Not only do I not regret purchasing this bottle, but I’ve resolved never to be without one on my home shelf. It punches well above its price, and for that I am adding a point to the score (in accordance with our guidelines), resulting in… Score: 7/10 On the nose, the whiskey came up with some heat, but had a nice, chocolatey depth and an appealing doughiness. A distinctive sourness came on strong at first taste, followed by the chocolate depth and a rich, oaky finish. The whiskey had a notably round and rich mouthfeel, and overall presented a very robust character when sipped neat and with a few drops of water. What you say about Rittenhouse is the same, although the U.K price ain’t so cheap. Most folk will think that a fine bottle of whiskey. It’s not as good as LOT 49 cask strength 12 and there we go all down that rabbit hole once more. RittenhouseTown Historic District, a historic area in Philadelphia surrounding the first paper mill erected in British Colonial America If you're looking for a smooth drink with a little more depth of flavor than the "cheap stuff," High West Double Rye Whiskey delivers without breaking the bank.

I no longer overlook the affordable, readily available whiskies. They’re what got me started to begin with, and I owe the producers a world of thanks for producing such reliable quality over so many years. If we’re bored with that, maybe we need to re-evaluate why we’re doing this to begin with. Verdict: This was a crowd-pleaser. The extra aging made a mellower, sweeter, smoother rye than many of the more typical ryes, with still a touch of rye’s hallmark sour spiciness to distinguish it from a bourbon or other type of whiskey. While two panelists considered that it would make an exceptional Sazerac, another insisted it needed nothing more than a glass and maybe an ice cube to be enjoyed to its fullest. At the end of the tasting, the Rittenhouse 21-year-old was on three out of four top-3 lists. On the palate, the whiskey came through a little clearer, with a more robust, peppery spiciness followed by a sourdough-like flavor and a scant touch of sweetness, and a crisp, medium finish. Verdict: A good, but nondescript rye. One panelist summed it up perfectly: “If this one is expensive, then shame on it. If it’s an inexpensive rye, then they’re doing a great justice. It has no finish, and [a good finish] is what I want out of a quality whiskey, but everything else about it is good.”

With its lower proof, mellow flavor, and bourbon-like mash bill, Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey is the perfect rye for beginners. If I’m being honest with myself, there are so many excellent whiskies (especially those available domestically) that we need never search beyond the likes of spirits like Rittenhouse Rye, Old Grand Dad 114 (a personal favorite), Russel’s 10 Year Old, and many, many, fine American Single Malts from Balcones, Westland, Stranahan’s, etc.

Rittenhouse Square, one of the five original open-space parks in central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania YES, YES, YES, YES, YES. I completely understand your commentary. I find that I gain very little from winery visits, distillery tours, sherry bodega visits any more. Any tour guide has to treat you as a beginner. The only way you can make them interested enough to talk to you on the next level is to ask difficult questions or make your knowledge apparent. This can work sometimes but it can be a bit intimidating for others on the tour. I have done this in sherry and wine tours in Spain and Italy and it has resulted in being allowed to hang around after the tour has finished to sample some of the better stuff. Usually they just want you to be intoxicated enough to blow your money in the shop. John most recently reviewed Rittenhouse rye in January of 2022, comparing it to the sister Pikesville ryeexpression from Heaven Hill’s stable of rye whiskeys (among them the most recent addition, Elijah Craig rye). All three share the “barely legal” mash bill of 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% barley. So, what sets Rittenhouse apart from its in-house competition? Given the hullaballoo over the bonded, and my own fondness for it in Manhattans, I was interested to see what a blind tasting would reveal about the array of Rittenhouse ryes. Laura Jacinta Rittenhouse (1841–1911), American temperance worker, author, poet, orphanage manager, club womanI’ve learned over that past several years that the best way to answer the question “What are your favorite whiskies?” is to relate my favorite whisk(e)y experiences. Visiting Scotland with my sons, blending a bottle of our own Springbank Single Malt, watching them totally geek out over the experience, there’s no whisky experience in recent memory as rewarding as that. I think that those of us that have pursued our love of fine whisk(e)y have indeed been spoiled a bit. So much so that we ignore perfectly fine whiskies that are readily available, and inexpensive (hence boring since there’s no “chase” involved). Made with rye and no other grains, Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky offers spicy, sweet flavoring and a long, tasty finish, making it ideal for drinking on its own. Whiskey is made by fermenting a mash of grains. For a whiskey to be a rye, the mash bill of grains must be at least 51% rye. When looking at rye whiskey vs. bourbon, the key difference is the mash bill. Bourbon is at least 51% corn. Bourbon must also be made in the US. Rye can be made anywhere.