Updated April 2026.
Rye taste is not a TTB class. US rye is a mash rule: at least 51% rye under Drinkers often describe spice, pepper, and a drier grain next to bourbon’s corn sweetness — that is bar talk, not a score. Canadian “rye” is the FDR whisky class, not the 51% mash. A 1.5-ounce pour at 40% is one NIAAA drink.
Related: what is a rye whiskey, rye for a Sazerac, straight bourbon.
Class vs pour
| Language | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|
| US rye | 1.00 at 40% |
| “Spicy / peppery” | — |
| Canadian rye | From labeled ABV |
| 100 proof | 1.25 |
A 750 mL 40% bottle is about 17 drinks. Four pours are four drinks. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- 27 CFR 5.143 rye whiskey. 27 CFR 5.88 bottled-in-bond. FDR Canadian whisky class.
- NIAAA December 2025. Taste adjectives are not a legal type.
- 27 CFR 5.143: ≥51% rye mash
- ≠ bottled-in-bond unless 27 CFR 5.88