Whiskey
Review #11: Rittenhouse Straight Rye B.I.B
Category: Go to
Price: $25
Availability: Year Round-Everywhere
Proof: 100, 50%avb
Age: No age statement
Distillery: Heaven Hill, Bardstown, Kentucky
If bourbon had a brother, it would certainly be rye whiskey. These two uniquely American spirits go back to the foundation of our country itself. In fact, bourbon is the only spirit recognized by the US Government. In 1964 Congress passed legislation dubbing bourbon “America’s native spirit.” For the record, rye whiskey (commonly referred to as rye) is equally steeped in American tradition. Rye was the first true Colonial American whiskey and was the most popular spirit for more than a century!
Because of how our nation historically and culturally evolved, rye has
always been associated with the American Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States.
Bourbon, by contrast, remains closely linked to the American South, and
Kentucky in particular. Both spirits have fallen in and out of vogue over the
years. Bourbon experienced a slump in sales during the 1960’s, and then slowly
made a comeback. Rye seems to be picking up popularity in recent years. Now,
many of the major distilleries producing Kentucky bourbons also produce rye
whiskeys.
In order to keep this blog interesting, I have decided to take a small
detour from KY bourbons in order to explore the wonderful world of rye
whiskeys! This posting will be the first in a series of three reviews, all
centering on rye.
Rittenhouse is a B.I.B. Kentucky Straight Rye whiskey. It’s roots go back
to an old recipe in Philadelphia, PA. For more information on BIB whiskies,
check out my review on Even Williams BIB (White Label). In that review, I go
into detail explaining what BIB whiskies are all about.
Aside from the historic and cultural differences, what makes bourbon
different from rye? The major difference is the mashbill (recipe). Bourbon has
a minimum of 51% corn while rye has a minimum of 51% rye. This means that rye
whiskeys are dryer, spicier and carry more of the oak notes. Bourbons, by
contrast, are typically softer, sweeter and have more of a corn based roundness.
Another difference is bourbons are typically aged a bit longer than ryes. For
example bourbons are rarely younger than four years, while ryes can be as
little as two.
Overall: If I were judging all rye whiskeys based on the Rittenhouse alone, I would have to say that ryes are simply not for me. Thank goodness I have tried others that I enjoyed far more! I can see how this expression would make a great cocktail. It’s at the perfect proof, and its candied sweetness would really stand up and sing in a Manhattan. I find however, that Rittenhouse is just not enjoyable when sipped neat. I know others would perhaps disagree with me on that. But that’s my personal opinion. It lacks complexity, and that rye candied sweetness is overly dominant throughout the sip. The alcohol is there in a big way, but only serves to intensify those simplistic, disharmonious overly aggressive sweet/spicy/rye notes. The Colonel’s score for the Rittenhouse is a 4 out of 10.
