NY Distilling Co. Jaywalk Straight Rye Whiskey Review

When it comes to whiskey from New York state and New York City, rye invariably comes to mind before anything else. The Empire State has a long history of rye cultivation and the inevitable rye whiskey distillation that comes with it, the state’s climate being particularly well suited for growing the hardy rye grain. Recent years have seen the state’s distilling industry attempt to refine this historical association into a style all its own, the so called “Empire Rye” that must be distilled from a minimum of 75% New York state-grown rye. The term hasn’t yet received any federal backing, but a number of small distilleries have used it as a jumping off point, in some cases experimenting with forgotten or revived heirloom varietals of rye itself. That includes NY Distilling Co. (now situated in Bushwick), which since 2011 has been producing spirits in NYC. Their new series of Jaywalk Rye Whiskey expressions zeroes in on a particular varietal of rye the industry has never really seen before, Horton Rye.

Now, NY Distilling Co. had already been known for producing rye whiskey in the form of the Ragtime Rye, a younger product that was also made using NY-grown grain. Considering that Ragtime Rye is no longer listed among the company’s products on their website, however, I wonder if perhaps the more mature new Jaywalk series is effectively replacing it with a new brand that the company believes better reflects their philosophy.

The Jaywalk series comes in three different expressions: A “standard” straight rye at 92 proof that boasts a pretty impressive 6-8 year age statement, a bonded variant at 7 years and 100 proof, and a more limited “Heirloom Rye” variant that comes in at cask strength. All three are distilled from a mash bill of 75% New York rye, 13% New York corn and 12% malted barley, but it’s the styles of rye grain itself that really makes the series into something novel. That mash bill combines Field Race rye previously used in the company’s Ragtime Rye with the newly available Horton rye, an heirloom varietal that dates back to 17th century New York. This varietal was effectively extinct in the wild before the NY Distilling Co. team partnered with Cornell University’s College of Agriculture to recreate it from seeds. Over the course of a five year process, beginning in greenhouses and moving to fields, the rye was cultivated, with the distillers ultimately finding it brought unusually exotic flavors to their whiskeys.

So, what we have here today in Jaywalk Straight Rye Whiskey is a pretty decently aged, 92 proof rye expression with a novel grain story behind it. Also notable: The $50 MSRP, which feels like a pretty big value for a 6-8 year old rye from a craft producer. Honestly, $50 is a good price for extra-aged rye from the major producers these days. From a craft distillery? Even more so. Note: I don’t usually bother commenting on packaging or aesthetics, but I will say that I find the octagonal bottles here to be quite sharp.

So with that said, let’s get to tasting.

On the nose, this rye displays a combination of elements that simultaneously ring as familiar and slightly more exotic or unusual. The pepperiness one so often finds in rye whiskey is present, but it’s joined by more of an earthy-sweet characteristic that one doesn’t find so often. It’s a little bit musty at times, though balanced nicely between sweeter impressions of deeply caramelized toffee and nebulous herbal/floral notes. I’m also getting pine, rye bread and a distinct mintiness. There’s a good amount going on here, though it can be tough to immediately suss out all the notes.

On the palate, the mint again shows up in a big way, joined by milk chocolate to suggest mint chip ice cream. The pure rye grain flavor is joined by cracked pepper but also peach/apricot fruitiness, swirled with sweet, minty herbal character. At the same time, more savory impressions of tobacco and cigar wrapper, along with wet grass, give it a more complex profile. This grain seems to simultaneously deliver fruity, herbal and sweet characteristics, which is certainly intriguing. It’s also plenty flavorful at this proof point, punching a bit above its expected proof. Tasting blind, I would probably think this was 100 proof or somewhere above, in terms of the sheer assertiveness of flavors.

All in all, this is a very solid rye from NY Distilling Co., particularly impressive in the sense of how much value they’re still able to offer at $50 price point, particularly considering the years of labor that went into reviving the Horton rye being used. Those looking to explore the Empire Rye concept will likely want to check it out.

Distillery: NY Distilling Co.
City: Brooklyn, NYC
Style: Straight rye whiskey
ABV: 46% (92 proof)
Availability: 750 ml bottles, $50 MSRP

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.