Rye is usually a spicy kick in the mouth and nose, even to seasoned whiskey lovers. That spice and heat is in large part due to the larger percentage of…you guessed it: rye! Whereas bourbon must contain at least 51% corn in its mash bill — which is what lends it some sweetness — rye (in America, at least) must have 51% rye.

Once the whiskey of choice — and by “once” we mean pre-Prohibition when America’s most popular type of whiskey was banned and replaced with softer, under-the-table, smuggled-across-the-border stuff — rye whiskey is making a serious comeback.