8 Best Rye Whiskeys to Spice Up Holiday Gifting in 2023

For many years, rye whiskey played second fiddle to bourbon. Though rye grain was commonly used in whiskey production in the early 1900s, Prohibition in America all but killed off the momentum of this spicy spirit.

Fast forward nearly 100 years, and rye has risen the ranks in popularity. There’s no shortage of brands releasing rye whiskeys these days, and choosing the perfect bottle for the rye drinker in your life can lead to some major decision fatigue.

We’ve put together a list of the eight best rye whiskeys for the holidays and taken the guesswork out of the buying process.

8 Best Rye Whiskeys for Holiday Gifting in 2023

Barrell Rye Batch 004

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Barrell Rye Batch 004 is a monster of a rye, perfect for the imbiber in your life who loves all things spice-related. This peppery beast is a blend of 5-, 6- and 10-year-old Indiana rye whiskey; 5-year-old Tennessee rye whiskey; 6-year-old Kentucky rye whiskey; and 14-year-old Canadian rye whiskey.

With a mashbill of 89% rye, 7% corn and 4% malted barley, Barrell Rye Batch 004 has an ABV that clocks in at 57.85%. You can pick up a bottle for the price of $84.99, and this rye can be purchased directly from Barrell Craft Spirits. Many of Barrell Craft Spirits’ rye whiskeys have achieved high ratings at Whiskey Raiders, and the brand’s Barrell Craft Seagrass Gray Label received nearly unprecedented 10/10 score.

Barrell Rye Batch 004 is herbal, spicy and minty — foreshadowing what a monster this rye whiskey is going to be on the palate. As far as flavors go – brace yourself. The palate is loaded with brown sugar, ginger and herbs. It finishes with an intense rye component and plenty of herbaceous spicy qualities.

This powerful rye is definitely no shrinking violet and not for the faint of heart — but damn it’s good.

Still Austin Cask Strength

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Still Austin is our pick for the best distillery in Texas, and its cask-strength rye can be purchased directly from the distillery at a modest $65. This rye whiskey takes the subtle layers of Still Austin’s popular “The Artist” straight rye whiskey and cranks it up several notches by giving it the power of a barrel-proof spirit.

Still Austin Cask Strength Rye Whiskey was released in August 2023 and was bottled at 116 proof. Though this offering has all that big bold rye spice, it’s still pretty approachable for a cask-strength whiskey.

The nose offers generous aromas of brown sugar and lemon zest. Plenty of punchy rye spice leaps to the forefront. The palate is rich and balanced, with brown sugar and pine. The finish is clean and short, rendering it dangerously drinkable despite its fortitude.

Templeton Stout Cask Finish

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Templeton’s stout cask-finished rye is the perfect whiskey for any rye enthusiast who also happens to also be a beer aficionado. Stout-finished whiskeys can be a bit heavy-handed, but not this offering from Templeton.

This whiskey was released in 2022 as part of the Iowa-based brand’s Barrel Finish Series, which showcases the impacts unusual wood treatments and unconventional flavors have on the brand’s whiskeys.

This rye was initially matured in American oak-charred barrels and was finished in bourbon barrel-aged chocolate coffee stout casks. The stout barrels offer a flavorful juxtaposition to this spicy and savory rye.

Picture aromas of funky brown sugar and toffee on the nose, coupled with a palate that has plenty of baking spice — yet is still on the savory end of the flavor spectrum. The chocolatey sweetness of the stout casks imbue the finish with roasty-coffee notes and plenty of baking spice.

With a suggested retail price of $54.99, Templeton Stout Cask Rye clocks in at an approachable 92 proof.

Frey Ranch Straight Rye

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If you’re looking for the perfect rye to put into a Manhattan or be a total rockstar neat or on the rocks, look no further than Frey Ranch’s Straight Rye. Frey Ranch is a farm-to-glass distillery based out of Nevada, and you could say that rye whiskey is Frey Ranch’s specialty – although it just entered the American Single Malt game in November.

This rye is made with 100% Winter Cereal Rye — which is rare to find in a mashbill. Rye is typically cut with other grains, as the grain itself doesn’t typically have enough accessible sugar to kick off fermentation. Yet the distilling team at Frey Ranch wanted to show off the quality of their rye grains.

