Tell me I am nuts but..KS and Rittenhouse 100 BIB

[Jono]

Something I have noticed about both Kentucky Spirit and Rittenhouse Rye are a similar taste profile.....I know...I am crazy...but there is a "whiskey candy" quality to both...very pleasing. Both are favorites of mine....ok, am I now a total "bourbon reprobate" for the comparison?

[Old Lamplighter]

Not to totally change the subject, but does anyone know actually how old WTKS is when it is bottled? Just out of curiosity I wondered the other day when I saw one on the shelf and noted there is no age statement. Is it just a fancy named, single barrel version of WT101 which is only a 6yo specimen nowdays?

[scratchline]

Seem to recall that Jim Murray said that the KS was an 8 yr.

-Mike

[TBoner]

I don't think you're totally nuts, Jono.

Rittenhouse BIB does have an old-fashioned candy flavor that I find in many National Distillers bourbons and a few other now-defunct expressions. In WT products, I detect the illusion of sweetness, specifically movie candy such as Hot Tamales or orange slices, and a candy-like mouthfeel. So, there is a common link of sorts, and in fact the old-fashioned candy character of Rittenhouse BIB is my favorite element of that whiskey. It's somewhat illusory, though, as I always note after sipping WT 101 or Rittenhouse BIB that though I feel as though I've eaten candy, my mouth has dried out and I need another sip...

All that said, this overlapping flavor does seem to be shared by a few other American whiskeys, and in my opinion is one of the more desirable qualities in a good American straight. So it may just be a (increasingly less) common whiskey flavor that is particularly prevalent in those two bottlings. BTW, the WTKS you're tasting, is it current stuff or some older bottles?

[Jono]

I have a bottle of WTKS - 11/7/01 Barrel 5 - Warehouse E - Rick 17 - 101 proof.

The Rittenhouse BIB 100 is a newer bottle from Continental Distilling Co. Bardstown, KY