Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 Proof
Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 Proof, 4 YO, 50 %
Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 Proof
The Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 Proof is made at the Heaven Hill distillery in Kentucky, but it is stated that it is made in a classic Pennsylvania style. It has been aged for at least four years and it is bottled at 100 proof (50 % ABV).
On the bottle you will see the text 'Bottled in bond', which means whiskey has to be the product of a single distillery, made in a single season in a single year, to qualify as 'Bottled in bond'.
You can buy the Rittenhouse Straight Rye 100 Proof in Norway at NOK 687 (8031001), in Sweden at SEK 549 (8329301), and in the UK at around GBP 35.
Nose: Warm spices; pepper of various kinds, cinnamon, ginger. Cinnamon buns straight out of the oven. Toasted bread and hazelnuts. There's a touch of alcohol here as well, but all in all an appealing nose.
Taste: Peppery; there are other spices here as well, but the pepper certainly does dominate. Slightly perfumed. A bit oaky, and toast-y. Massive amounts of caramel, vanilla and fudge!
Finish: Relatively short finish, and it is still massively sweet. It is a very dark and heavy sweetness. Maple syrup and burnt caramel is added to the mix. The spices are almost completely overpowered by the sweetness by now. The oakiness, with a nutty character, still remains, but it is quite subdued.
Comment: A massively sweet and somewhat spicy rye. Not my favourite rye, but a good dram.
Score (85/100)
Image from Master of Malt.
Sláinte!
- Thomas
