About John Myer Rye Whiskey
After the Revolutionary War, the town of Ovid (population 612) was among a group of towns in central New York that were divided into Military Tract Townships. In 1810, the Myer Family began farming land in Ovid and since 1868, the family's farm has been situated on land that was originally part of Military Lot No. 13.
John Myer is the current steward of the Myer Family Farm and has been successfully nurturing and managing the land for over 35 years. Last year, Myer grew 240 acres of corn, 290 acres of soybeans and almost 100 acres of various wheat varieties, including triticale, spelt, barley and oats. Inspired by the traditional distilleries of Scotland, Myer teamed up with his brother, Joe, and began constructing a distillery on Military Lot No. 5 in 2011. The distillery was outfitted with a hip-roofed and pagoda-topped still-house and was finished in hand-cut chiseled wall stone, in homage to Scottish malthouses. The Myers also equipped their distillery with a 650-liter, Christian Carl copper-pot still that is accented with a 19-plate rectification column, giving the brothers unparallelled control over the distillation process.
John Myer Rye Whiskey is made with a unique, four grain mashbill composed of rye, corn, wheat and barley, all of which are harvested from the Myer Family Farm. Traditionally, four-grain mashbills have been reserved for the production of
bourbon, "but we wanted to produce something with a complex and different flavor profile," says Myer.
Once Myer harvests the grains, he mills and mashes them before distilling the wash through his copper-pot still. Then, the whiskey is matured for just over one year in traditional, oak casks before being bottled by hand. Myer Rye Whiskey has an aroma of citrus, orange zest, and spicy toast that gives way to notes of caramel apples, cinnamon and ginger on the palate. The finish is intense and accented by touches of tarragon, black pepper and cayenne.
"John Myer Rye Whiskey is a genuine craft product, made from field to flask right here on our farm," says Myer. Pick up a genuine rye whiskey today!
About Rye
As American as the bald eagle, rye whiskey was first brewed in the American Northeast in the 1600s. Even George Washington distilled it after leaving the Oval Office, so there’s no way of denying its origin.
It’s distinguished from bourbon for its original and unique spicy notes.
By law, rye whiskey must be made from at least 51% rye grain, aged in new and charred oak barrels for at least two years, and bottled at no more than 62,5% ABV.
Check out our impressive selection of rye whiskeys, find your new favorites in The best-reviewed rye whiskeys, and explore our treasury of Best rye bottles under $100.