Clocking in at 100 proof, this rye can be purchased for a modest $62.99 directly from Frey Ranch. With plenty of aromas of big brown sugar, candied ginger and cracked pepper, this five-year-old rye is bold and powerful.

On the palate, bold cola and rye spice pop through – making it a great rye to put into cocktails. The finish is long and loaded with caramel, oak and more ginger. Consider this bottle the perfect gift for the mixologist in your life.

Hard Truth Cognac Finish Rye

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Hard Truth is an Indiana-based craft distillery that has experienced some pretty heavy growth over the past few years. The brand built a sprawling campus on a 325-acre property and was still expanding as of July 2022.

The brand launched the Barrel Finished Reserve Collection, a series of four different riffs on Hard Truth’s signature sweet mash rye recipe. Hard Truth implements a mashbill of 94% rye and 6% malted barley.

This expression was finished in French oak Cognac VSOP casks and is bottled at 108 proof. Hard Truth’s Cognac Finish Rye hosts a suggested retail price of $99.99. The limited releases in this collection may be tricky to track down, but they’ll release each October.

With plenty of buttery sweetness, rich caramel and old tobacco on the nose, coupled with flavors of oak, baking spice, créme brûlée and pepper, this bewitchingly beautiful rye hosts plenty of length on the finish. The Cognac is beautifully integrated throughout every sip, making this one sultry and sophisticated whiskey.

If the rye drinker you’re shopping for likes the finer things in life, consider tracking down a bottle.

Peerless Double Oaked Rye

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Peerless Distilling has a long history that dates back to 1889, and during Prohibition, Peerless was one of the few distilleries that sold its whiskeys for medicinal purposes.

This Kentucky brand prides itself on using local barrels through Kelvin Cooperage, a company that still chars its barrels by hand. Peerless chose to release a rye exposed to two separate casks, which the brand claims “supercharges” this whiskey.

Peerless Double Oaked Rye is bottled at barrel proof and comes from a sweet mash. The whiskey was aged in one barrel first, then a second fresh barrel to give it some oaky oomph.

Quite possibly Peerless’ best offering yet, this double-oaked rye hosts a chocolatey, brown butter nose coupled with cherry cordials and toffee. On the palate, picture more oak, toffee, pepper and tobacco. This whiskey finishes beautifully with dry cocoa, espresso and honey. It can be found for around $125.

A Midwinter Night’s Dram

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High West’s wildly popular A Midwinter Night’s Dram might just be the most festive rye whiskey on our list.

Made from High West’s Rendezvous Rye whiskey and finished in ruby and tawny port barrels, this expression usually releases in the Fall of every year — and sells out fairly quickly, might we add.

A Midwinter Night’s Dram has a proof of 98.6 and a suggested retail price of $150, making High West’s crown jewel. The two whiskeys that make up High West’s Rendezvous Rye have a mashbill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley and 80% rye and 20% malted rye.

With aromas of cranberry and baking spice, this wintery rye whiskey is definitely on our holiday wishlist. The palate has port wine, lingonberry, spearmint and more cranberries, before ultimately giving way to a wintery, beautifully spiced finish. This is the best A Midwinter Night’s Drams in years.

WhistlePig Boss Hog

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The Vermont-based WhistlePig is no stranger to making some of the zaniest and most creative expressions of rye around.

If you’re in the market for a rye whiskey aged in homemade fig nectar and Greek Tentura casks, WhistlePig has done that. What about a rye that’s been aged in G-Forced barrels, with lychee and oolong tea? WhistlePig did that, too.

Boss Hog X: The Commandments is a Canadian rye whiskey finished in two different barrels. One barrel housed a spirit distilled from rye and whey, which the team at WhistlePig infused with aromatic resins from Boswellia and Commiphora trees. The other held craft mead. If the rye drinker in your life is always up for experimenting — WhistlePig Boss Hog X: The Commandments is the perfect gift.

With a clover honey-infused nose kissed with black tea, and plenty of floral syrupy qualities on the palate of this 53.9% ABV rye: WhistlePig’s latest Boss Hog is art in liquid form. The finish is beautiful, with plenty of lemon cream, sweet oak and pepper.

This offering from WhistlePig doesn’t run cheap, with a suggested retail price of $600. This is a stunner through and through, and if you’re looking for a high-end gift, this is a great pick.

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