Since I reviewed the new Pikesville Rye from Heaven Hill earlier this week, I thought I would check up on Heaven Hill's standard rye offering: Rittenhouse 100. For many years after a fire demolished the old Bardstown, Kentucky Heaven Hill distillery in 1996, Rittenhouse Rye was made for Heaven Hill by Brown Forman. Within the last year or two, Heaven Hill's own distillate, from the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville which it purchased after the fire, has started to appear in Rittenhouse bottles. I haven't done a formal review since the Brown Forman days so I thought it would be interesting to have a taste.
Rittenhouse 100, Bottled in Bond, 50% abv ($25)
The nose has honey and spice; it smells like the baking aisle in a market. On the palate, the spice is in the forefront followed by the honey and some more perfume type notes. The finish is slightly bitter with a touch of honey sweetness.
This is quite different than my memories of the Rittenhouse distilled at Brown Forman and not in a good way. The sweet honey notes are a bit too prominent for my tastes. The honey gives it a floral/perfume note that hides some of the spice, and I don't generally like a lot of perfume in my whiskey. It's a very disappointing result for a whiskey that used to be an old standby at a great price.
Sku and Brown-Forman, sittin' in a tree...
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Sku.
ReplyDeleteI hosted a SbS tasting of DSP 1 Ritt alongside the old DSP 354 Ritt with the usual suspects in LA, and the great majority of us could easily pick out which was which....we agreed that the 354 is better, but it was close, I don't mind the new, but it's a bit....lesser. However, it's not that huge of a loss, since I feel that Ritt is not a straight sipping rye, but it is absolutely the best rye IMHO for making great cocktails with.
-Humchan2k
When I spotted a bottle of this in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia early this month (July 2015) I grabbed a bottle (purchasing it, of course) because of the rave comments I had heard about it. And, I was also disappointed, and wondered what I was missing, or what I could not pick up in the flavor, that others did. Now, I think I see why I was disappointed. It really is interesting to note, that reviewers may actually do a great service by going back after a few years, and re-evaluating a whiskey. Sometimes, they get better, sometimes not.
ReplyDeleteso what's the rye to buy at this price point?
ReplyDeleteThese days, Bulleit is my go-to at that level, though I'd love to be able to find Wild Turkey 101 again.
ReplyDeleteK&L has plenty of the Wild Turkey 101 rye in stock - $39.99 for a liter.
ReplyDeleteHad the same disappointing experience. Rittenhouse used to be my universal go-to, but the profile has changed quite a bit. My Manhattans aren't the same :(
ReplyDeleteI've seen elsewhere as well that some think there's a dramatic difference between the two. I personally don't sense a major difference. I do remember being vaguely disappointed the first time I tried the new stuff. But halfway through my first bottle of it I couldn't even remember what my problem with it was.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this is an example of the status quo bias — people are resistant to change and as a result maybe they exaggerate the difference between the two. In other words, my advice to people who are a little disappointed by it: give it a shot and I bet you'll eventually come around. And if not, more for me!
After going through 2 bottles of each, side by side, I find that the 1 is earthier and more musky than the 354. The 1 is fine but I'm grabbing all the 354 that I can get my hands on if the price is right.
ReplyDeleteDang, I hadn't done a side by side, until tonight. Yes, the B-F stuff is, well, better. More harmonious, mostly.
ReplyDeleteSo Sku, give us your thoughts on comparing the Rittenhouse and pikesville. They share whiskey DNA, how do they compare?
ReplyDeleteThe Pikesville was definitely the better whiskey. While it had some flaws, it was decent. I really didn't like the new Rittenhouse. That being said, the Pikesville is too expensive. I won't be buying a second bottle of either of them.
ReplyDeleteThis is the only Rittenhouse 100 I've had and I quite liked it. For the very little that's worth.
ReplyDeleteWell don't be shy MAO. Here is My Annoying Opinion's review of Rittenhouse 100.
ReplyDeleteI have a bottle of Rittenhouse I picked up earlier this year. Has the older label. Was hoping it was 354, however, when I checked today it was 1. So, for those looking for the BF edition you will need to look closely at the label.
ReplyDeleteThere are indeed new bottlings floating around with the old label. Saw a shelf full of them today, in fact.
ReplyDelete