Exploring the Spice of Whiskey: Maryland Rye Whiskey

Maryland rye whiskey carries a softer, sweeter swagger than its Pennsylvania cousin, yet its story is every bit as foundational to America’s early distilling heritage. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Maryland farmers found rye to be a hardy, reliable crop, but unlike the rugged Monongahela style to the north, Maryland distillers often blended their rye with a touch of corn or used a lighter mash bill. The result was a rye whiskey known for its approachable character—still spicy, but rounder, fruitier, and more honey‑edged. This gentler profile helped Maryland rye flourish, especially around Baltimore, where it became a regional favorite and a staple of pre‑Prohibition cocktail culture.

While Pennsylvania leaned heavily on heirloom varieties like Rosen rye, Maryland distillers often used a mix of local rye strains that thrived in the Chesapeake climate. These included common winter rye varieties that produced a softer spice profile, along with occasional use of heritage grains that added floral and grassy notes. The mash bills varied widely, but the hallmark of Maryland rye was balance --spice from the rye, sweetness from corn, and a smooth finish.

Geographically, Maryland’s distilling industry clustered around Baltimore and the surrounding counties. The city became a powerhouse of rye production in the late 19th century, home to well‑known names like Sherwood, Monticello, and Melvale. Distilleries also dotted the countryside in places such as Frederick, Carroll, and Washington counties, where farm distilling traditions ran deep. Baltimore’s port gave Maryland rye a commercial advantage, allowing it to travel easily along the East Coast and beyond. By the early 20th century, Maryland was producing millions of gallons of rye annually, rivaling Kentucky bourbon in popularity.

Prohibition, however, hit Maryland rye hard. Although the state was famously lax in enforcing the ban -- earning the nickname "the Free State" -- the industry never fully recovered afterward. Baltimore Pure Rye Distilling Company (BPR) was the first major post-Prohibition rye whiskey producer in Maryland. In 1938 the Dundalk based distillery released a four-year-old, straight rye whiskey under the direction of master distiller William E. Kricker.  The distillery changed ownership a few times with Seagram's closing the distillery doors in 1988. Maryland rye whiskey seemed destined for history books. 

But the 21st‑century whiskey renaissance sparked a revival with entrepreneurs on a mission to resurrect Maryland’s once‑legendary rye whiskey tradition. The Baltimore Spirits Company released its inaugural rye whiskey, Epoch Rye, in 2018 -- marking the first rye whiskey distilled in Baltimore in over 50 years. The distillery built its reputation on meticulous, grain‑forward spirits, and Epoch Rye became its flagship expression -- made from a mash bill that leans heavily into rye’s natural spice while incorporating malted barley to round out the texture and deepen the flavor. The whiskey spent two years aging in new charred American oak, resting through Baltimore’s humid summers and brisk winters, allowing the barrels to shape a profile that’s both bold and nuanced. Its release marked a symbolic return to Maryland’s historic role in American rye production, blending old‑world heritage with the craftsmanship of a modern, independent distillery.

Similarly, Sagamore Spirit Rye grew out of a desire to restore Maryland’s once‑dominant rye whiskey legacy. Founded on the banks of the Patapsco River, the distillery built its identity around a uniquely Maryland style—softer and more approachable than the bold, peppery ryes of other regions. Its core rye whiskey is crafted from a blend of two high‑rye mash bills distilled to emphasize spice, citrus, and herbal character, then proofed with limestone‑filtered spring water from Sagamore Farm. The whiskey matures in new charred American oak barrels, where years of aging in Maryland’s fluctuating climate deepen its caramel, baking‑spice, and toasted‑oak notes.  

McClintock Distilling Company is an award‑winning organic distillery based in Frederick, Maryland, and has built a reputation for reviving traditional Mid‑Atlantic spirits with a modern, sustainable approach. Their Bootjack Rye Whiskey reflects this mission beautifully. Crafted from certified organic heirloom grains and milled in‑house on a vintage stone burr mill, Bootjack Rye is designed as an homage to Maryland’s historic rye‑whiskey style. By using a mash bill rich in Abruzzi rye and aging the spirit in new oak barrels, McClintock aims to recreate the bold, spicy, grain‑forward character that once defined Maryland rye. Also check out their Etzler Straight Rye Whiskey which is a special release made with Danko Rye, Warthog Red Wheat, Yellow King Corn and was aged in New Cooperage White American Oak for five years. The ingredients were all sourced from Maryland farms such as Celadon Farms (Mt. Airy), Bought the Farm (Thurmont), and Wallin Organic Farm (Warwick). 

The resurgence of Maryland rye is more than a nostalgic nod—it’s a rediscovery of a regional style that nearly vanished. As modern distillers revive old recipes, experiment with grain varieties, and reconnect with the state’s distilling roots, Maryland rye is reclaiming its place in America’s whiskey landscape, proving that a spirit with a gentle touch can still leave a bold impression. It almost makes one Rye Curious. 

