Whiskey Review - Rye - Rittenhouse Rye · Sun Jul 29, 12:55 PM
What about tequila?
I’m a big fan of tequila. It’s my favorite spirit. When someone else is buying — which is sadly too rare — I’ll be the first one ordering the El Tesoro, if they have it (unfortunately uncommon), or the more likely Don Eduardo or (shudder) 1800. I prefer my tequila straight, of course, so as not to waste the flavor (except in Vegas, but that’s a story of its own…for another time).
Unfortunately, having had the pleasure of learning what good tequila tastes like, I can no longer bear the gut-melting pseudo-tequilas that populate the bottom shelves of the local liquor store. The cheapest bottles of truly drinkable tequila are the Jose Cuervo Tradicional and the Sauza Hornitos, both of which run around $20 a bottle.
Given that I have a whole passel of children, and my wife is now in college full-time, my recreational funds have reached a new all-time low. (Well, OK, for some value of “all-time”...I’m still a lot better off than when I was in the Army. For one thing, I no longer qualify for food stamps. The amount of money we pay to people who are ready, willing, and able to sacrifice their lives for our country is fairly pathetic. That’s a whole other rant, though….)
The next thing.
In light of that, I decided to branch out a bit and try new things. New, cheaper things. One of those things turns out to be American whiskies (originally bourbon and, later, rye). I would’ve liked to go with gin, because I love both gin & tonics and gin & grapefruit juice. I must have a mild allergy or something to one of the ingredients of gin, though. More than one gin drink and I get a wicked hangover the next day. This doesn’t happen with other spirits. (Captain Morgan Spiced Rum, though — that stuff gives me a screaming migraine. It doesn’t take more than one drink, and it doesn’t wait until the next morning.)
So, how about that whiskey?
Not bad, really. In fact, I kind of enjoy it. I don’t get into the wood tones much, though, which means I mostly drink my whiskey mixed. For tastings, I’ll drink some neat. For general drinking, I prefer a Manhattan, a Highball, or a Whiskey & Coke. I’ve been known, on occasion, to stoop to a Whiskey Sour, but it’s uncommon. One of my favorite bourbon drinks is the Mint Julep, but — like the Mojito — I’m too lazy to make them myself. A word to the wise on Mint Juleps: never, ever order one from The Cheesecake Factory. It’s hard to taste the bourbon that’s sprinkled lightly over a reservoir of what seems to be pure sugar syrup. I had to send mine back.
Honestly, the couple of top-shelf bourbons I’ve had have been well worth drinking neat. It seems to me that the lower threshold for drinking straight bourbon is higher than the lower threshold for drinking straight tequila, though. Many middle-to-lower-shelf bourbons are great when mixed, though, whereas the same is not true of lower-end tequila. This is all my opinion, of course, and your mileage may vary. I’d be happy to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Bourbon vs. Rye
Bourbon and rye are both American whiskies. Rye was a more popular whiskey in many parts of the country until Prohibition, which all but ruined the industry for several decades. It’s been making a slow comeback, partially due to the success of Scotch in recent years. Bourbon is made from at least 51% corn, and rye is made from at least 51% rye. This makes bourbon generally sweeter than rye, which tends to have a slightly stronger, peppery flavor. They can both be used in the same cocktails, and each lends its own character to drinks. I enjoy both, though I think I lean a bit more toward rye.
Rittenhouse Rye
I think this is a great whiskey. It’s made in both 80 proof and 100 proof; I tried the 100 proof. When drunk neat, it’s an extremely assertive spirit, making itself known immediately, even surprisingly. Part of the surprise might’ve been that I didn’t remember it was 100 proof when I first tried it 
. It feels thin in the mouth, with long-lasting presence and a firm, flavorful finish. I find it has strong flavors of wood and leather (Nappy Roots style). It’s a bit overpowering for a highball, but makes a nice Manhattan and works fine with Coke.
Rittenhouse around the internet:
- Review of Rittenhouse 100-proof Rye
- Rittenhouse Bottled In Bond Rye Whiskey Review
- Bourbon Enthusiast Reviews of Rittenhouse Rye
- Recommended reading from Dennis’ Whiskey Corner is The Spell of the Yukon.
- Malt Advocate Distillers Roundtable Interview with almost every producer and bottler of American rye whiskey.
- Bourbon, Straight: The Uncut and Unfiltered Story of American Whiskey
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