Tasted #340: Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky 100 Proof

Moving onto something a little bit simpler for a change - Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky (Bottled in Bond). I actually bought this for cocktails (I've always enjoyed it in a Manhattan, Sazerac etc.. and find the 50% ABV holds up well), but it's a highly regarded rye on its own, so thought I'd spend some time with it neat, and post up my thoughts.

Rittenhouse Straight Rye Whisky100 Proof (50% ABV, NAS, Kentucky, USA, ~$350HKD / £29.99 / $82.99AUD)

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Colour: Copper-brown.

Nose: Treacle, maple syrup, lots of vanilla pods and some peppercorn.

Palate: Smooth, slightly viscous, spicy (pepper and cinnamon). There's orange rind and cinnamon sticks, with a dusting of icing sugar and a fair amount of oak. Simply, but tasty.

Finish: Medium to long in length, peppery.

Rating (on my very non-scientific scale):  88/100. No-one's suggesting this is an earth-shatteringly complex whisky - it's not. It's a simple rye done very well. All the flavours you want in a rye are there, with a bold, solid backbone. The ABV feels spot on and it serves well as a neat dram, or a great base for a booze-forward cocktail.


Cheers,
Martin.