Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 Proof

Before I opened this, I was already impressed by the high ABV and reported high rye content. Apparently, this expression is a marriage of barrels that are 4-6 years old. Onto the tasting:

Nose: Pecans, maple, unsalted nuts, ash, sandalwood, rye, vanilla

Taste: Mint, oak, nutty, black peppercorns, white pepper, seeded red chillies

Finish: Builds to the finale of more maple, oak.

Dry on the delivery and a wave of complex flavours on the finale. This is fantastic, a new addition to my core bar stocks.

This is my second rye whisky, the first one being the Bulleit 95 Rye, which I really enjoyed. With the limited availability around these parts, Rittenhouse Straight Rye seemed like a natural step forward.

I opened the bottle early in the summer, and I've been enjoying it on both warm and cold summer days. A bit of air did it good, but Rittenhouse didn't need nearly as much as the Bulleit.

Nose: Loads of aroma, but none of them overpowering. This seems very balanced straight out of the bottle. A mellow sweetness,, followed by notes of vanilla, tropical fruits, spices and rye. It is fruity, but perfumed in any way. A hint of caramel and some oak.

Palate: Intense rye flavour, spices and vanilla. The flavour is delicious and sweet, immediately making me want to have another sip. Warm, sweet pepper and mild chili, along with caramel, oak and a trace of liquorice.

Finish: Some oak, at times somewhat bitter. Spices, notably cloves, rye and maple syrup. The spice and the alcohol warmth makes me think of hot chocolate with chili. I'm also thinking the bitter sensation might be peppermint?

The biggest difference with a spoon of water was the chocolate/cocoa notes on the palate, as well as reducing the bitterness of the finish.

Comment: So far, this is my favourite rye whisky. I'm looking forward to explore this branch of the whisky tree further.

Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whiskey is produced by Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., a family-owned company headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky. The distillery itself, called the Heaven Hill Bernheim distillery, is located in Louisville, Kentucky.

The nose starts with intense flavours of vanilla and, to a lesser degree, caramel. Once you get past these notes there are tobacco and leather, followed by cherries and a touch of mint. Soft wood spice hovers in the background.

The palate is big, bold and buttery, and brings back the vanilla and caramel flavours, this time followed by ginger and cinnamon. Later on there are notes of coffee and raisins, followed by a good amount of spiciness, all in perfect balance.

The finish is long, warming, and spicy. Liquorice and coffee notes linger until the very end.

This is an excellent rye whiskey, with a mighty palate and great balance. I am not (yet) familiar with the 40% ABV expression but dare say that the 100 proof do this whiskey a lot of good in giving it the body it needs. The mint on the nose was somewhat disturbing at the beginning however I got to appreciate it over time. As yet I have not tried too many rye whiskies but this one currently is my favourite expression.

Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 Proof, Bottled in Bond, it said in the bottle. And "How sweet it is to be loved by you", it almost made me sing.

Rittenhouse 100 Proof BIB is like the 1968 movie How Sweet It Its! Produced with tradition. And sweet it is in every way. I noticed, that only little bit of water addition is enough, even though this has 50% ABV level.

Nose: Sweet maple syrup right at the start. Sweetness continues with caramel and tropical fruit notes and with some sweet rye.

Taste: Dark and sugared rye make you want the taste last forever. Smooth and sweet, a bit crispy with mint. Notes of caramel and oak.

Finish: Nice length but a bit light with oak and spices and bitter notes.

Balance: Great rye whisky, without the light finish probably a 90 point dram for me.

This is Part 4/5 of a recent Heaven Hill tasting I attended where I tried five bourbons. I also had the chance to meet their international representative Mr. Henry Joe.

---

I've always had a hard time telling one bourbon apart from another. I mean they are essentially the same flavor profiles so it can be a bit tough. But this Rittenhouse Rye is possibly one of the strangest and most unique.

I just don't know why.

Nose: Unusually fragrant with a pulpy tropical fruit quality. Over ripe jack fruit and soft dates. All on a bed of underlying molasses. Very strange. Not sure if I like it.

Palate: The strangeness continues. Burnt sugar on pudding layered with spicy banana slices. There is that over ripe jack fruit again but this time with a touch of aniseed. Not sure if a bourbon should be tasting like this. I'm still a little confused.

Finish: Oaky dry with a date and rice pudding mix.

Now this is not terrible but it certainly does take you by surprise. Do I want my bourbons tasting like this? I don't know. I really don't.

This is a straight Rye Whiskey which means the mash bill must contain at least 51% rye. Bottled in bond at 100proof / 50% ABV.

The colour is golden caramel and it has good legs and a nice oily sheen.

The nose is punchy with cherries, aniseed, vanilla, citrus and a floral hint. Adding a tiny drop of water brings sticky dates and develops the aniseed slightly.

