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Rank your Ryes


Joeluka
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I've noticed that Straight Ryes are as loved by most of us here and Bourbon. I've been buying a bottle or two of every Rye I can find and pouring a glass of each of them. I'm going to rank them in my favorite order and then ask everybody to do the same.

1. Sazerac 18 (you pick the year)

2. Old Rip Van Winkle Old Time Rye 12yr

3. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 yr

4. Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 1985 ( This one's thick as maple syrup)

5. Rittenhouse Rye BIB

6. Old Potero 18th century whiskey ( Yes I love this one)

7. Black Maple Hill 18 yr SB Rye

8. Wild Turkey 101 Rye

9. Sazerac Jr

10. Old Overholt

11. Jim Beam Rye

These are how I rate my current open bottles of Rye. I have a VWFRR 13 Lawerencburg that I havnt open yet and I just located and put a hold on a BMH 15yr Rye and A H Hirsh 13yr Rye(both done by JVW), so when I get to them I'll update my list.

Joe

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You're having some good look there - that's quite a list of acquisitions!

My most recent purchase is the Saz Jr. (from Binny's). It's nice, but like you I think the Rittenhouse BIB is better. I'm not sure yet how much better, but I'll be doing more research on that tonight!

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I found that the Saz Jr. benefits from a bit of air - there was some harshness in my first pour that wasn't there after the opened bottle had spent a week or so on the shelf.

To me, it and the Rittenhouse are both excellent whiskeys in their own right. I have yet to try some of the others on the list, like Old Overholt, Beam, or two of the Van Winkles (I have the VWFRR - mmmmmmmm).

I've made the Sazerac cocktail with three different ryes - Rittenhouse BIB, WT, and Saz Jr. Each of them were fine drinks! The whiskeys' character shows up in the cocktails - the Rittenhouse version tended to be a bit sweeter, the WT spice was plainly evident in WT version, and the Saz Jr. was right in the middle.

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I found that the Saz Jr. benefits from a bit of air - there was some harshness in my first pour that wasn't there after the opened bottle had spent a week or so on the shelf.

Thanks for the heads up. My bottle has been open less than a week, so I'll give it a few more days to "develop."

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I think the Rittenhouse BIB is better. I'm not sure yet how much better, but I'll be doing more research on that tonight!

I see Rittenhouse mentioned quite a bit here in the Forum. Can someone educate me on this one? It is not a bottle I have ever seen in a store. So, I would assume it is out of production(?).

As for the ranking, my experience with rye is still very limited. The only ones I have are a couple of bottles of the VWFRR and will have some Saz in the bunker soon. I have been enjoying other stuff so much that no time yet to try the rye.

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I see Rittenhouse mentioned quite a bit here in the Forum. Can someone educate me on this one? It is not a bottle I have ever seen in a store. So, I would assume it is out of production

No it's not out of production, but in limited markets. I've only seen the 80proof in Louisville, but have seen the BIB in Chicago and in the St. Louis area.

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For the people that have tried it, where would you rank Pikesville? It's the only rye I've tried so far (being from MD and living near Pikesville, I had to try it). I have not ventured any further into Rye-land so far, so I'm just curious. I find that it's drinkable, but I much prefer some bourbons in the same price range if I buy from that end of the spectrum.

Jay

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For the people that have tried it, where would you rank Pikesville? It's the only rye I've tried so far (being from MD and living near Pikesville, I had to try it). I have not ventured any further into Rye-land so far, so I'm just curious. I find that it's drinkable, but I much prefer some bourbons in the same price range if I buy from that end of the spectrum.

Jay

Jay,

I would rank it very low. There is much better rye out there and I will come back with my top ten list soon.

