Whiskey is not for everyone, but with a little experience we’ve come to find that we like it … a lot. So when Patti and I heard about the American Whiskey Convention in Philadelphia, we had to check it out. Hosted at Citizen’s Bank Park the whole event was pretty overwhelming, but we discovered a few new-to-us whiskies that are worth sharing.
Rye Whiskey is Our Jawn
With 100+ whiskies available for tasting we decided to focus on our favorite: Rye Whiskey. Without that concentration the result could have ranged from a lame Friday evening to waking up on the subway in North Philly…
We Like a Spicy Burn
Taste is totally subjective, so it’s important to understand that ours may differ from yours. We enjoy spicy Ryes that have some complexity with a bite, so whether drinking it neat or incorporating it into a cocktail there needs to be some balance. We learned a lot about that at whiskey school and if you get the chance to attend a similar class it’ll really open your eyes.
Our Favorite Ryes
So given our taste and our totally unscientific sampling regimen, here are our favorite Rye whiskies from the event. If you see something you’ve enjoyed let us know in the comments. Alternatively if you’ve tried them and they were a disappointment let me know, you may actually help us save a few whiskey dollars for something more worthwhile:
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John Myer Rye Whiskey
This Rye was definitely our favorite of the event. It balanced a variety of different flavors with the alcoholic zing very effectively.
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Manatawny Still Works Small Batch Rye
We really enjoyed this small batch rye that isn’t available yet in our local liquor store. Although it was high in alcohol content (114 Proof), it was really tasty. Add a splash of water and this stuff will go down easily.
American Whiskey Convention Wrap Up
Overall we had a great time so if you have the chance to attend this event or something similar I highly recommend it. Not only did we have a great time and learned a bit, but we connected with a bunch of great people. We’ll definitely go back.
