All About Rye Whiskey (Part 1)

[Tri2Cook]

The SIX YEAR is $45/fifth? That's outrageous.

That's the LCBO. Some common examples of the craziness...

Maker's Mark - $38/750ml

Knob Creek - $46/750ml

Jim Beam (white!) - $26/750ml

Sauza Silver - $30/750ml

...and you'll really like this one: Bacardi 151 - $43/750ml

[haresfur]

The SIX YEAR is $45/fifth? That's outrageous. (For comparison, click here.)

Could be worse - try $82 and our currency is about parity click and shed a tear for me.

[KD1191]

Has anyone seen custom bottlings of Rittenhouse before? Looking for a place to pick up a few things in Paris next week, I came across this...

[slkinsey]

That looks like regular old Rittenhouse BIB to me, with a differently colored label.

[KD1191]

That looks like regular old Rittenhouse BIB to me, with a differently colored label.

Sure, that's what it looks like...and even if that's all, I guess it'd be somewhat interesting (don't see a lot of other examples of odd-color labeled Rittenhouse), but what about the "selected by" and the part on the site where it says it's limited to 530 bottles? It makes me think this may be single-barrel (or a couple single-barrel bottlings). And, while it's getting more and more common for a bar or store to select a barrel or two of bourbon, I haven't seen many single barrel ryes (outside the ultra-high end such as the Rittenhouse Very Rare).

Edited November 23, 2010 by KD1191 (log)

[Splificator]

Funny--that bottling now appears to be the regular age for Rittenhouse, although as it says assembled from a small batch of two barrels. The first time I had Rittenhouse was when I requested that they send me some for an Esquire piece and two bottles arrived in the mail. Two 700 ml bottles, each with a neck band that said "10 years old." It turned out, they sent me their Maison du Whisky bottling by mistake. But that was some seven years ago. I don't think there's any 10-year-old rye left. Pity. It was the best rye I've ever had.

[KD1191]

It turned out, they sent me their Maison du Whisky bottling by mistake. But that was some seven years ago. I don't think there's any 10-year-old rye left. Pity. It was the best rye I've ever had.

Do you know if anyone has checked La Maison's slightly less convenient location?

[haresfur]

haresfur, I'd get the Wild Turkey. JB's not awful, but almost everything else is better.

But it's too bad you can't get the Rittenhouse. I just made my first Sazerac in a while, and I am reminded that Rittenhouse 100 is one of those increasingly rare alcoholic products that is both inexpensive and really good. Of course, this probably means it'll be a US$60 bottle in 5 yrs, but meanwhile, it's quite a value.

(2.25 oz rye, 3 dashes Peychaud's, about 1 tsp 2:1 simple, a few drops of Lucid to rinse.)

Joy! The local Dan Murphy's liquor store now has Wild Turkey 101 rye ($50). I'm so enjoying my Sazerac.

[Tri2Cook]

Managed to get a couple bottles of the Sazerac 6 year through the local LCBO. I realize it's not the top of the pile for the rye aficionados but it's not a bad score for remote northwest Ontario Canada. I'm happy to have it in the cabinet.

[Chris Amirault]

About to pop open a bottle of Redemption rye. Any thoughts?

[slkinsey]

I think it's interesting. The strong rye character is nice (the mash bill is around 95% rye). But it's still too young, and thus not sufficiently assertive for most cocktails with strongly flavored ingredients. My understanding of their thinking is that they decided they would rather start releasing some of it a bit too young while waiting for the rest to age up than go the usual route of entering the market with a vodka or gin. I'll be interested to see what their product tastes like at 6-8 years in the barrel.

[campus five]

I've used it in half-brandy Sazeracs. The raw, young quality of the rye was tempered nicely by some decent armagnac.

I wish I could remember it more clearly, but it's been a couple months since I was experimenting. I remember the drink falling into the interesting category, at least experimentally. Maybe I'll try one of those tonight.

[Roger le goéland]

Well, it's Fall 2010, so Sazerac 18 went back on the market. I am almost ashamed of the amount I paid to have the Whisky Exchange ship a bottle to me to Switzerland... probably three times as much as you guys over the pond. But it was worth it, since for two years I have been looking for this bottle and been completely unable to buy it.

Spectacular, especially the nose.

