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Pennsylvania (style) Rye Whiskey

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DESCRIPTION
Pennsylvania-style Rye Whiskey is cocmmonly distilled from a fermented mash of barley and rye. It was created by adaptive adulteration as famers and distillers arriving from the Europe found that the barley they expected to make whiskey of was difficult to grow in the rural hinterlands of Philadelphia. Being not a product of customer demand, nor of curious innovation, the origianl batches of whiskey made in the colonies partly of rye would have been intended to still carry the flavor of a pure barley whiskey. Over the decades after about A.D. 1750, it was found that a minority of malted barley could ferment and flavor a much greater amounnt of rye. This became the first type of American whiskey.

Evolving from what was originally intended to taste as much as possible like the barley whiskies of the British Isles, but with rye stretching the barley, to a spicy whiskey with a barley whiskey undertone, Pennsyvania-style rye whiskey is the first chapter in the great book of American whiskies.
Pennsylvania-style rye whiskey was the most common type of whiskey used in American taverns and homes during the first era of American whiskey popularity from about A.D. 1750 - 1860.

Monongahela-style Rye Whiskey is also a Pennsyvania-born whiskey. It descended from Pennsylvania-style rye as can be seen in the mash-bills above, but it is different enough to have it's own page.

TASTING NOTES
If the spirit has not been overaged, the barley in a good Pennsylvania-style rye whiskey should give an initial taste of buttery porridge. This is the whiskey note. Next, the spicy and nutty taste of the rye grain will fill out the flavor. There is not much of an intimation of sweetness, as maize is not present in this tyope of rye whiskey. But if the whiskey has been aged, but not overaged, the flavor of the barrel will 'polish' the already-mentioned whiskey-and-spice flavors with hints of caramel and chocolate from the char and give the hint of a sweet finish from the wood, itself.

BOTTLING NOTES

NOTEWORTHY DRINKS