Rye Faceoff:Sazerac, Rittenhouse & Bulleit

[tanstaafl2]

4 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

Is dickel rye mgp? Bulleit too?

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There are literally dozens of NDPs and others using MGP whiskey. SKU's list is usually a good place to start. Just go to the listing for Indiana and find MGP. Not all of the producers listed below have a rye but many do. Bulleit and Dickel are among them.

 

31 N 50 Bourbon (Dry Diggings)
4 Spirits Bourbon and American Whiskey (4 Spirits)
1888 Bourbon (Diversa Brands)
99 Bottles Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Angel's Envy Rye (Louisville Distilling Co.)
Aztec Spirits Whiskey Distilled from Bourbon Mash (Aztec Spirits)
Backbone Bourbon (Crossroads Vitners/Strong Spirits)
Barrell Whiskey (some batches) (Barrell Craft Spirits)
Batchers' Bourbon (Litchfield Distillery)
Bearded Lady Bourbon (Vok Beverages)
Belle Meade Bourbon (Nelson's Greenbriar)
Big Ass Bourbon (Diversa)
Big Bottom Bourbon (Big Bottom)
Big House Bourbon (Underdog Spirits)
Big Y Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Bone Snapper Rye (Strong Spirits)
Booze Brothers' Corn Whiskey (NLV Tequila)
Bourbon 30
Bower Hill Rye (Meier's)
Breaker Bourbon (Ascendant Spirits)
Bull Run Bourbon and American Whiskey (Bull Run Distilling)
Bulleit Rye (Diageo)
Cadée Bourbon & Rye (Cadée Distillery)
Cascadia Rye (Cadée Distillery)
Chattanooga Whiskey 1816 Reserve (Chattanooga Whiskey Co.)
Clarion Bourbon and Blended Whiskey (Distilled Spirits Epicenter)
Cleveland Rye Whiskey (Cleveland Whiskey)
Cloud's Batch '41 Blended Wheat Whiskey
Coney Island Carlo Bourbon (Terresentia)
Copper City Straight Bourbon (Arizona Distilling Co.)
Corn Star Corn Whiskey (Bardstown Barrel Selections)
Cougar Bourbon & Rye (Foster's)
Country Smooth American Whiskey (Speakeasy Spirits)
Deceptivus Bourbon (Cadée Distillery)
Defiance Whiskey (Defiant Spirits)
Doubleday Bourbon (Cooperstown Distillery)
Eighteen 33 Bourbon (Boone County Distilling Co.)
Fast Luck Light Whiskey (Mosswood Distillers)
Filibuster Bourbon Rye (M.S. Trading LP)
George Dickel Rye (George Dickel)
George Remus Bourbon & Rye (Queen City Whiskey/Strong Spirits) 
Henderson Rye (North Texas Distillers)
High Liquors Bourbon & Rye (High Liquors)
High West (an an element of many of their whiskeys blends)
Homestead Bourbon (Homestead American whiskey)
Hooker's House (some of their bourbons and their rye; Prohibition Spirits)
Iowa Distilling Company Caribbean Cask Rye
J. Green Bourbon and Rye (Shadow Beverage Group)
James E. Pepper 1776 Bourbon & Rye (James E. Pepper/Strong Spirits)
James Oliver Rye (Indio Spirits)
J.R. Revelry Bourbon (La Bodega Internacional/Speakeasy Spirits)
Joint Bourbon (Temperance Distilling Co.)
Joseph Magnus Bourbon (Jos. A. Magnus & Co.)
Knotter Bourbon & Rye (Blaum Bros.)
Krofters Double Barreled Bourbon (Litchfield Distillery)
LeMont Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Lost Republic Bourbon & Rye
Mayor Pingree 10 year old Bourbon (Valentine Distilling)
Melvale Bourbon (New Liberty Distillery)
Metze's Bourbon
Maryland Club American Whiskey (some bottlings) (New Liberty Distillery)
Maryland Club Bourbon (New Liberty Distillery)
Minor Case Rye (Limestone Branch)
Mosswood American Light Whiskey (Mosswood Distillers)
Mumbledrum Bourbon (South Florida Distillers)
O.K.I. Bourbon and Rye (New Riff Distilling)
Old Bones Bourbon (Strong Spirits)
Old Hickory Bourbon (Meier's)
Old Scenter Bourbon and Rye (Strong Spirits for R. Griesedieck Distilling)
Pinhook Bourbon (CJS Beverage Corp.)
Preamble Bourbon and Rye (Seven Jars Distillery)
Prichard's Rye (Prichard's)
Rebel Yell Rye (Luxco)
Rebellion Bourbon (Market Street Spirits - newer batches)
Redemption Bourbon & Rye (Bardstown Barrel Selections)
Riverboat Rye (Bardstown Barrel Selections)
Rough Rider Bourbon & Rye (Long Island Spirits)
Rye Whiskey 30 (Bourbon 30)
Ryskie Rye Whiskey (Glenns Creek Distilling)
Sagamore Spirit Rye (Sagamore Spirits)
Seagram's 7 Blended Whiskey (Diageo) 
Single Track Rye (Range and River Distilling)
Smokin' Joe's Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Smooth Ambler Old Scout Bourbon, Rye and Corn Whiskey (Smooth Ambler)
Smuggler's Notch Rye
Spirit of America Bourbon (Hobson & Roberts)
Spring Mill Bourbon (Heartland Distillers)
Stave & Barrel Bourbon (Glenns Creek Distilling)
Stoutheart Bourbon (Hobson & Roberts)
Taos Lightning (KGB Spirits)
Temperance Trader (American Whiskey and some bourbon; Bull Run Distilling)
Templeton Rye (Templeton)
Temptation Bourbon (Bardstown Barrel Selections)
The Saloon Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
Tin Cup Whiskey (Proximo Spirits)
Troubadour Bourbon (The Original Texas Legend Distillery)
Untitled No. 1 Whiskey (One Eight Distilling)
Virginia Black (Proximo Spirits)
WH Harrison Bourbon (Tipton Spirits)
Whistlepig Old World Rye
WhiteHeart Bourbon (Hobson & Roberts)
Widow Jane Rye (Cacao Prieto)
Willett Rye (Indiana ryes)
Winghart's Bourbon & Rye (PA Private Label Spirits)
 

