Suggestions for a Straight Rye...

[BarItemsPlus1]

I am wondering if some SB'ers would like to suggest a Straight Rye to have for my first rye whiskey.

Is one of the PVW products available in a straight rye??

I would like to try of the more premium offerings.

Can the Saz 18yr old be rated in comparison to the Stagg for quality?

[camduncan]

My recomendations if I was doing a Rye tasting:

From the Aussie market - try a Jim Beam Rye - it's our only retail rye, but it is worth trying so you know how ripped off we are

(let me clarify though, I really like JB Rye - it's just there are so many more 'better' Ryes on the US market)

After that, I'd try a Wild Turkey Rye and/or a Rittenhouse Rye from Heaven Hill.

Following that, build up to a ORVW 13yo Rye (if you can find one) and the Sazerac 18 - they're both big tasting Ryes and would probably wipe your pallet if you tried them first...

There are probably other Ryes that taste better than some I've mentioned, but I haven't gotten to try them yet...

[BarItemsPlus1]

Thanks Cam :grin:

I will start with the JB Rye...only as I can go out and get a bottle tomorrow...

I have a bottle of the Saz on the way but I will save that until I have had a few of the less premium bottlings.

I'm actually expecting a Vintage Rye from Drew so that may show up in a couple of days too...:yum: but again I would like to save that one for a special occassion...ie. when I have a guest who would appreciate helping me 'sample' it - Cam?? or Leigh??

I am also about to get some of the PVW 13yr old - I did think there was a straight rye available in the PVW however I wasn't exactly certain(now I am :grin: )

I was also reading some notes on the Rittenhouse Rye, this I will also have in a week or so(both versions)

Once I have worked through those then I will get the WT Rye and see what else is available to bring in.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

Troy,

For your knowledge, there are actually three versions of Rittenhouse.

The standard, the 100 proof BIB and the 10yo BIB.

If the last one is not included in your list, then you should definitely try to track it down. It is much better than the (in my view) over-aged Sazerac.

[Nebraska]

Don't hold back on the Saz 18 yo, have a drink! It's wonderful stuff.

I recently tried the WT rye, not too bad of a buy at it's price point. The Rittenhouse Rye 100 bib is more than worth the money (great value). I have never tried Old overholt, but have heard that it is a fair rye, widely available in the states, not sure about down under.

I'm intrigued about the 10 yo Rittenhouse, I have not seen or heard of that before. I'm wondering if it's available in the US?

Only other one that I've had so far is Hirsch 21 yo Rye, which was very good, but not nearly so flavorful as the Saz and Rittenhouse. Too expensive for me to buy more than one bottle, especially with the great values on other ryes that are out there.

[BobA]

There are actually few ryes I can get here, and really not all that many produced. Since you are getting a Saz and can get JB rye, you should at least get an idea of whether you want to pursue more. If WT rye is there, try it; I'd say it's the best of what is readily available to me, although be aware that Rittenhouse is on the list of what I can't get. But if you like rye, just get whatever you can. As to whether Saz compares to Stagg in quality, I am very fond of Stagg, but for me the question is whether Stagg should be compared to Saz.

Bob

[TNbourbon]

...I'm intrigued about the 10 yo Rittenhouse, I have not seen or heard of that before. I'm wondering if it's available in the US?..

Alas, the export-only Rittenhouse BIB 10yo has gone the way of the dodo, according to our house Heaven Hill heroine -- who managed to snag a few of us a bottle last year. It was the finest rye I've had, and I like very much very many of those I've had. I believe it was ever only custom-bottled -- I most recently saw it on the Maison du Whisky website from France, but that was some time ago. A few bottles showed up by mistake awhile back in a NYC-area liquor store frequented by some SB.com denizens, who got a lucky catch.

In any case, it's a IYSIBI (If you see it, buy it) product.

[nor02lei]

Tim and Lennart,

I must join the celebrating team for the Rittenhouse 10. Actually it is my second favourite in the taste per buck division close after WT 101 8 years. A real pity none of them are made anymore. All this said I still think Rittenhouse 10 is too young in the sense that I’m sure it would be even better with more age. I can’t wait to test the BIB and the new 21 years old in September.

Leif

[BarItemsPlus1]

Well I must get the Rittenhouse 10yr old then....

I know where I can get it so I might see if I can get the last of it, especially due to the praising reports on it here and the fact that it is no longer made(I might flog a bottle on eBay, see what $$ it pulls??)

Thanks guys for your suggestions! Really appreciate the input :grin:

[cowdery]

Although the ten-year-old Rittenhouse may no longer be available, the good news remains that:

(1) Heaven Hill still makes straight rye whiskey.

(2) Heaven Hill makes really, really good straight rye whiskey.

(3) They sell it pretty cheap.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

(3) They sell it pretty cheap.

Definitely. It can still be found in several German online shops and it fetches something like EC 12 in price.

I can hardly be considered a Rittenhouse authority but if it is a private bottling, then this comes across in a very anonymous way. There´s no mentioning of that on the label which is also devoid of any writing in German, French or whatever.

[TNbourbon]

...but if it is a private bottling, then this comes across in a very anonymous way. There´s no mentioning of that on the label which is also devoid of any writing in German, French or whatever.

Lennart, 'custom' and 'private' are not interchangeable. A private bottling would indeed indicate the purchaser on the label (and require all kinds of regulatory hoops by cleared). A custom order is simply one made for a specific customer at his request. I think Maison du Whisky was one such customer for the Rittenhouse 10.

[Hedmans Brorsa]

OK, I see. Thanks for the clarification!