscotch standing out most prominently.
Bottom Line:
Rittenhouse Rye was born to be a cocktail mixer, and there isn’t a single mixed drink where it shines brighter than in an Old Fashioned. Rye-based Old Fashioneds perfectly showcases why rye was the original inspiration for the drink, bringing plenty of baking spices to balance out the sugar and citrus and even going so far as to lead the flavors without being too boozy, maintaining an impressive balance even after the ice begins to melt. There’s no question: Rittenhouse Rye is the best readily available whiskey you can choose for an Old Fashioned.
2. Old Forester 100 Proof Rye
ABV: 50%
Average Price: $28
The Whiskey:
Originally launched in 2019, Old Forester Rye quickly became a fan favorite and a bar staple. Utilizing a historic mash bill acquired by Owsley Brown in 1940, Old Forester Rye consists of 65% Rye, 20% Malted Barley, and 15% Corn.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Interestingly, on this blind tasting, there is a lot of mint, rye spice, and lemon meringue on the nose of this whiskey for me. The sweet, lemon meringue notes come with a bit of milk chocolate, and once the sweetness subsides, there’s a bit of black pepper and even cinnamon bark hiding underneath.
Palate: The palate is heavier than expected, and a rush of mint, milk chocolate, honey, and rye spice cascades over the tongue on the first sip. The first takeaway is that this multi-layered sipping experience can reward extended consideration. Chewing reveals a bit of youthful oak and a touch of leather.
Finish: The medium-length finish on this whiskey is where the spices return in full force with black pepper and a touch of cinnamon fusing with rye spice, mint, and honey for a balanced and appropriately timely send-off.
Bottom Line:
It’s easy to see why this rye quickly became a bartender’s favorite. With an impressive, well-defined set of flavors that up the ante on the rye content while retaining a base sweetness that appeals to bourbon fans, Old Forester Rye is one of the most versatile whiskeys on the planet, regardless of category. Whether you’re a neat sipper or a regular cocktail consumer, this bottle belongs on your shelf at home.
1. Michter’s US*1 Rye
ABV: 42.4%
Average Price: $45
The Whiskey:
For its flagship rye whiskey, Michter’s rests the liquid for an undisclosed period of time before blending it in 20-barrel small-batches and bringing it to bottling proof with some of that famous Kentucky limestone water.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Lime zest and Manuka honey lead the charge on the aroma note with a gentle, approachable profile that draws you in for deeper inhalation. On the second pass, you pick up notes of cracked black pepper, oak, and, surprisingly, brisket fat.
Palate: What stands out immediately is that Michter’s US*1 Rye has a really supple mouthfeel, and its flavors of honeyed mint tea with a touch of black pepper and oak are restrained yet well-defined. It’s a flavor profile that plays coy and encourages you to meet it halfway before enchanting you with how well-developed each of the notes truly is.
Finish: Some red pepper flakes, honey, and mint punctuate the succinct finish. Overall, each sip is impressively smooth and rich, which makes for easygoing good sipping.
Bottom Line:
While other rye expressions in Michter’s portfolio bring more pizazz, their standard edition rye is the life of the party. Equally excellent on its own or as a mixer, this bottle can easily be the lifeblood of your bar cart, optimizing any cocktail it touches.
Without a doubt, Michter’s US*1 Rye is an incredible whiskey for mixing drinks, and it’s our number one rye for use in cocktails.
