What rye are you enjoying? - Winter 2012

[ethangsmith]

Anyone else notice a big variation in Ritt BIB? My current bottle is all cotton candy and marshmallow, while the previous bottle was dusty cherries. Both are great, and I've pretty much decided that Ritt is going to be my standard pour, but it's crazy to me how different these are. What are these, small batch? Both should be 2011 bottlings.

Weird. I'm almost done with my current bottle. I'll have to pop open a second one and compare. I noticed sometime in the past year that the back label went from matching black to a tan label. Wording and bar code are still identical. Maybe this is some identifier as to some change over. Oh well, it's all water under the bridge anyway since we'll soon have a constant supply of Bernheim rye filling the bottles!

[White Dog]

A Hirsch 22yr that has been open for about 6 months. Sublime.

[clingman71]

Did a little vintage 21 - VWFRR comparison tonight. The v21 is better right out of the shoot. The VW is a little thin, tight, rough around the edges at first pour. A few drops of water and 30 minutes later things have progressed nicely. Both have improved, but the VW more so. It still has its wonderfully assertive rye spice, but there is a creaminess to the mouthfeel that was lacking earlier. This makes it approach the v21's overall richness, but never quite get there. While I like them both very much, the Vintage 21 is the better of the two. Although that is splitting hairs a bit as they are both excellent whiskeys. The rich character of the v21 carries the rye spice in a way that no other rye that I've tried has. To me, it is the rye for a wheated bourbon lover.

[roostercogburn]

A Hirsch 22yr that has been open for about 6 months. Sublime.

Man, I miss my bottle of this. Such a good rye.

Spent the last few days in Chicago and brought along a bottle of Rittenhouse BIB (since I'm cheap and won't pay for hotel well whiskey). Hadn't opened a bottle of this stuff in quite some time, but am I glad I chose this for my travel whiskey. Really soft on the entry, lots of bourbon sweetness picking up the rye spice in the finish. I've been drinking it for a few years now, and I don't think I'll ever get over what a steal Ritt is.

[G.H.Adams]

Enjoying a generous pour of Abraham Bowman Rye.

[CaptainQ]

Enjoying a generous pour of Abraham Bowman Rye.

If it's the barrel strength bottling that's the best rye I've ever tasted.

[nivto]

If it's the barrel strength bottling that's the best rye I've ever tasted.

Dave, you finally got into your bottle?

[CaptainQ]

Dave, you finally got into your bottle?

Yes, finally. What an amazing rye. I did a side by side with Handy and the Bowman blew it away.

[nivto]

Yes, finally. What an amazing rye. I did a side by side with Handy and the Bowman blew it away.

Agreed! It's a shame that there won't be any more.

[G.H.Adams]

Yes it's the barrel strength. I am sampling it slowly to make it last but I also have two more bottles in the bunker.