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Hochstadter's "Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey"


amg
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Yeah. Nice tasting notes. I did get some bitterness as well on further tastings. I wouldn't say it detracted much, if at all, from the flavor. Agreed about the price. I think I paid $35. Overall I'm glad to have it available, especially something 100 proof and not MPG/LDI--at least not 100%, I read somewhere Indiana juice was in the vatting.

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Yeah. Nice tasting notes. I did get some bitterness as well on further tastings. I wouldn't say it detracted much, if at all, from the flavor. Agreed about the price. I think I paid $35. Overall I'm glad to have it available, especially something 100 proof and not MPG/LDI--at least not 100%, I read somewhere Indiana juice was in the vatting.

Reportedly aged from 4 to 15 years from distilleries in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Indiana and Alberta. The PA rye is something made by Jacquin as noted by a representative of Cooper Spirits/Hochstadter earlier in this thread although details are lacking. Don't know if there is currently anything else using this rye source although it may be in the Hochstadter Rock and Rye I suppose. The Kentucky source is also a bit of a mystery as I am not sure who would be selling bulk rye. Indiana and Alberta are more obvious of course.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Still couldn't find this locally so I got a bit impatient and decided to add it (and Batch 5 of the NDP Barrel bourbon, well just because) to an online order I placed for a few things.

attachment.php?attachmentid=21862&stc=1

We shall see!

post-8493-14489822982317_thumb.jpeg

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Still couldn't find this locally so I got a bit impatient and decided to add it (and Batch 5 of the NDP Barrel bourbon, well just because) to an online order I placed for a few things.

attachment.php?attachmentid=21862&stc=1

We shall see!

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I hope it will be making an appearance at one of your Wednesday tastings soon!

You can count on it! Will have to round up some bottles for a comparison.

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You can count on it! Will have to round up some bottles for a comparison.

Bruce,

IMO, GD9 would be a great compare vs that BBB#5. Heck, anything at barrel proof for that matter! Hope you enjoy 1/2 as much as I have... :grin:

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Bruce,

IMO, GD9 would be a great compare vs that BBB#5. Heck, anything at barrel proof for that matter! Hope you enjoy 1/2 as much as I have... :grin:

Yes, the new JD BP single barrel is on the list as well as whatever Dickel I can round up.

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I think this stuff is great. I love the nose and the palate is nice and spicy. It's not super rye-y compared to a Jefferson 10 rye I have open but it's there. I have no problem with the current price. I really have to get a recent bottle of Ritt to compare, I haven't had it recently enough to call my preference either way.

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Finally picked a bottle of it up last night. I like it. It's hard to pin down, not really comparable to any of the unvatted straight ryes I've had. Hard to beat for the price, too. 

 

Edit: I just had another go now that it's breathed a little. It has a nice spicy backbone; cool and even a little brittle but no menthol note. It's overall a very pleasant profile and I hope they're able to maintain it as various sources shift around. 

Edited by shoshani
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  • 1 month later...

May I say this? This rye Vatted whiskey, Hochstadtlers, is one of the finest I have ever had. No, I am not an expert, whatever that may mean, but this is a smooth and superb whiskey that I have enjoyed to my surprise. I have sipped my last glass of the evening, a touch of ice cold water, and the hell with what the doctors said today. There are are some things worth living for.........

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22 hours ago, Gherrin said:

May I say this? This rye Vatted whiskey, Hochstadtlers, is one of the finest I have ever had. No, I am not an expert, whatever that may mean, but this is a smooth and superb whiskey that I have enjoyed to my surprise. I have sipped my last glass of the evening, a touch of ice cold water, and the hell with what the doctors said today. There are are some things worth living for.........

Welcome to SB.  Is a great place to learn things.  PLUS, you can say all sorts of things without asking our permission.:D  We sure don't.  Ask, that is.:unsure:

Now, on what you said - I'm not familiar with it (other than what people posted on this thread).  Do you have any specific thoughts you'd like to share?  For rye whiskey, I like those that work well in cocktails - don't get lost or overwhelmed but don't dominate, either.  I drink very few of them neat although I have discovered a few lately that fall in that category (Pikesville 110, Redemption with a little water even if it is NDP, a couple Canadian "ryes").  Hence, I'm open to considering your thoughts on this.