TasteCamp Maryland 2017 - The Distilleries

One of the many benefits of attending TasteCamp is that the focus extends beyond wine and always includes beer, cider, and spirits. TasteCamp Maryland was able to leverage the spontaneous and organic craft distillery eruption in the town of Frederick; today the area supports three craft distillers when two years ago, none existed. During the weekend we were able to sample spirits from these distilleries as well as from Lyon Distilling, located in Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The main spirits tasting occurred at McClintock Distilling, located in a gutted shell of a 100-year-old mechanic’s garage and owned-operated by college friends Tyler Hegamyer & Braeden Bumpers.  Their facility is ingenious, following the footsteps of the distillery's namesake McClintock Young - a renowned local inventor in the 1800’s who patented over 100 inventions.  The facility houses many of these inventions and patents, but none compare to the engineering feat in the closed-loop cooling system and water management. This process allows the distillery to reuse tons of water during the cooling process; we are talking about 50 gallons per minute recycled and reused. Their German-made 264-gallon copper still is also ingenious in that it allows the distillers to change the focus of each batch from say vodka to gin quite easily and with a little more ingenuity allows for a dry hopping process where the botanicals seep into a gin through the vapers and not the mash.

Nevertheless none of this matters if the spirits don't shine, and in this respect, the three McClintock craft spirits do shine.  The Forager Gin is infused with "botanicals inspired by native herbs found in the Appalachian Wilderness" and is refreshing in the sense that the juniper is muted. And there appears to be equivalent citrus character. The Maryland Heritage White Whiskey is based on a "historically derived rye heavy mash bill from pre-prohibition Western Maryland distilleries". The whiskey is then aged for 24 hours in oak which along with the rye provides just a hint of pepper and other spices. But the sweet and mellow corn and wheat provide the strongest influence leading to a very smooth spirit. Finally, the Epiphany Vodka is distilled from Northern Italian organic wheat and double distilled and triple filtered, a process that once again provides a clean and smooth product. Nicely done.

The same evening the two other Frederick City based distilleries poured: Dragon Distillery and Tenth Ward Distilling Company. The former was the area's first distillery when Navy veteran and businessman Mark Lambert decided it was time for a career change. Although the distillery is named after the Dungeons & Dragons game (they readily acknowledge their geekiness), the underlying influence is Mark's great-grand father "Bad" Bill Tutt.  This rebel was apparently a doctor, gambler, and moonshiner and their moonshine is based on an old family recipe. The distillery produces traditional spirits like the Joust Gin as well as many flavored spirits such as Fannie Tutt's Lemon Meringue ​Moonshine (named after Bill's wife) and the Medieval Mint Flavored Vodka. In general I hesitate sampling anything flavored but I thought the Medieval Mint Flavored Vodka was very tasty with the chocolate finish that complimented the mint. The gin was clean and not juniper heavy - as I prefer.

Monica Pearce and business partner & distiller Kyle Pfalzer opened the Tenth Ward Distillery in July 2016 and specialize in "offbeat spirits by experimenting with unconventional ingredients, recipes, and aging techniques".  The name “Tenth Ward” is a reference to the way Frederick City was divided during the late 19th century. They source locally with the grain and corn grown, malted, and\or smoked at the Rippon Lodge Farm in West Virginia. And the cider for their Applejack is sourced from McCutcheon’s, a 4th generation family owned apple manufacturing plant that has been in Frederick since 1938.  At McClintock, Pfalzer poured samples of four spirits: White Caraway Rye (80% malted rye & 20% malted barley mashed with caraway seed), Applejack (100% apple brandy aged in used bourbon barrels), Claude Counter Corn Whiskey (80% smoked corn & 20% malted barley), and the 120 proof Lindsay Stunkle Rye Whiskey (80% malted rye & 20% malted barley).  I was unsure about the Caraway Rye but dug the Applejack and Claude Counter. The apple-bourbon combo was very enticing and the smoked corn adds a peat character to the corn whiskey.  The Lindsay Stunkle was hot; next time I look forward to tasting with a little water to dampen down the alcohol.

As mentioned previously Ben Lyon, co-owner of  Lyon Distilling poured four rums at a tasting at Big Cork Vineyards. The distillery is located in the sailing village of St. Michael's and has been producing rum and whiskey since 2012.  Here we will focus on their rum where the molasses and sugar cane juice are sourced from Louisiana and fermented, distilled, and aged at Lyon. Moving from right to left we sampled the Sailors Reserve Rum, Bijoo Batch Rum, Curacao Orange Liqueur Rum, and their Coffee Rum. The first two were solid sipping neat, full of flavor and little burn.  I wasn't sure about the Curacao, but loved the Coffee. In fact went back for seconds and thirds. I need to schedule a visit this summer. Cheers.