Russell's Reserve Rye Whiskey earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, where it was named "Best Rye Whiskey," and earned a score of 96-100 points from Wine Enthusiast. In addition, it was rated one of the top six rye whiskies by Drink Spirits, which said: "If you are looking for the best expression of rye in a whiskey, Russell's Reserve 6 Year Old Rye is the rye for you."

Michter's US*1 Single Barrel Straight Rye Whiskey is made from a mash comprised primarily of fresh, plump rye grains. Once the grains are harvested, they are sheared so that during fermentation, the grains are saturated with more flavor. After the grains have been fermented, they are distilled through a copper-pot still before being matured in charred, American oak barrels. The barrels are allowed to rest in a heat-cycled warehouse, which forces the wood to expand and contract as the temperature rises and falls. This heat cycling causes the whiskey and wood to mingle with each other, and contributes notes of marmalade and light caramel to the rye. Once Willie Pratt — Michter's Master Distiller — determines that the rye has reached its peak flavor, each bottle is filled and sealed by hand.