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TTB label approval for new Pikesville Rye


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What's the distribution area for Pikesville? I've never seen it in a store and I'd love to find a small bottle and give it a try based on all the rave reviews of it.

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Please email Heaven Hill's consumer affairs line at info@heavenhill.com to voice your support for the 80 proof Pikesville!!!!!!!!

Email sent.

It's not one of my favorites, but I have family in the area and would often pick up a bottle or two when visiting. I like the idea of a pretty good rye (or, really, any whiskey) available for less than $15.

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Thanks for the address and suggestion Ethan. I did send an email suggesting they keep a 3 year 80 proof in the lineup, perhaps under the Stephen Foster label.

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With Ritt at 4yo/90 pf and Pike at 6yo/110pf maybe they can push the 3yo 80 proof at least up to 90 pf and make it worth keeping around.

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Pikesville 3/80 is not sold in OR, so I'd be surprised of the 6/110 shows up here.

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Never seen the label in my area either.

The current 3/80 Pikesville has a fairly limited distribution. Maryland, where it was once distilled, seems to be a common place to find it. Not sure if it is in other areas. I would hope this new bottling of the 6/110 will be a bit more widely distributed!

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Never seen the label in my area either.

IMO , you ain't missing anything, TT. For the sake of those who like it, I hope HH keeps it around. But, never did much for me, and I would start my own email campaign if I were to learn that it's continuation negatively impacted the Ritt 100...:D

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Thank you for sending the emails folks!

The fact is, eventhough Pikesville at 80 proof isn't the greatest whiskey ever distilled, it still does everything well and it's dirt cheap- an absolute steal for the price. You can drink it straight, mix it, bake with it, or just enjoy it on a hot day on the rocks and it always pleases. What other $11/bottle rye can do that!?

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IMO , you ain't missing anything, TT. For the sake of those who like it, I hope HH keeps it around. But, never did much for me, and I would start my own email campaign if I were to learn that it's continuation negatively impacted the Ritt 100...:D

Indeed, I have mixed emotions about this - bourbon in hand vs. two on the shelf. PR 80 proof is $13 a 750 here and is just fine at that price - nothing like it . BUT, I like Ritt BIB better albeit at a higher price. BUT, one of my wife's uncles used bonded Old Overholt in his Manhattans until he ran out of OOBIB, and the current OO is nothing like it so I welcome another circa 100 proof rye. BUT, the new JB Rye 90 is measurably better than JB Rye 80, making me wonder if the new PR would be a comparable quantum improvement over current PR?

Time will tell.

EDIT - No, I DON'T have more important things to worry about.

EDIT - :cool:

Edited by Harry in WashDC
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Back to the OP, this move by Heaven Hill to offer an older age stated and higher proof version of an already beloved whiskey (Ritt BIB), is just another illustration as to why I love that distillery and the folks who run it, so much.

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Back to the OP, this move by Heaven Hill to offer an older age stated and higher proof version of an already beloved whiskey (Ritt BIB), is just another illustration as to why I love that distillery and the folks who run it, so much.
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Back to the OP, this move by Heaven Hill to offer an older age stated and higher proof version of an already beloved whiskey (Ritt BIB), is just another illustration as to why I love that distillery and the folks who run it, so much.

Hear, hear! Just wish more of their labels were available locally, like say some HHBBIB.

I can remember my father saying when I was a kid that he really loved the OOBIB. He didn't miss a thing with the current bottle and if all ry tasted like that there wouldn't be any on my bar, my bunker, or my stash.

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Thank you for sending the emails folks!

The fact is, eventhough Pikesville at 80 proof isn't the greatest whiskey ever distilled, it still does everything well and it's dirt cheap- an absolute steal for the price. You can drink it straight, mix it, bake with it, or just enjoy it on a hot day on the rocks and it always pleases. What other $11/bottle rye can do that!?

Thanks for the email contact you sent earlier. I'm excited to try the new product, but I'm a HUGE fan of regular 80 proof Pikesville. It is my go to freezer pour in the summer. I will be very upset to see it gone.

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It occurred to me while looking at that label that, being sourced from extra-aged barrels and labeled at a minimum age of 6 years old, this Pikesville expression may have been created to provide a transition from whatever B-F juice they have left, into their own HH distillate. That's not something they could do with Ritt BIB, since it has to be from a single source.

Yes, they could do it with lower proof expressions of both Ritt and Pikesville as well. Hmm...I may have just counter-argued myself. But still, if they have anything from B-F left, it'd make more sense to add a minimum per dump-batch into a premium expression, and get some coin from both it and their own juice at the same time.

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  • 2 months later...

Pikesville has showed up in at least one control state's online registry. The website lists it for $50 in North Carolina, which is about a 90% markup over the price of Rittenhouse on the same website.

http://abc.nc.gov/Pricing/ViewItem/86332

If it's a similar increase over Rittenhouse in GA, that would mean it should go for around $45 here. At that price, I'd probably check it out. But, unless it's amazing, I can't imagine choosing it over Rittenhouse on a regular basis. Cool looking bottle, but I prefer the screw cap on the Rittenhouse.

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Man that is a steep price! I was really looking forward to this one but at $50 my excitement has turned into dread. I hope I don't like this as much as I think I will. Any idea how long it takes to hit shelves after it is listed on the NC website?

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A 6yo Willet MGP rye of similar proof, if you can even find it, with their current pricing structure is now going for what, $70-75 or more?

The SOAS 7yo 99pf MGP rye was creeping up past the $40 mark and even getting close to $50 in some markets and you won't even be able to get that pretty soon.

I was hoping maybe mid $40's at best for this (and some places may yet sell it for a bit less than $50) but am not surprised by this price. Unfortunately, it seems to be new reality.

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I was hoping maybe mid $40's at best for this (and some places may yet sell it for a bit less than $50) but am not surprised by this price. Unfortunately, it seems to be new reality.

I agree the price — even if disappointing — seems fair given the current climate. My hope is this doesn't mean we'll see a major increase in the price of Rittenhouse. That's my regular pour and I always have one open. If that creeps up past $30, I'll have to rethink that.

If Rittenhouse stays reasonable, I would be content with that as an everyday rye and going for Pikesville I was in the mood for something with some extra age and proof.

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Got a sample - quite nice, definitely a step up from Rittenhouse in complexity and finesse. At $50, it's well priced, but pushing the boundaries for use as a cocktail rye (and I think the Pikesville still works better in cocktails than neat).

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SKU's take for those interested. I don't know that our palates are always quite aligned (I rarely get the "soapy" quality that pops up now and again in his reviews for example) and I plan to check it out for myself anyway but always good to hear what others think.
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  • 4 weeks later...

Pikesville has arrived in California, $50, and it got very good distro in several areas around LA, so if you go hunting, you should find it by now.

I think it's a definite step up from Rittenhouse, because it's good enough to drink on it's own, whereas the DSP-1 Ritt is a bit off putting straight for me, so that's good. The color is also surprisingly rich, so that's good. That said, it's not as good as ryes in a similar price range like SA rye....I'd rather have Baby Saz straight for less $ than this, for example....but if I saw it on sale, I'd definitely grab some more (fat chance, right.)

That said, if you really like Ritt's new incarnation, then I think you'll be really happy.

In the end, the new Pikeseville is for me a B/B+ rye on a good day at a C/C- price......take from that what you will.

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Thanks, humchan2k. This helps as I'm a little backed up with ryes right now. Been too hot to make lots of Manhattans. :frown: Looks like I can wait.

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