Lovely on the palate. Spicy, vanilla, dark chocolate, rye, dark fruits. It's sweet, quite rich and full bodied.

The finish tingles the gums and tongue with sweet yet peppery aniseed that is slightly drying at first before then making me salivate quite a lot. Long and lingering and extremely pleasant.

This bottle had been open for 1 month and in my opinion is all the better for it. The slight oxidation has bumped it up several points. When I opened this it seemed more closed off, bitter and locked down. Now it's bigger, spicier, fresher and more full bodied.

This is a really nice Whiskey. I know opinion is subjective and I might score it differently tomorrow but I have waited before writing this review and I'm glad I did.

Warm slow steady arrival develops a balanced fruity/nutty pleasant middle followed by a short dry wonderful finish.

I basically forgot this review. Anyways lets dive in eh? Color: Dark Amber

Nose: Sweet with candied fruits (cherries), sprigs of sweet mint, notes of fall baking spices (cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg). Reminiscent of a high proof Christmas cake. Spicy/sweet cherries and cola notes too.

Body: Medium weight, and a little tongue tingling.

Taste: Assertive spicy front, a formidable blitzkrieg on the tongue. Spicy nutmeg and black pepper. A little bit of caramel and toffee. Drying notes from the rye, slight bitter oak and mint notes exist also.

Finish: Short yet potent with oak, black pepper and red chilies.

Overall: Quite the spicy drop. But I enjoy bold flavors. This whiskey could very well hold its own in an Old-Fashioned or a Manhattan. Wonderful value by the way at $25.

While Rittenhouse may put a smile on your face, it's not because it tastes funny. This rye whisky is quite good.

Here are my notes:

Nose: Maple candy, marble rye bread, caramel, vanilla bean, oak.

Taste: Caramel, dark chocolate, rye, cherry stones, oak.

Finish: Mexican hot chocolate, licorice, oak, cloves from the Spice Islands.

Let this whisky "break in" after opening. It needs a few days. While it can taste a little bitter when the bottle is first opened, this soon passes and yields to some remarkable complexity, depth, and deliciously sweet flavors that are never sickly sweet like some bourbons. A one trick pony this is not.

As its name implies, this whisky is madeof at least 51% rye and has spent at least two years in charred new oak barrels. It is bottled at 50%.

The nose is a bit closed and initially offers top soil and oil of cloves.

The palate is first a spicy vinegar then becomes spicy. Clove and cinnamon dominates. The result is sweet and medicinal. It reminds me of the little sweet cinnamon-shaped goldfish you can get from the candy store. The wood and earth comes to the finish, but always sweet. Like barley sugar.

By adding water, I perceive aromas of cedar and ginger. Also notes of furniture polish. On the palate, molasses comes to the front with cinnamon and a little butter and pepper. A lot better. The final finally becomes wooded.

Less complex than the Wiser's Small Batch, my goto rye, but well done.

Nose: Big rye (ok, we were expecting this, right?) . Lots if maple, sour wood, nuts , balsamic vinegar . A few notes of Crème de Menthe with touches of Vanilla, quite a bit of Wet oak and sun dried bananas… (Thank you for pointing this out, Steffen) What a great nose.

Palate: Rich, bitter sweet with burnt sugar,creamy coconut milk,apple and vinegar.Continues with Demerara sugar spices, cinnamon galore and some cloves.

Finish : Long, spice and sugary butter.

Rittenhouse is only the second American straight rye I've had, and to tell the truth I doubt I could tell it apart from a bourbon. Maybe my nose for American whiskey just isn't that developed. Anyway, here are my thoughts on this fine whiskey.

Nose: full and sweet, with cigar box, baking sweets, glazed pecan. Basically, your usual bourbon notes, but with a nice, soft roundness to it. Beautiful wood sugar, and hints of maraschino cherry. Mind you, I already added water; otherwise, this would be a pretty hot affair.

Taste: follows through as expected; no surprises here. The oak is well-behaved and allows the whisky to express itself. This just might be the right age for it. More spice is brought out that what the nose suggested. Still, a dead ringer for a bourbon in my book.

Finish: very nicely done. Fades on a lingering oaky sweetness and leaves a pleasant wood smoke essence. Also a touch of tart cherry flavour.

Balance: I was not expecting this to score quite so high, but it pushes all the right buttons: it's strong, inexpensive, unpretentious, and delivers an above-average sipping experience from beginning to end.

The following review is something of an exercise in contrasts. I have tasted Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky Bottled in Bond (bearing a black label, unlike the one pictured here) independently on numerous occasions, and report my tasting notes below. I have, however, also tasted it against a new, rather interesting rye: WhistlePig 10 year-old Straight Rye Whiskey, which I review simultaneously. (Amusingly, Rittenhouse is American-made, yet the prototypically Canadian spelling of “whisky” appears on the label, whereas WhistlePig uses the converse spelling.) Below is the result of my Rittenhouse “study.”

