Rittenhouse Ryes are made at the Heaven Hill Distillery. This 40% ABV expression is rarely seen anymore, now that the public has become enamoured of the 50% ABV version. This reviewed bottle has been open for 5 years, is 80% full, and has been preserved with inert gasses for the last 16 months
Nose: spicy with cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon/cassia, ginger, and a hint of black pepper; vanilla, with a little caramel and some wood sugar; solid expression of rye
Taste: lovely spicy translation of flavours to the mouth; vivid and piquante; by rye whiskey standards this is a little watered-down by virtue of being at 40% ABV
Finish: gradual fade out of the strong spicy flavours
Balance: very nice sweet and dry balance; Rittenhouse Rye is a very tasty unassuming rye whiskey in a very clean style. Delightful. Tasting this reminds me how much I love straight rye whiskey, and why I fell in love with rye whiskey just around the time I first tasted this whiskey 5 1/2 years ago. Bottle this at barrel proof/60% ABV and this is worth 93-95 points
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