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Is Hochstadter's a TTB label violation? Is "A Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey" legally equivalent to "A Blend of Straight Rye Whiskies" ?

For a blend of straight whiskies, is the label required to have all states of distillation?

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Good question.


I'm trying to find a bottle of this stuff somewhere. Confusingly, it's not available in PA like the Rock & Rye.

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On ‎1‎/‎23‎/‎2016‎ ‎6‎:‎07‎:‎51‎, ethangsmith said:

Good question.


I'm trying to find a bottle of this stuff somewhere. Confusingly, it's not available in PA like the Rock & Rye.

Drink Up NY has it but I am guessing they don't ship to PA since their liquor laws seem to be even more byzantine than Georgia. Presuming you wanted to order online to begin with!

The website lists stores in both New Jersey and Ohio as well as a few other states.

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I am a new reader/follower of this. I happened upon it because of my pleasure in having the Hofstadter Vatted Rye on my shelf. I cannot speak to the multitude of responses to this whiskey: I will say, emphatically, that it is a wonderful whiskey, easy to drink, to enjoy, to relax. Stick me, a Kentuckian with bourbon in my genes, on an island and I shall gladly take this wonderful whiskey. 

 

 

 

 

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On January 21, 2016 at 9:33:35 PM, Harry in WashDC said:

Welcome to SB.  Is a great place to learn things.  PLUS, you can say all sorts of things without asking our permission.:D  We sure don't.  Ask, that is.:unsure:

Now, on what you said - I'm not familiar with it (other than what people posted on this thread).  Do you have any specific thoughts you'd like to share?  For rye whiskey, I like those that work well in cocktails - don't get lost or overwhelmed but don't dominate, either.  I drink very few of them neat although I have discovered a few lately that fall in that category (Pikesville 110, Redemption with a little water even if it is NDP, a couple Canadian "ryes").  Hence, I'm open to considering your thoughts on this.

Sorry to have missed your earlier response. I don't drink cocktails...although my sons enjoy them. I find the Hochstadters and Reigers of Kansas City very good. Reigers is not technically a rye (50%) I believe, but it adds something that was said to be common before that evil Prohibition; that is 2.5% oloroso sherry. It is smooth, easy on the tongue, the taste. I love it. I do not where it is readily available. The Hochstadtlers, which I am sipping on now, offers the same, slightly modified, whiskey. I am getting older. My health is marginal. I was born in central Kentucky where whiskey is in the genes. The rye whiskey I enjoy leaves a smooth aftertaste that gently reminds me of why life is good. There are many good whiskies. I am also a recovered Baptist. 

I would give the Hochkstadtlers, a Vatted Rye, from Pennsylvania, a chance. It would probably work well with many mixed drinks....but also try it neat or just a bit of cold water. Wonderful whiskey. And a joy to explore.

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Thanks, Gherrin, for your thoughtful response.  As I do like port/sherry finished bourbons and scotches (well, SOME of them), I'll keep an eye out for the Reigers.  Hochstadtlers products are available in WashDC if one is willing to hunt, and I do have my moments.  AND, I'm not averse to the occasional online order.

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This just became available here a few weeks ago, so I gave it a try. It's solid. Nothing earth shattering, but a nice 100 proof offering if you can find it for a good price. I taste more MGPI than anything else, but that is a strong profile for sure.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Our deplorable "state stores" website had a quick sale of only 290 bottles of the rye for the whole state. Luckily I was on the computer and jumped on a bottle right away. After the inflated state price, taxes, and shipping, it came to $45. Expensive? Yes. Worth it, well.....

I find this rye to be pretty good. An honest 100 proof. Nice packaging. And though there is certainly a lion's share of MGP rye in it, the other ryes really round it out and turn it into something very enjoyable. I liken it to the more bold rye flavors of Wild Turkey, but with the light inky flavor of MGP. It's rather good really. If the state can manage to get a good supply of this stuff, it absolutely has a permanent home in my liquor cabinet! Don't hesitate to try this rye.

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  • 6 months later...