As you can see there are just a few...

Edited July 7, 2016 by tanstaafl2

[b1gcountry]

Thanks for the list. I knew there were a bunch, but didn't remember there being that many. The HW and SAOS are favorites. Most of the smaller ones I don't remember seeing.

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[flahute]

7 hours ago, b1gcountry said:

Is dickel rye mgp? Bulleit too?

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Yes to both. The Dickel does get the Lincoln County Process I believe.

Edit to add: I didn't see that your question had already been answered. Sorry about that.

Edited July 7, 2016 by flahute

[tanstaafl2]

3 hours ago, flahute said:

Yes to both. The Dickel does get the Lincoln County Process I believe.

Edit to add: I didn't see that your question had already been answered. Sorry about that.

 

Dickel gets kind of a delayed Lincoln County Process. Since it is made and aged at MGP using their standard 95/5 rye it is charcoal filtered at their Illinois facility rather than in Tennessee after it has been agedby MGP  and just before it is bottled instead of straight off the still like regular Dickel and JD.

 

It never sees Tennessee until it gets shipped to a Tennessee distributor or store. But it also doesn't claim it is a "Tennessee rye" on the bottle.

[flahute]

1 hour ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

Dickel gets kind of a delayed Lincoln County Process. Since it is made and aged at MGP using their standard 95/5 rye it is charcoal filtered at their Illinois facility rather than in Tennessee after it has been agedby MGP  and just before it is bottled instead of straight off the still like regular Dickel and JD.

 

It never sees Tennessee until it gets shipped to a Tennessee distributor or store. But it also doesn't claim it is a "Tennessee rye" on the bottle.

Thanks for the reminder. After typing my reply earlier, something was telling me that it's a little different for Dickel.

[b1gcountry]

Yes to both. The Dickel does get the Lincoln County Process I believe.

Edit to add: I didn't see that your question had already been answered. Sorry about that.

No worries. It's better than not getting an answer. Thanks for bringing up the lcp.

