---

Rittenhouse Rye
Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery. Louisville, KY
Age: 2 YR
Proof: 100
Nose: Light on the nose, the rye spice floats out first followed by a modest caramel and vanilla. Pepper, leather and fresh tobacco mix with rye spice, a dusty oak and tiny bit of iodine to make for a light, but pleasant, sniffing experience.
Palate:   Big bold rye spice floods the palate along with honey, red pepper, cinnamon and caramel syrup (like Torani, not the ice cream topping). There is a bit of fruit like those apple pear hybrids and some leather hanging out in the back.
Color: Dark Rich Caramel with hints of copper.
Notes: Rittenhouse Rye 100 (bottled in bond) is among the best whiskeys , It’s just plain magnificent. The nose may be a tad weak, but the flavor, finish and balance completely save the day.Rich in flavor and full of complex notes that run the gamut from sweet to savory to spicy and back again it’s everything you want in a good quality whiskey and a strong and fearless bannerman for the rye category. For years I considered Sazerac rye (baby saz) THE quintessential rye by which all others are judged, but I’m beginning to sway and have recently been leaning a bit more towards sliding Rittenhouse into that category.
Overall this rye is about as balanced, flexible and versatile as they come. Delicious neat? Check. Holds up on the rocks? Check. Amazing in cocktails? Double check. It’s just not possible to go wrong with this rye and when it comes to value for money the Rittenhouse Rye 100 is incredibly hard to beat.