Hudson Whiskey steps up again with a Straight Rey Whiskey that’s more than just a blast of heat.

Hudson Whiskey came into being by accident. Back in 2001, Ralph Erenzo purchased an old grist mill and the surrounding property because of some nearby rocky cliffs. His plan was to create a climber’s ranch where vacationers could come to practice rock-climbing. This didn’t sit well with the neighbors.

He looked around and saw farms producing grain, a mill for processing it, access to plentiful water from a limestone aquifer, and the right zoning already in place. Fate made him pivot to whiskey, becoming the first new distillery in New York State since Prohibition. More than twenty years and a bunch of awards later, Ralph and his partners are pretty happy with the results and you will be too.

Hudson Whiskey NY Do The Rye Thing is as solid a contender as you will find. The mash bill is 95% rye and 5% malted barley, well-crafted, aged a minimum of three years in new oak, and bottled at a perfect 46% ABV. And even though this dram is about as high-rye as is physically possible, it doesn’t blow your head off with pepper and Rye spice. Don’t get us wrong, there’s plenty of the kick that a Rye drinker is looking for. But it’s got nuance and layered flavors that sweeten the deal for sippers and cocktail-makers alike.