Rye whiskey Rye whiskey Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey: In the United States, "rye whiskey" is, by law, made from a mash of at least 51 percent rye. (The other ingredients in the mash are usually corn and malted barley.) It is distilled to no more than 160 U.S. proof (80% abv) and aged in charred, new oak barrels. The whiskey must be put in the barrels at no more than 125 proof (62.5% abv). Rye whiskey that has been aged for at least two years and has not been blended with other spirits may
Irish whiskey year since 1990. With exports growing by over 15% per annum, existing distilleries have been expanded and a number of new distilleries constructed. As of August 2017, Ireland has eighteen distilleries in operation, with at least a further sixteen in the planning stages. Only six of these have been operating long enough to have products sufficiently aged for sale, and only one of these was operating prior to 1975. The word 'whiskey' (or whisky) comes from the Irish (or 'Gaelic') "uisce beatha", meaning water of life. Irish whiskey was one of the earliest distilled drinks in Europe, arising around the