Straight whiskey as the higher proof spirit loses most flavoring compounds during the distillation process, and does not gain flavors from barrel aging. Blended whiskey may also contain additives for coloring and flavoring. Canadian whisky, which is typically a blend, also uses straight-whiskey-style spirits as a major flavor component, though Canada does require at least three years of aging (usually in used barrels) to qualify any product as Canadian whisky or as "rye whisky". Straight whiskey Straight whiskey (or straight whisky), as defined in United States law, is whiskey created by distilling a fermented (malted or unmalted) cereal grain mash to create
Rye whiskey be further designated as "straight", as in "straight rye whiskey". Rye whiskey was historically the prevalent whiskey in the northeastern states, especially Pennsylvania and Maryland. Pittsburgh was the center of rye whiskey production in the late 1700s and early 1800s. By 1808, Allegheny County farmers were selling one half barrel for each man, woman and child in the country. By the 1880s, Joseph F. Sinnott's distillery, Moore and Sinnott, located in Monongahela was the single largest producer of rye whiskey, with a capacity of 30,000 barrels a year. Rye whiskey largely disappeared after Prohibition. A few brands, such as Old