As the name implies, Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky Bottled in Bond is a rye whiskey that is the product of a single season and has been aged for at least four years in government rickhouses. Ostensibly a Pennsylvania-style rye, it is owned by the Heaven Hill distillery but the current expression was made by Brown-Forman (the makers of Jack Daniels), until such time as Heaven Hill’s stocks made at their Bernheim distillery are mature.

The nose is sweet—think demerrara sugar and buckwheat honey. There are consistent notes of rum, pancakes, bananas, and oatmeal. More passingly, it is biscuity, a bit floral and a bit bready, with baking spices, peppermint, vanilla, and shredded coconut.

The palate is initially dry and slightly bitter, but as the sweetness comes through, spices mount and hints of banana appear. It is at times oaky, with hints of menthol. The finish is somewhat prickly and medicinal.

Though it is likely younger, Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky Bottled in Bond seems a touch “darker” on the nose than WhistlePig 10 year-old Straight Rye Whiskey. This could be due to different maturation conditions, as the Rittenhouse was likely aged in warmer climes than the WhistlePig. Moreover, the Rittenhouse is so corn-heavy that it seems as much a high-rye bourbon as it does a rye whiskey—less dry and classically “rye” flavored than the WhistlePig. In any case, it is a very good whiskey, and is an exceptionally good value.

Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 proof is described as a Pennsylvania style rye whisky. My bottle is also tagged with the designation "Bottled in Bond" which means the production of the whisky underwent certain supervision by the U.S. Federal government.

My understanding is that this whisky is difficult to locate on the West Coast of the United States and availability on the East Coast is also spotty. I am not sure if it is widely available elsewhere. Given that I live in Virginia which is only one state away from the main production center of U.S. whisky (Kentucky) I would expect availability to be better in Virginia but in the state run liquor stores this product is not sold. It is widely available in Maryland and Washington, D.C. though, fortunately just a few miles away from my home in Virginia.

I have tried several ryes a few times and currently also have bottles of two other reasonably priced (around $US 20) ryes: Sazerac 6 year old and Pikesville. The Rittenhouse is by far and away my favorite. Jim Murray ranks this very highly as well.

I am sometimes over eager to try something after pouring. This whisky definitely benefits from sitting in the glass for a few minutes although I did not find that it benefits from water. The taste and nose literally evolve over 10 minutes or so. After sitting for a few minutes the nose has light nutty (pistachio) nougat, chocolate, and light fruit aromas. At times I also detected a meaty smell but I think this may be that I have eaten so many rye sandwiches that I instinctively associate rye smell with lunch meat.

Taste wise there is also a slight nutty taste, a definite pepper kick together with some chocolate and oaky notes. The finish is medium.

This big rye warms you from the inside out and I highly recommend it. Even though there are lots more ryes I also want to try, I think this will always have a spot in my cabinet.

My favorite Rye!

This whiskey has it all. A luxurious rye for around Twenty Dollars. I save this one for the last dram (it can still be a dram!) of the night. By the time I've had a few sips, I feel that there's nowhere else I'd like to be. It envelops me in a warm soporific blanket and tucks me in with a tender kiss on the cheek.

Even though it's 50% it only needs the smallest drop of water to open it up. This review is based on tasting with just a drop of water where it's full potential can be realized.

If you are looking for a rye to mix drinks with, stay away! This is a rare treat in this world of overpriced tat and it should be cherished and treated with the respect it deserves!

A classic!

Nose, Taste, Finish and Balance are graded out of 2.5 each:

Nose: There's an immediate waft of pistachio ice cream, followed by marshmellow melted on top of a smokey oak wood fire. About as american a nose as it gets. And a beautiful bourbon one at that. 2.0

Taste: Having been won over by the sweetness on the nose, one is ambushed by a flood of spice. Somewhere within the all engulfing spice, there is some swooning raspberry yearning to be heard. An entirely visceral experience. 1.5

Finish: The tongue continues to tingle as jalapeno peppers take the opportunity to dance all over it. As dancing partners, the peppers have both dark chocolate and raspberry, with the dark chocolate probably having the suaver moves. No matter what, the jalapenos are definitely leading. And whatever it is that they're dancing to, the music doesn't seem to stop. 2.0

Balance: For me, I don't overly enjoy being misled. Even if it results in quite a pleasant surprise. That said, if the surprise is entertaining enough, one can forget the disgruntlement at having been misled. Never have I experience such diametrically opposed taste sensations from the nose to the tongue, and if anything the whisky should be applauded if only for that. I haven't tasted enough ryes to tell you whether it's is a particular characteristic specific to this grain, however it is a fascinating experience nonetheless. A whiskey that's anything but boring. 2.0