Leif

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Well, I'm going make two lists -- "Current" and "Ever Had":

"Current" ryes:

  • Rittenhouse 10yo BIB
  • Van Winkle Old Time/Family Reserve 12/13yo (same rye, different age -- slight edge to the 12yo version)
  • Classic Cask 22yo
  • Rittenhouse 6yo BIB
  • Black Maple Hill 18yo (Bardstown/KBD)
  • Sazerac 6/7yo
  • Wild Turkey
  • Pikesville
  • Old Overholt
  • Sazerac 18

"Historical" ryes:

  • Heaven Hill/Rittenhouse? 21yo
  • 1930s Monticello (courtesy John Lipman at Sampler last)
  • Rittenhouse 10yo BIB
  • Van Winkle Old Time/Family Reserve 12/13yo (same rye, different age -- slight edge to the 12yo version)
  • 1930s Pikesville (courtesy Dave Ganano at Sampler last)
  • Classic Cask 22yo
  • Rittenhouse 6yo BIB
  • Black Maple Hill 18yo (Bardstown/KBD)
  • Sazerac 6/7yo
  • Wild Turkey
  • Old Overholt

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Well, I'm going make two lists -- "Current" and "Ever Had":

[*]Rittenhouse 6yo BIB

[*]Heaven Hill/Rittenhouse? 21yo

Tim,

Must ask you a couple of questions concerning your list. I have never heard of a 6 year old BIB Rittenhouse nor have I heard of any previous 21 Y old. The only ones I have heard of is the no age 80 and 100 proofs, 10 Y 100 proof and that it will come a 21 Y single barrel this fall. I would be interested to here more about this 2 for me unknown Rittenhouse.

Leif

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Leif,

For all I know, there is a Rittenhouse BIB for the US market. My guess is that Tim refers to that one. I had no idea that it carried an age statement, though.

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Let's see if I can remember all I've had:

VWFRR- the earlier the better with the sweet spot being the C-bottling

Sazerac 18- this seems to follow the above rule as well best of '01 IIRC

ORVWOTR

Hirsch 13- though this is the same rye as the VWFRR, the batch I had gets bumped a notch or two compared to the best of the VWFRR

-these top four could all get switched around depending on batch/year

Saz Jr

Mitchers 10yo-this is the Commonwealth bottling

Old Potrero-barrel proof Malt Rye 3yo

Lot 40-I know it's Canadian

WT Rye

Old Overholt

Rittenhouse 80

Jim Beam

Some products I haven't had enough of to rank:

Ritt BIB

BMH 15 SB

Classic Cask-seems like it was 17yo but I know it wasn't the 22

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Leif,

For all I know, there is a Rittenhouse BIB for the US market. My guess is that Tim refers to that one. I had no idea that it carried an age statement, though.

Lennart, Tim

The Rittenhouse BIB in USA isn’t that the same as the one available in Europe? I have not tried it but if it is 6 Y instead of 4 that would explain a little why it seem as popular on this forum. I have tried the 80 proof no age statement and I am not impressed. Since I didn’t found it very drinkable at it’s on I tried to combine it in replacement of “snapsâ€whith food. The fruity a little oily taste did work out well. Christmas 2004 I had it to the whole Christmas table (smorgasbord) one day and it worked very well. Can’t say the same about the 10 Y with killed everything on the table and shouldn’t even have been in the same room. And one more thing. Isn’t 100 proof the only practical meaning by the bottled in bond statement today? Correct me if I am wrong.

Leif

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I've noticed that Straight Ryes are as loved by most of us here and Bourbon. I've been buying a bottle or two of every Rye I can find and pouring a glass of each of them. I'm going to rank them in my favorite order and then ask everybody to do the same.

I had trouble to sort out the last rye so it has to be a top 11 list. I did rank it in 3 groups with no order in the group but first group is my favourites’ and so on.

ORVW old time rye early gold neck no letter series.

Old St Nick winter rye 101 proof

Sazerac 2002

Younger versions of ORVWFRR including 1985 vintage (15Y) and Lottas Home (13-14Y)

Older versions of ORVWFRR including the today 19 Y old

ORVW old time rye later black neck C series.

Rittenhouse 10 Y 100 proof

WT rye

Old Potrero straight rye 4Y 120.2 proof

Old Overholt 86 proof distilled at Old Granddad distillery

Sazerac 2005

And in the other end. My list liked rye: Old Potrero single malt whiskey 2 Y old (not straight)

Leif

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Lennart, Tim

The Rittenhouse BIB in USA isn’t that the same as the one available in Europe? I have not tried it but if it is 6 Y instead of 4 that would explain a little why it seem as popular on this forum...

Leif

I haven't seen an age statement on the Rittenhouse BIB Rye Whisky, but being a Bond, any given bottle would be a particular age. I can easily believe that the lighter and less complex of my 2 bottlings (the no distillery stated bottle) is 6 years, and the other is definitely darker and more mature if not literally older than 6.

