ri1 is still in production

[camduncan]

As a fan of the yellow label Jim Beam Rye, I wonder how the two compare?

[squire]

If I find a Ri1 on sale cam I'll compare the two and let 'ya know.

[boneuphtoner]

Although I also like the yellow label Jim Beam Rye, the Ri1 is better IMHO. Better mouthfeel, much more complexity, etc. Just better in just about every aspect. And for my palate, the Knob Creek rye is a touch better than Ri1.

[TheOakMonster]

The only thing wrong with (ri)1 is the name and price. It's a perfectly good Beam-recipe rye. I didn't ask for details but apparently it's selling where it's selling. Beam has enough marketing muscle to get products into places where they don't belong, so they show up as close-outs, but it's obviously selling somewhere, and well enough for them to keep making it. That's what I wanted to know.

So, curious, I decided to run a report on our store's rye sales this year. Rye is an interesting beast, because all the alcohol marketing magazines/publications keep hyping rye as the current/next "hot" category. Maybe this is true for bars/mixologists, but we've seen only a slight bump in consumer demand in our retail store.

Moving on, there are a few notable rye whiskies we do not carry, namely Rittenhouse (when available, weak sales) and the new Knob Creek ($$$/quality ratio) and George Dickel. Nonetheless, our rye sales rankings are as follows:
#1 Old Overholt(?!)
#2 Bulleit
#3 Sazerac (although would be higher if it weren't allocated)
#4 Finger Lakes Distilling McKenzie Rye
#5 Jim Beam Rye
#6 (Ri)1
#7 Templeton
#8 Whistle Pig

Truth be told, sales figures for each of these ryes are fairly close. There are no runaway "best-sellers" in this category. (Ri)1 actually sells alright in this market--within a few bottles of Jim Beam Rye and the others. Also, thrilled to see the McKenzie Rye performing so strongly, even at the higher price point.

[Parkersback]

Funny you should say that, I saw some at bargain basement prices in Indiana last time I was there, $10 cheaper than the usual. Almost bought some.

I've had the same thought. One local store has it under $20, I've considered pulling the trigger if only for making Manhattans.