Willett Rye Origin

[dougdog]

Try Saz 18 next to the Michter's 10yo Single Barrel rye (bottled by KBD) sometime.
(I promise, this the closest I'll come to saying, 'I told you so'.)

Tim...interesting...

Is the Michter's then, 18 years old? (or older) (prox)

[cowdery]

Well, Tim, I hope I never stop learning.

And speaking of sources, we fans of Rittenhouse need to tip our hats as much to Brown-Forman as to Heaven Hill, as it appears that Rittenhouse continues to be made at DSP-354, i.e., Brown-Forman's Shively distillery.

[nor02lei]

Try Saz 18 next to the Michter's 10yo Single Barrel rye (bottled by KBD) sometime.
(I promise, this the closest I'll come to saying, 'I told you so'.)

Tim,

At the bourbon festival tasting Michters 10 y rye at your hotel room I thought it sound reasonably that is might be the same source as Sazerac. However still in Kentucky I did open and drink a whole bottle of Michters 10 rye, most of it at an empty stomach and I did not find it at all like Sazerac but very like overage Medley (wrong spelling?) stock (van Winkle).

Leif

[TNbourbon]

Tim...interesting...

Is the Michter's then, 18 years old? (or older) (prox)

I was reliably informed it is closer to 20 years old than 10, yes.

[dgonano]

IIRC the Michters 10 yr Rye was from 1984 or 1985 stock. Remember the story about all the "red tape" that the owners needed to go through in order to change the label. I believe Drew talked openly about the subject. Julian had originally bottled the rye for Michters..probably a 10 yr....when Julian could no longer bottle ( since the BT arrangement ) Drew was approached by the Michter label owners to find and bottle more rye. Well Drew had old stock
which he used to fulfill the contract. To save money and time, the 10 yr label never changed.


I suppose we should hold on to some of this rye ( any old rye ) as there is going to be a considerable time gap until current young stocks mature.

[TNbourbon]

I was reliably informed it is closer to 20 years old than 10, yes.

...I believe Drew talked openly about the subject...

It was indeed Drew that both led me to believe it is similar stock to Saz 18 -- with a wink-and-a-nod-type response when I suggested it (also, Ken Weber has acknowledged to me he doesn't think BT distilled it in Frankfort) -- and that it is older than labeled.
Force of habit, you know, Dave, after all those years in the news biz, where 'burning' a source is perhaps the greatest sin. So, if I learn something in a one-on-one conversation with Drew (or anyone), I feel obliged to consider it confidential unless it's before witnesses or I'm explicitly told it isn't.

[FlashPuppy]

Force of habit, you know, Dave, after all those years in the news biz, where 'burning' a source is perhaps the greatest sin. So, if I learn something in a one-on-one conversation with Drew (or anyone), I feel obliged to consider it confidential unless it's before witnesses or I'm explicitly told it isn't.

Tim- I like this policy of yours quite a bit. I wish that more people would be apt to follow it.

[dgonano]

When I said that Drew talked openly on the subject, I was only referring to the age of the whiskey. A few years back everyone complained of the high price tag on the Michters 10 yr Rye. Drew informed a few of us the true age of the whiskey ( app. 19 yrs ) .... and the story of "why the label didn't reflect the age of the whiskey".

I certainly had no idea of the origin.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Most of the above is pretty solid fact, I think. This next is conjecture. What I believe happened is that Diageo had that rye in its inventory, probably at Old Fitzgerald, and was selling it to Julian. After it passed its 13th birthday (or thereabouts) Julian decided he didn't want any more of it. Diageo then sold the remainder of it to KBD, who has sold it to Preiss (for the Hirsch Rye), Doug, LeNell and others. KBD still has some left, but there can't be very much.

So, this is probably the origin of the Olde Saint Nick Winter Rye 101 proof I have been drinking. Or maybe not. It may be too young. There isn't an age statement on the bottle, but I have heard that it is 9 years old. There is a Summer Rye that is nine years old. I have never tried it as it is the same price and lower proof.

Ed

[dougdog]

For the record...

Drew just sent me a note...It was dumped and bottled on 9/12/2006.