I can't believe I haven't post my thoughts on this whiskey here. This is easily my favorite whiskey find this year. I'm on my 5th bottle now, and plan to keep getting them at a rate of about 1 per month or more until the "limited" aspect of them runs out. Here's what I said on my local Facebook club:

 

Quote

Alright folks, here is the limb I'm walking out on. Introducing the absolutely the best rye that you'll find for about $35: 

 

Hochstadter’s Vatted Straight Rye Whiskey

 

Given that it's a blend ("vatted"), this whiskey only has two easily available contemporaries so far as I'm aware, High West's Double Rye & Rendezvous Rye, both of which I really enjoy. But at the price of Double Rye, I'd say this is significantly better than Double Rye, and somehow even better than Rendezvous Rye. It is far more complex than either. 

 

I'm also a huge fan of Old Scout's 7 year MGP rye. So far as I'm aware, it's the best of the MGP group. But Hochstadter’s is a bit better than that even. Hochstadter’s is every bit as good as the Alberta ryes (WP,  Masterson's, LS&B, Jefferson's), but it's spicier than those, and less than half the price.

 

This is the rye I've been looking for. Floral and spicy are the two big components. I could write about the tasting notes for pages. The nose initially arrives as floral and baking spices. After a little time the nose turns to oak and soft vanilla and cinnamon. Leave it sitting a little longer and clove starts showing up. And this is just the nose.

 

The taste has one of the longest developments I've ever seen in a whiskey. It starts off with stone fruit, then a few seconds later the huge rye, cinnamon and clove spice hits and just lingers. The early finish is a little bit of smoky MGP pickle. It eventually turns to oak and vanilla. 

 

So what is it, other than delicious? It's straight rye from 4 different North American distillers with 15 to 4 year components. It's put out by the same company that releases the Alberta sourced Lock Stock & Barrel, and this must be the 15 year component, although at this price, there can't be a lot of this one in here. But the taste shares so much with Alberta, so perhaps much of this is coming out of the 4 year Pennsylvania sourced rye. Hopefully this rye shows up eventually on the market.  And yeah, MGP is in there too. And some Kentucky rye component too. 

 

Anyway! This is damn good rye.

 

Here is bottle #1 pictured with some fellow no or low-corn rye friends:

0708161651.jpg

Edited by IncredulousNosco
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  • 6 months later...

I picked up a bottle of HVSRW after reading reviews online and I was extremely disappointed. There was a very bad, young rye in the blend that overpowered everything and killed it for me. This was one of the worst Rye's I've ever tasted (out of probably 25 or so different Ryes). I gave it to a friend who thought it was foul as well but begrudgingly drank it with coke instead of pouring it down the drain. I felt sort of guilty for giving it to him after learning that he finished the bottle off.

 

I'm wondering if anyone here has had multiple bottles and whether the quality of each varied significantly or if I simply do not like it in its intended form. I bought it a month or two ago, so perhaps it's a new batch that is off, which might explain why everyone else seems to love it.

 

Here are some bottles in the same price range or lower that I greatly prefer over HVSRW:

High West Double Rye

Sazerac Rye

Rittenhouse 100

George Dickle Rye or any other sourced MGP rye such as Templeton, Bulleit, etc

 

 

Edited by EarthQuake
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I've had about 10 or more bottles over the last year. I haven't noticed significant variation. Still amazing.

 

 

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4 hours ago, IncredulousNosco said:

I've had about 10 or more bottles over the last year. I haven't noticed significant variation. Still amazing.

 

 

Thanks for the response. Must just be me then!

 

What I find strange is that many have commented that HVSRW has a dominant MGP flavor profile, and this is something that is generally easy for me to identify and something I tend to enjoy as well, but that wasn't what I got from it. Perhaps if I see it in a bar I will give it another try.

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I liked it as well. Not spectacular but good and was priced well, at least originally. I have no idea what it might cost now or if it is even still available. 

 

It is a vatting of four different sources of rye, including Alberta, KY and the ubiquitous MGP as well as a Pennsylvania sourced rye of somewhat mysterious origin as discussed up thread, so I suppose one of them might not appeal to you. Or maybe it was indeed a "bad" bottle.

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