[Paddy]

On ‎7‎/‎7‎/‎2016 at 8:07 AM, b1gcountry said:

Is dickel rye mgp? Bulleit too?

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Yes, you are correct...

[ratcheer]

I can only get the baby Saz and Bulleit in my state. Sure, I prefer the Saz, but I don't hate the Bulleit like everyone else, here. It is interesting, to say the least.

 

BTW, I do hate Bulleit bourbon.

 

Tim

[b1gcountry]

Thanks Paddy!

Also, I agree about bulleit bourbon 100% I would decline a bottle even as a gift.

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[tanstaafl2]

1 hour ago, b1gcountry said:

Thanks Paddy!

Also, I agree about bulleit bourbon 100% I would decline a bottle even as a gift.

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It is always surprising to me how much people dislike Bulleit bourbon. Not particularly my favorite either (either in taste or in "branding" as the BS back story is annoying). The taste is adequate but not particularly noteworthy.

 

But it is sourced from Four Roses (or mostly Four Roses anyway. Early on perhaps entirely Four Roses?) . Did they just have no control of the barrels they picked? Or are they just that bad at blending it?

[b1gcountry]

I have no clue, but the one time I ordered it at a bar I couldn't finish the glass.

I might chalk that one time up to the bottle. The bar backed up to the glass facade at the restaurant, and who knows how long it was sitting there. But it was just sooo bad...

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[amg]

I always thought Bulleit Bourbon was fine. I haven't had it in a while, though, and I do prefer Four Roses Single Barrel or Small Batch to it.

[flahute]

7 hours ago, tanstaafl2 said:

 

 

It is always surprising to me how much people dislike Bulleit bourbon. Not particularly my favorite either (either in taste or in "branding" as the BS back story is annoying). The taste is adequate but not particularly noteworthy.

 

But it is sourced from Four Roses (or mostly Four Roses anyway. Early on perhaps entirely Four Roses?) . Did they just have no control of the barrels they picked? Or are they just that bad at blending it?

Original and early Bulleit was 90 proof 4RYL. When Bulleit grew, they had to find supplemental sources because 4R was already maxed out on what they could provide them.

Bulleit still has a lot of 4R distillate aging in their warehouses along with an 'E' yeast that 4R has never bottled. As for what else they are blending in, we know that they have Brown-Forman and Beam barrels there. Who knows what else. 

[Clueby]

I've not had Bulleit rye but I have both Baby Saz and Rittenhouse.  They are very different animals.  Around here the Baby Saz is imppossible to find and if you do its $40.  I can find Rittenhouse all day for $20.

Neat I probably prefer the Rittenhouse as it is more bourbon-like.  In a Sazerac cocktail, the Baby Saz wins hands down for me.  It blends with Peychaud's and Herbsaint spectaculary.  It has a bit more "floralness" to it.  The Rittenhouse has more upfront spice and then that chocolately finish that doesn't lend itself as well in a "refreshing" type cocktail.  The extra proof of Ritt also means I'll typically use a little less of it which further changes the flavor profile.

[MeAndMyWhiskey]

Last night I tried an MGP face-off of Bulleit Rye and JEP rye. I thought the JEP rye had some richer notes of chocolate and darker caramel and made the Bulleit seem more "Rock Candy" type of sweetness. On the other hand, one of the things I enjoy about a Bulleit Rye in the summer is the light/fresh sensation. Of course, JEP is a few more proof points as well. It's not that the JEP was fantastic or anything, but last night I definitely preferred it over the Bulleit.

[ken_mays]

What I like about the Bulliet / GD rye is the typical MGP flavor: a light, almost floral citrus lemon note.  I suppose this is what people call the "dill" flavor but I always saw it as lemony.  The rye is young enough and watered down enough that the flavor is delicate instead of overpowering. 

 

I concur with the Sazerac red candied fruit notes. It has a better balance of flavors than the MGP.   THH is my all time favorite barrel proof rye with Smooth Ambler a close second, and baby Saz is my go-to for rye under 100 proof.

 

I never  could pick any distinct notes from Rittenhouse except pepper and alcohol.  It was the newer distillate so I can see why it wasn't as well received as the older stuff.  Pikesville is more promising but I haven't gotten far into the bottle yet.