I think, due to the natural comparison, we have transposed the 6 year statement of Saz Jr. onto the Rittenhouse BIB in this forum.

Roger

By the way, Rittenhouse is the only "Whisky" I've noticed in an HH product. Mostly, that Scotch spelling seems to be a Brown Forman thing.

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Lennart, Tim

The Rittenhouse BIB in USA isn’t that the same as the one available in Europe?

Leif

Hi Leif,

Not Tim, but from the source :grin:

The Rittenhouse 10 year is export only---not sold in the U.S---

Tim "had" (?) that bottling. Any left Tim? :grin:

I have attached a picture from my collection so other's could see what it looks like :grin:

post-20-14489812214466_thumb.jpg

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Hi Leif,

Not Tim, but from the source :grin:

The Rittenhouse 10 year is export only---not sold in the U.S---

Tim "had" (?) that bottling. Any left Tim? :grin:

I have attached a picture from my collection so other's could see what it looks like :grin:

Bettye,

I am very familiar with the bottle on the picture. The bottle that puzzles me is the Rittenhouse (BIB) no age on the bottle 100 proof. We got, or at least just to have a bottle like that in Europe. I wonder if the Europe and the USA bottles are the same and if they are 6 years. Here is a picture of the no age 100 proof BIB bottle from whiskystore.de that at least was available in Europe. As for me it locks the same as the 10 Y except no age statement.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/ubbthreads/attachment.php?attachmentid=2301&stc=1&d=1138997178

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Bettye,

I am very familiar with the bottle on the picture. The bottle that puzzles me is the Rittenhouse (BIB) no age on the bottle 100 proof. We got, or at least just to have a bottle like that in Europe. I wonder if the Europe and the USA bottles are the same and if they are 6 years. Here is a picture of the no age 100 proof BIB bottle from whiskystore.de that at least was available in Europe. As for me it locks the same as the 10 Y except no age statement.

http://www.straightbourbon.com/ubbthreads/attachment.php?attachmentid=2301&stc=1&d=1138997178

Lief,

There's three bottlings of the Rittenhouse Rye...

I posted a link of the 10 year :grin:...

The BIB is six years old---although it does not state this---

The 80 proof is 4 years old...

If you have the BIB without age statement...it's six years old :grin: ---same as the U.S.:grin: bottling.

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Sorry, didn't mean to cause confusion -- but, as Bettye Jo had told me, I knew the domestic BIB is a 6yo.

Nope, Bettye Jo, none of the 10yo BIB left. Sure did enjoy it though! Thanks.

The HH/Rittenhouse 21yo mentioned hasn't been bottled commercially -- yet. I sampled it from Parker Beam's hand during the Festival last fall. Wow!

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I would really love to try the US BIB-version but if my memory serves me right, I have never seen it on offer here in Europe.

As one of the few who has sampled both, how do you compare them, Tim? Apparently you rank both very high.

When I first tried the 10yo BIB I thought it was good but not that good. But the more I´ve become acquainted with it the more it has risen in status. Now I regard it not only as one of my favourite ryes but also among the best American whiskies.

Dammit! I always have to look up the word "acquainted" before I write it down. A devilish difficult spelling on that one :grin:

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VWFRR 1985 or the 13yo

Sazerac Rye 18yo (2001)

Old Potrero (90 proof version)

WT Rye

Jim Beam Rye

Old Overholt

Pikesville

Looking forward to the Saz jnr, when it comes over here.

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Looking forward to the Saz jnr, when it comes over here

Me, too. I´m checking Internet sites almost everyday. :searching:

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I think if I'm going to rank my favourite Rye, it'd go something like this...

If it was based on availability in Australia:

1. Jim Beam Rye

2. Jim Beam Rye

3. Jim Beam Rye

4. Jim Beam Rye

5. Jim Beam Rye

As you can see, very little Rye choice here (I really wish HH or BT or someone would start shipping some decent Rye to us :()

If it were based on Ryes I've picked up when overseas or imported:

1. Old Rip Van Winkle 13yo Rye

2. 2004 Sazerac Rye

3. Rittenhouse Rye

4. Jim Beam Rye

5. Wild Turkey rye

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