Rye Value - What's the best pour under X?

[DeanSheen]

It's the same nasty oily crap in both bottles.

Oily Crap. That is exactly the mouth feel I get out of OO.

I bought one bottle once and gave 5/6th of it away. I should have just dumped it but I had a friend of a friend that I knew liked it.

RITT FTW!

[wine65]

Had an impromptu rye tasting with 2 flights. First $20 range Ritt BIB and WT 101. Second Michters 10 year and VWFRR. The Ritt wins out over the WT for me based on liking it's richness more, nice spice to the WT. Of note I dislike the pine nose of a newly opened Ritt BIB but dissipates with air. The Michters and Van Winkle were really close perhaps the Van Winkle slightly deeper and Michters with slightly more high notes. I would not be able to tell them apart if not tasting together. In as expected flight 2 richer than 1 but so is the price. Not a bad rye in the bunch.

[timd]

Oily Crap. That is exactly the mouth feel I get out of OO.

I call it Old Overcoat - tastes like a wet, rubbery overcoat smells - but not in a terrible way. Just like ash, peat & whatnot are OK in Scotch, this odor for OO isn't foul, just kind of unique.

FWIW: I find Beam to be very watery & thin. Given the choice, I tend to avoid both OO & Beam Ryes, but I'd opt for OO over than Beam. They are just OK and for a few dollars more to be able to get Ritt BIB (even non BIB) or WT - and down here RR Rye is only $24, I'm more than happy to pop the few extra dollars and REALLY enjoy what I'm drinking. Even some low-cost, high-righ Bourbons satisfy my Rye needs more than OO & Beam can...

Beam & OO definitely taste like budget Ryes - there's no hidden value there like with some cheaper Bourbons that blow me away for $15 a bottle.

[roostercogburn]

I don't mind the mouthfeel of the Overcoat, and the taste, while thin, was balanced enough for me to keep shelling out a whole $12 to replace empties. In the past couple months, however, the finish is really turning me off of this stuff: too moldy, and it overstays its welcome. Maybe I've just been drinking too much of the Rittenhouse bond, which as several have mentioned, makes OO taste decidedly cheap in comparison.

[Brisko]

I don't mind Beam or Overcoat, either... but if I could get Rittenhouse consistently I wouldn't bother with them. And there's always the Turkey.

The real draw of Beam Rye is that my neighborhood store stocks it, and I try to do business there when I can (not that often).

OO is $10 a fifth, and it's definitely worth that, even just to mix with coke or ginger ale on a hot day.

[Shell]

...

This thread has convinced me that I need to try Pikesville. ....

Pikesville Rye is a great value and a clean, crisp, smooth rye. Unfortunately, it is available (according to Heaven Hill Distilleries) only in DC, MD, and TN. I have seen it available at some internet sites base in CA as well as Europe.

Per Heaven Hill's response to my e-mail: Due to great demand for their Rye Whiskey, they are having difficulty meeting demands from existing markets and Pikesville is on allocation. They are not considering expanding to new markets (like MI where I am located).

I drive through MD some 2 to 3 times per year and I always stop at a MD liquor store. Pikesville can be found for $11-$13 for a 750 ml bottle and $16-$20 for a 1L bottle.

(One follow up note: Heaven Hill suggested their Rittenhouse Rye 80 proof which is the same age, proof and recipe as Pikesville. Unfortunately, is even harder to find. Chicago's Binny's (www.binnys.com) has it for in-store sales only. Does this mean that the Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof is the same recipe, only a higher proof?)

[White Dog]

Pikesville Rye is a great value and a clean, crisp, smooth rye. Unfortunately, it is available (according to Heaven Hill Distilleries) only in DC, MD, and TN. I have seen it available at some internet sites base in CA as well as Europe.

Per Heaven Hill's response to my e-mail: Due to great demand for their Rye Whiskey, they are having difficulty meeting demands from existing markets and Pikesville is on allocation. They are not considering expanding to new markets (like MI where I am located).

I drive through MD some 2 to 3 times per year and I always stop at a MD liquor store. Pikesville can be found for $11-$13 for a 750 ml bottle and $16-$20 for a 1L bottle.

(One follow up note: Heaven Hill suggested their Rittenhouse Rye 80 proof which is the same age, proof and recipe as Pikesville. Unfortunately, is even harder to find. Chicago's Binny's (www.binnys.com) has it for in-store sales only. Does this mean that the Rittenhouse Rye 100 proof is the same recipe, only a higher proof?)

Yeah, the only difference between Ritt 80 and Ritt BIB is proof, as far as I know. Also, the Ritt 80 is a NAS, while Pikesville is actually a 3yr. And the HH's Steven Foster Rye is an 80pr at 30 months age, if you can find that one. In any event, it's all the same recipe and they're actually distilled at Brown-Forman (DSP-354) under contract for HH.

[Shell]

Yeah, the only difference between Ritt 80 and Ritt BIB is proof, as far as I know. Also, the Ritt 80 is a NAS, while Pikesville is actually a 3yr. And the HH's Steven Foster Rye is an 80pr at 30 months age, if you can find that one. In any event, it's all the same recipe and they're actually distilled at Brown-Forman (DSP-354) under contract for HH.

And, according to Heaven Hill's e-mail, Pikesville Rye used to be aged 4 yrs. but was changed to 3 yrs because of the increased demand (but they kept Rittenhouse Rye's age at 4 yrs.) (And, Heaven Hill admitted that their Rittenhouse Rye 80 pr is the same age/proof/recipe as Pikesville Rye.) (And, it's likely that the Steven Foster Rye may just be a different label on the Rittenhouse Rye 80 proof.)

[cowdery]

Heaven Hill has been making its own rye whiskey since the expansion at Bernheim was completed, so that's about two years. Everything in stores now is still DSP 354, but it won't be long for the younger ones.

Since Ritt BIB is BIB, it has to be all from one season's production. No such rule for the 80, so it may actually be a different profile, i.e., not just the BIB diluted.

[HRay]

Heaven Hill has been making its own rye whiskey since the expansion at Bernheim was completed, so that's about two years. Everything in stores now is still DSP 354, but it won't be long for the younger ones.

Since Ritt BIB is BIB, it has to be all from one season's production. No such rule for the 80, so it may actually be a different profile, i.e., not just the BIB diluted.

Chuck,
So we could be seeing Ritt 80 and Pikesville distilled at Bernheim sometime this year? I guess we have until 2013 until the Ritt BIB is no longer from DSP 354? I think I need to stock up on the Ritt BIB while I can in case it ends up tasting different from Bernheim. I can only get Pikesville when I go to TN and then I stock up.