The World’s Best Rye Whiskey According To The NY World Spirits Competition

Five rye whiskeys were finalists for Best-in-Class Rye Whiskey at the 2024 New York World Spirits Competition (NYWSC), a prestigious event showcasing the industry’s best. All five finalists were craft distillers, underscoring the importance of new distillers in energizing the rye whiskey category and the tremendous diversity now available in the aromas and flavors of rye whiskey. Below is a brief background on the finalists and tasting notes on their whiskeys.

Lasso Motel, Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye Whiskey, 10 YO, 62% ABV, 375 ml.

The Lasso Motel Single Barrel rye whiskey, from the renowned Lasso Motel brand, was chosen as the Best-in-Class Rye whiskey. The win capped a remarkable debut for a new brand that won top honors as World Best Whiskey at the NYWSC for its 18 YO American Straight Whiskey.

The rye is bottled at a cask strength proof of 124 and is very spirity and sweet on the nose. It’s a robust and flavorful rye with a strong spice profile. It features layers of black pepper, caramel, milk chocolate, baked apple, cinnamon, dried stone, dark fruit, and a dry but lingering fruity finish showcasing the rye’s natural spiciness. The rye was distilled at Midwest Grain Producers in Indiana and used MGP’s standard high rye mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. For an indepth look at Lasso Motel, see also How Lasso Hotel Crafts One of the America’s Great Bourbons

THE NYWSC Judging Panel described the Lasso Single Barrel Rye as expressing:

Spice, apple, dark fruit, and cinnamon on the nose, followed by a blend of sweetness and spice on the palate.

The other finalists include:

Larado Whiskey, 8 YO Cask Strength Roper Reserve Rye Whiskey, 58% ABV, 750 ml.

Larado Whiskey was founded in Windsor, Colorado. Initially, it used Lasso Whiskey, but it was recently rebranded as Laredo Whiskey due to a trademark dispute. Hunter Hoshiko established the company with partners Joe Berlin, Dave Goldschmidt, Gabe Keyes, and Jordan Lockner. Hoshiko’s family has been farming in the Greeley-Kersey area for 130 years, primarily growing onions, corn, and wheat on 3,000 acres.

Larado Whiskey produces whiskey in a 2,000-square-foot distillery in Windsor and has been self-distributing to about 35 liquor stores and 40 restaurants in Northern Colorado and metro Denver since March 2024. The company has won several awards, including gold medals at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and the New York World Spirits Competition for its Roper Reserve and Rye whiskeys.

This single-barrel whiskey is aged for eight years and bottled at cask strength. The whiskey has a typical rye profile of caramel, vanilla, and baked apple, followed by wood spice notes of cinnamon and a hint of clove. It’s robust yet smooth and creamy on the palate, with a complex flavor profile and significant depth. It features vanilla, Crème Brulé, caramel, brown sugar, baked apple, seasoned oak, cinnamon, and a hint of clove. The finish is long and smooth with lingering vanilla, cinnamon, and oak wood notes.

The whisky is a single-barrel offering, so other bottlings may have slightly different ABVs. The mash bill is 51% rye, 45% corn, and 4% malted barrel, so it could easily be taken for a high rye bourbon, and its aroma and flavor profile are very bourbon-like.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described it as featuring “bold oak and spice flavors.”

K Luke Whiskey Company Barrel Strength Toasted Rye Batch 3, 57.3% ABV, 750 ml.

Jonathan and Jennifer Maisano founded the K.LUKE Whiskey Company. According to the company, Jonathan, the co-owner and blender, has extensive experience in whiskey selection, having tasted over 1,600 barrels and selected more than 400 for single-barrel releases.

This expression is blended from eight barrels sourced from Kentucky and Indiana. The rye whiskey was finished in toasted barrels for three months and bottled at 114.6 proof in May 2024.

It’s spicy and aromatic on the nose, featuring rye notes of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and pepper and aromas of toasted rye bread, dried fruits, caramel, and vanilla. The pronounced spiciness carries over to the palate, featuring cracked black pepper, rye bread, caramel, vanilla custard, a bit of raisin and prune, oak wood, and some herbal notes. It’s oily and viscous with a pronounced mouth weight. The finish is long and spicy with a candied sweetness and lingering spice, oak, and dried fruit notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the K Luke rye as exhibiting “Layers of toasted vanilla, caramel, and spices.

15 Stars, First West Batch 2-SSDD Rye Whiskey, 52.5% ABV, 750 ml.

15 Stars Distillery was founded in 2021 by Rick Johnson and his son Ricky Johnson. It has quickly become a rising star among American craft distillers and is a perennial medalist in international spirit competitions.

The rye whiskey is a blend of straight rye whiskeys aged 6, 7, and 8 years. The mash bill is not disclosed, nor are the distilleries from which the rye is sourced. The whiskey is floral on the nose with pronounced dried fruit and rye spice notes. It’s incredibly complex on the palate, featuring dried apricot, honey, ginger, cinnamon, clove, herbal green tea, dried tobacco leaf, dark chocolate, and hints of floral potpourri. The long finish has lingering caramel, ground pepper, and rye spice notes.

The NYWSC Judging Panel described the 15 Stars rye whiskey as “A blend of dried fruit, toasted oak, and a touch of maple sweetness.”

Green River, Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey, 47.5% ABV, 750 ml.

Green River Distilling Co., in Owensboro, Kentucky, has a rich history dating back to 1885. As the 10th oldest licensed distillery in Kentucky, as indicated by its DSP-KY-10 designation, it holds a special place in Kentucky whiskey. The brand was revived in 2016 and resumed production in 2022 after being shuttered in the 1950s.

The Straight Rye Whiskey is a recent addition to the distillery’s core lineup, joining their bourbon and wheated whiskey expressions. It has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley and is bottled at 95 proof. The whiskey is a blend of four-to-six-year-old barrels, all distilled, aged, and bottled at Green River Distilling Co.

On the nose, the whisky has pronounced citrus aromas of orange zest/orange oil and herbal notes of fresh mint. The same aromas carry through to the palate, joined by vanilla, caramel, graham cracker/biscuit, and black pepper notes. The finish is medium-length, with lingering notes of rye spices, herbal tea, and seasoned oak wood.

The NYWSC highlighted some outstanding rye whiskeys. These distilleries are all American craft whiskey movement stars and have been perennial medalists in international spirit competitions. If you are a rye whiskey enthusiast, these whiskeys are all worth additions to your home bar. These five finalists are a good place to start if you have yet to seriously explore rye whiskeys.

For additional information on world-class rye whiskeys, see also, The World’s Best Value Rye Whiskeys.