rittenhouse rye 21 and 23 year old

[ErichPryde]

What are these worth paying for, and how relatively delicious are they? I can get a bottle of 23 for 175 flat, or pay 239.99 plus tax for a bottle of 21. I don't know what the retail on the 21 should have climbed to, but that seems very high. I like ryes, and with the exception of some of the latest bottlings of saz 18, I like old ones. Jump on the ritt 23 for 175, or is it not worth it?

[c2walker]

What are these worth paying for, and how relatively delicious are they? I can get a bottle of 23 for 175 flat, or pay 239.99 plus tax for a bottle of 21. I don't know what the retail on the 21 should have climbed to, but that seems very high. I like ryes, and with the exception of some of the latest bottlings of saz 18, I like old ones. Jump on the ritt 23 for 175, or is it not worth it?

Those prices are high. I picked up some Ritt 21 for another SBer a few months back for around $130 and I recently passed on some Ritt 23 for $135 (which I think might be slightly below SRP). I've only ever seen the 25 year in the $150+ range.

[squire]

It's worth what you're willing to pay . . . I'm not willing to pay that.

[WAINWRIGHT]

I have heard the 23 is the sweet spot in the Ritt line up,the 23yr is a great whiskey and the only one of the three I have tried.I believe the retail was 139 on the 21,169 on the 23 and 199 on the 25.I know those numbers are not exact but should be close,that being said I have passed on several way above retail.I did get lucky last year and find one well below retail and bought it immediately.

[Wryguy]

There are a couple of advantages to the Rittenhouse ryes, as they are the only 100 proof older ryes on the market. Also, you have the added advantage of knowing the provenance of the juice, in that it has been distilled at HH. The rest is either tanked for years from silent distillery stock or is bottled without exact information as to its source. Personally, I like that I can have a different distillery's take on aged rye, and HH's take at that.

I'd jump on that 23. I've only ever seen it for over 200. The 21 is overpriced though. IMHO I would take the 25(amazing balance), out of the lot, and the 21(lively spice) over the 23. The bottles of 23 I have tasted have shown considerably more wood influence than the other vintages. Granted, I'm drawing from memories of tastings spanning a period of a couple of years - I only have the 25 open right now - so it's all relative. These are also, as far as I know, single barrels, which means the 23 I had could have been drawn from a particularly woody barrel. The bottles I tasted from were sequentially numbered IIRC. Also, I'm splitting hairs here, all of it is incredibly delicious stuff.