Best High Rye Bourbons to Try

This Kentucky straight bourbon is part of Bardstown Bourbon Co.’s core lineup of estate-distilled whiskeys, with 100% of production from distilling to bottling handled by the brand. It is made with a high rye mash bill (60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley), aged for 6 years, and bottled at 96 proof. Available nationwide. (SRP $44.99) Previously released as part of the Origin Series. Updated name and packaging roll out beginning spring 2026.

Heigold Double Malt Kentucky Straight Bourbon is the fourth whiskey released by Louisville-based brand Rabbit Hole and is named in tribute to Christian Heigold, a German immigrant stonemason who settled in Louisville in the 19th century. This high-rye expression is made from a mash bill of 70% corn, 25% malted rye imported from Germany, and 5% malted barley. It is aged over four years in new American oak barrels that are toasted and charred (char #3), then bottled without chill-filtration at 47.5% ABV. It launched in September 2019.

Still Austin The Musician Straight Bourbon is produced by Still Austin Whiskey Co., a grain-to-glass distillery founded in 2015. It is made using 100% Texas-grown grains, with a mash bill of 70% non-GMO white corn, 25% Elbon rye, and 5% Wildfire malted barley. The whiskey is aged at least 2 years in new, charred American oak barrels. The label artwork, titled The Musician, was created by Texas native Marc Burckhardt and is part of a series celebrating “archetypal” Austinites. First released in Texas in August 2020, it is now widely available nationwide.

Based in Danville, Kentucky, Wilderness Trail uses a rye-forward mash bill of 64% corn, 24% rye, and 12% malted barley for this expression, with corn and rye sourced from a local farm. Made using a sweet mash process rather than the more common sour mash method, it is distilled on-site in a single season, aged a minimum of four years in bonded warehouses, and blended from batches of 10 to 12 barrels before being bottled non-chill filtered at 100 proof. First released in April 2019.

This straight bourbon takes its name from Cincinnati Prohibition-era bootlegger George Remus, known as the “King of the Bootleggers.” The George Remus brand was acquired by Ross & Squibb Distillery (formerly MGP Ingredients) from Queen City Whiskey Co. in November 2016. This expression serves as the entry-level bourbon in the portfolio and is a blend of high-rye bourbons aged a minimum of four years. It is bottled at 47% ABV.

The Bulleit label, revived by Tom Bulleit, traces its roots to the early 1800s, when Augustus Bulleit produced a high-rye whiskey recipe for friends and family, though it was never sold commercially. Tom reintroduced the brand in the late 1980s, and it was later acquired by Diageo in 2001. Made with a mash bill of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley, it is bottled at 90 proof.

First introduced in 2018, this is New Riff’s flagship Kentucky straight bourbon and a core expression in the distillery’s lineup. It’s made with a high-rye mash bill of 65% corn, 30% rye, and 5% malted barley, using non-GMO grains throughout. Aged for at least four years in 53-gallon new American oak barrels that are both toasted and charred, the bourbon is bottled in bond at 100 proof and released without chill filtration.

Basil Hayden is one of four Kentucky straight bourbons in the Beam Small Batch Collection, alongside Booker’s, Baker’s, and Knob Creek. While Basil Hayden, Sr. is not featured on his namesake bottle, his likeness appears on every bottle of Old Grand-Dad, which uses the same high-rye mash bill recipe found here. This expression is the lowest proof in the collection, bottled at just 80 proof. Note: As of 2021, the brand name was updated from Basil Hayden’s to Basil Hayden across the entire portfolio, though the bourbon recipe itself has not changed.

Distilled at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, Kentucky (formerly the Labrot & Graham Distillery), this Kentucky straight bourbon was first introduced in 1996 and remains the brand’s flagship expression. The high-rye mash bill contains 18% rye and is made from a blend of pot still and column still distillates. Though it carries no age statement, the bourbon is typically aged between 6–7 years. It is bottled at 45.2% ABV.

Four Roses Small Batch is a Kentucky straight bourbon made by blending four of the distillery's ten proprietary recipes. It combines both of their mash bills — one with 60% corn, 35% rye, and 5% malted barley, and another with 75% corn, 20% rye, and 5% malted barley. The selected recipes use yeast strains designed to highlight a balance of light spice, richness, and fruit-forward character. Bottled at 90 proof.