Study, distillers clash over bourbon and rye

A Washington State University Tri-Cities researcher says there’s no real difference between bourbon and rye whiskeys.

Tom Collins, an assistant professor in viticulture and enology at WSU Tri-Cities in Richland, conducted a study in which he had participants blindly sort rye and bourbon whiskeys made in America based on smell. His findings? People are more likely to sort by brand rather than type of whiskey.

That means that certain mixed drinks that traditionally require specific whiskeys — a rye for a good Manhattan, a bourbon for a classic Old Fashioned — can be made with just about any good whiskey.

“There are differences between rye and bourbon,” Collins said in a news release. “But they aren’t nearly as different as we think they are. In a blind test, it’s really hard to tell a difference.”

A pair of Kennewick distillers, however, beg to differ.

“A bourbon is going to be a little more full bodied and sweeter,” said Paul Schiro, co-owner of RiverSands Distillery in Kennewick. “Ryes will be spicier and fruitier.”

Collins’ use of a smell test is in line with how scotch whiskey is evaluated. And he had good reason to suspect there may not be much difference between some whiskeys on the market. Rye must be made from mash comprised of at least 51 percent rye while bourbon must come from a mash that is at least 51 percent corn.

There’s otherwise not much difference between the two whiskey varieties and many distillers use the same type of barrels to develop ryes and bourbons.

“So much of the characteristics of any whiskey come from the barrels,” Collins said. “And when you use the same barrels for each style, there will naturally be strong flavor similarities.”

Schiro and his business partner, Russ Horn, offer a single malt scotch whiskey in their tasting room at 19 W. Canal Drive in downtown Kennewick. But they are planning to develop their own rye whiskey this summer and, yes, it will be different from their scotch and from a bourbon.

“They’re talking about a more blended type rather than a straight,” Horn said of the WSU Tri-Cities study.

Horn said he actually doesn’t prefer rye as it’s sharper and not as smooth as other whiskeys “but if it’s there, I’ll drink it.” He and Schiro said rye whiskey is on the rise in popularity and they plan to use a 100 percent rye mash to make it, something the craft distiller market is more likely to do to differentiate themselves from the big distillers.

RiverSands’ tasting room is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. They are closed Sunday through Tuesday.

Schiro and Horn plan to open a new tasting room in Walla Walla across from the Marcus Whitman Hotel in mid-June, Schiro said.

This story was originally published May 24, 2016 at 5:19 PM with the headline "Study, distillers clash over bourbon and rye."