Rittenhouse DSPKY354 on its way out

[bad_scientist]

Same as before the fire? Does this yeast and recipe go all the way back to Kinsey?

[cowdery]

Same as before the fire? Does this yeast and recipe go all the way back to Kinsey?

Don't think anyone is claiming that. I know from 20 years ago I was told that Heaven Hill was already making rye when it started to get calls to produce for the dying companies in Pennsylvania and Maryland. I was told then that Heaven Hill made one bourbon recipe and one rye recipe, so it's probably more appropriate to call it the Heaven Hill rye recipe than to make any claims linking it to any previous producers. I also seem to recall that in 1991-92, Heaven Hill was making Pikesville but not Rittenhouse, which was then made in Owensboro by Glenmore. Heaven Hill got Rittenhouse in the big brand sell-off that UDV did after it bought Glenmore in 1992. So Heaven Hill got the brand indirectly, not directly from Kinsey-Publicker.

Heaven Hill's recipes got a rework when Earl Beam replaced Harry Beam as Master Distiller in 1940-something and since Earl Beam was fresh from Jim Beam at that point, that's probably where the family resemblance is. I think I'm safe in assuming that the rye Heaven Hill is making today is essentially the same rye they've been making for about 70 years.

If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll hear about it.

[Brisko]

It's fair to say that the people at Brown-Forman Distillery are proud of the whiskey (bourbon and rye) they have made on Heaven Hill's behalf, as well they should be, but Heaven Hill is also proud of the way they managed to keep their products in production and true to their bona fides despite the unexpected loss of their distillery.

Corn whiskey, too. Do you know if Mellow Corn will be transitioning to DSP-1 also?

[bad_scientist]

Don't think anyone is claiming that. I know from 20 years ago I was told that Heaven Hill was already making rye when it started to get calls to produce for the dying companies in Pennsylvania and Maryland. I was told then that Heaven Hill made one bourbon recipe and one rye recipe, so it's probably more appropriate to call it the Heaven Hill rye recipe than to make any claims linking it to any previous producers. I also seem to recall that in 1991-92, Heaven Hill was making Pikesville but not Rittenhouse, which was then made in Owensboro by Glenmore. Heaven Hill got Rittenhouse in the big brand sell-off that UDV did after it bought Glenmore in 1992. So Heaven Hill got the brand indirectly, not directly from Kinsey-Publicker.

Heaven Hill's recipes got a rework when Earl Beam replaced Harry Beam as Master Distiller in 1940-something and since Earl Beam was fresh from Jim Beam at that point, that's probably where the family resemblance is. I think I'm safe in assuming that the rye Heaven Hill is making today is essentially the same rye they've been making for about 70 years.

If I'm wrong, I'm sure I'll hear about it.

Thanks Chuck! That's, as always, an extremely concise and in-depth bolus of info.

Did you get clarification on the wet/dry yeast issue that you brought up?

[cowdery]

My suspicion, because Brown Forman is equipped to do so, is that Brown Forman continued to use jug yeast as Heaven Hill did at Bardstown. They cannot use jug yeast at Bernheim because they don't have a yeast room, so they're definitely using dry yeast now, but it's a proprietary yeast made to their specifications.

[ethangsmith]

Interesting someone else mentioned Mellow Corn. I too noticed this was a BF distillation. I know HH has been making mention that they are evaluating new markets for Mellow Corn. Could this be in preparation for the switch to DSP-1 whiskey?

On another note, I did a side-by-side tasting of my bottle of Rittenhouse and my bottle of Pikesville. While one is 80pf and 3yo and the other is 100pf and not age stated (but certainly older!), they are absolutely brothers. It would seem, by flavor at least, that Pikesville is still from the same distillery as Rittenhouse at this point. I'm hoping with the exploding popularity in Rittenhouse sales that HH does not decide to kill the Pikesville brand. It's the only $10 rye I know of- and it's dang tasty too!!

[White Dog]

Interesting someone else mentioned Mellow Corn. I too noticed this was a BF distillation. I know HH has been making mention that they are evaluating new markets for Mellow Corn. Could this be in preparation for the switch to DSP-1 whiskey?

On another note, I did a side-by-side tasting of my bottle of Rittenhouse and my bottle of Pikesville. While one is 80pf and 3yo and the other is 100pf and not age stated (but certainly older!), they are absolutely brothers. It would seem, by flavor at least, that Pikesville is still from the same distillery as Rittenhouse at this point. I'm hoping with the exploding popularity in Rittenhouse sales that HH does not decide to kill the Pikesville brand. It's the only $10 rye I know of- and it's dang tasty too!!

This is quite interesting. I'm too far gone at the moment, but I have both the current RittBIB, the Pikesville bottled about 2 years ago, as well as current Stephen Foster Rye, which is a 30 month, 80pr HH product. I'll let you know my thoughts when I get to doing a line-up.

And I love me some MC DSP-354!

[cowdery]

According to Heaven Hill, we're still about a year away from seeing DSP-1 Ritt on the shelves. The first batches will come of age in February and probably start to appear at retail in March, 2013.

[yountvillewjs]

According to Heaven Hill, we're still about a year away from seeing DSP-1 Ritt on the shelves. The first batches will come of age in February and probably start to appear at retail in March, 2013.

You sir are the man! Great to know for those of us with hoarding tendencies (he says as he takes the last sip of his Ritt Manhattan).

[smokinjoe]

You sir are the man! Great to know for those of us with hoarding tendencies (he says as he takes the last sip of his Ritt Manhattan).

Dang straight, he's the man. Just ask Melanie Safka.