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We Blind Tasted 8 Rye Whiskeys — And the Winner Shocked Us

ByBarrel Hunters

If you think pumpkin spice is the flavor of fall…we respectfully disagree.

As cooler weather rolls in, rye whiskey quietly becomes the real seasonal MVP. Bold spice, warming heat, layered complexity — rye delivers everything you want when the temperature drops. So we decided to put that theory to the test with a full blind tasting of eight rye whiskeys to find out which bottle truly deserves a spot in your glass this fall.

No labels. No brand bias. Just whiskey doing the talking.

👉 Watch the full video here to see how the rankings played out.

🧪 How the Blind Tasting Worked

To keep things fair (and fun), we created a true blind setup:

  • Each rye was poured into a travel-sized sample bottle
  • The bottle names were written on the bottom and fully covered
  • The order was shuffled so neither of us knew what we were tasting
  • We evaluated every pour on:
    • Nose
    • Palate
    • Finish

We scored each category independently, ranked the whiskeys from least favorite to favorite, and then averaged the scores to produce one final Barrel Hunters ranking.

No hype. No preconceived favorites. Just honest tasting.

🥃 The Contenders

We selected a lineup that mixed heritage brands, craft innovators, and a few curveballs to keep things interesting:

  • Willett 4 Year Rye – A cult favorite known for bold spice and personality
  • New Riff Malted Rye (6 Year) – A unique malted rye with deeper chocolate and roasted notes
  • E.H. Taylor Straight Rye – Bottled-in-Bond and highly sought after
  • Still Austin Bottled-in-Bond Rye (Rabbit Label) – Texas-grown grain with big character
  • Redwood Empire Emerald Giant Rye – Approachable craft rye with wide availability
  • Old Overholt 4 Year Rye – The budget contender in the lineup
  • Heaven Hill Grain to Glass Rye – A transparency-focused experimental release
  • Middle West Dark Pumpernickel Rye Whiskey – Bold, grain-forward, and completely unique

The goal wasn’t to crown the most expensive bottle — it was to find the rye that actually delivers the best experience when tasted blind.

And let’s just say…the results surprised us.

🍂 Why Rye Whiskey Shines in the Fall

Rye naturally fits cooler weather for a few reasons:

  • Spice-forward profiles bring warmth and intensity
  • Pepper, baking spice, mint, and dill notes pair perfectly with fall foods
  • Higher proof expressions stand up well as temperatures drop
  • Versatility — great neat, in Old Fashioneds, Manhattans, or fall cocktails

If you normally lean bourbon, fall is the perfect season to start exploring rye more seriously.

🎥 Watch the Full Blind Tasting

If you want to see which rye came out on top — and which favorites got exposed when the labels disappeared — watch the full blind tasting on YouTube.

And if you enjoy blind tastings, be sure to check out the other blind battles linked at the end of the video.

👕 Bonus: Rye Spice > Pumpkin Spice

If you’re firmly on Team Rye this fall, we’ve got you covered.
Our new “Rye Spice > Pumpkin Spice” t-shirt just dropped — along with fan favorites like Drinkers Assemble and Malt Whiskey.

Check out our merch here. Rep your whiskey priorities accordingly.

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