Still, call me mad, but I prefer the Thomas H. Handy. For me, both taste of everything that is great about America, but Handy takes it further, it is more extreme, more enveloping, more thoroughly satisfying. Cask strength helps...

[Chris Amirault]

You're right about that Handy. It's a blockbuster.

Sam, I agree about the Redemption. campus five, that's a great idea, and I've got a good armagnac on hand....

[thirtyoneknots]

Well, it's Fall 2010, so Sazerac 18 went back on the market. I am almost ashamed of the amount I paid to have the Whisky Exchange ship a bottle to me to Switzerland... probably three times as much as you guys over the pond. But it was worth it, since for two years I have been looking for this bottle and been completely unable to buy it.

Spectacular, especially the nose.

Still, call me mad, but I prefer the Thomas H. Handy. For me, both taste of everything that is great about America, but Handy takes it further, it is more extreme, more enveloping, more thoroughly satisfying. Cask strength helps...

Better than either is a 50/50 mix of the two. Then proceed with Peychaud's, absinthe, etc.

[Dan Perrigan]

What a coincidence... I just finished a Handy 2009 Sazerac about an hour ago. I haven't cracked my bottle of 2010 yet. Any opinions yet? Better/worse/same/apples-and-oranges?

Dan

[Roger le goéland]

Better than either is a 50/50 mix of the two. Then proceed with Peychaud's, absinthe, etc.

Ah, but at $200 a bottle and with it available only once a year for about three hours, this will have to remain sipping territory for me... maybe I'll add a touch of sherry to my PC8 instead

[thirtyoneknots]

Better than either is a 50/50 mix of the two. Then proceed with Peychaud's, absinthe, etc.

Ah, but at $200 a bottle and with it available only once a year for about three hours, this will have to remain sipping territory for me... maybe I'll add a touch of sherry to my PC8 instead

Don't limit yourself to thinking the more precious the spirit, the more "pure" your experience has to be...on the contrary, this is your rare opportunity to try a truly transcendent cocktail. These types of whiskies just beg to be mixed, though carefully. Minimal treatment is key. I wouldn't advocate this if the liquor couldn't hold up to it; we're not talking about old fashioneds made with AH Hirsch 16 here.

[Kohai]

A coworker - who I am giving a raise, an extra shift, and a pony - just gave me a bottle of Willett 2-year rye as a present. I haven't opened it yet. But I am not familiar with Willett... can anyone help me find some info on this whiskey?

[scubadoo97]

Willet is made by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, Ltd.

http://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/history.php

[kathryn]

Hi there. Does anyone know the exact proportions of PDT's Staggerac (Sazerac made with Thomas Handy Rye) and which sugar they use for it?. I just bought a bottle of the 129.0 proof one and don't want to waste a drop on a poorly mixed sazerac

Thanks,

Dan

Husband had one last night and it's:

2 oz George T. Stagg (141 proof was the one they were using)

1 lump demerara sugar, muddled with the bitters

3 dashes Peychaud's bitters

2 dashes Angostura bitters (possibly 3 dashes, this bit is fuzzy

St. George Absinthe, sprayed via an atomizer (really saturate the glass)

Edited December 27, 2010 by kathryn (log)

[C. sapidus]

I like Rittenhouse bonded and Wild Turkey in my Manhattans, but it is difficult not to choose Pikesville Rye at $13 for 750 mL. Every once in a while I hit the perfect proportions on a Manahattan, and the angels sing (even when I only have one ).

[Chris Amirault]

Found a good use for this Redemption rye: a Scofflaw.

1 1/2 oz Redemption rye

1 1/2 oz M&R extra dry vermouth

1/2 oz lemon

dash grenadine (homemade)

dash orange bitters (half Regan's, half Fee's)

Shake; strain; fat lemon twist.

The lightness of the vermouth and the flicks of flavor from the bitters and grenadine are a good foil for the Redemption. I'm not sure I'll buy bottle #2, but at least this is a workable use for the stuff.

ETA: Dave the Cook just asked about this version, and I realized my receipt is from Paul Harrington's essential Cocktail: The Drinks Bible for the 21st Century. Checking Gary Regan's Joy of Mixology, I see a tweak that might redeem the Redemption further:

2 oz rye

1 oz dry vermouth

1/2 oz lemon

1/4 oz grenadine

"orange bitters to taste"

[weinoo]

A coworker - who I am giving a raise, an extra shift, and a pony - just gave me a bottle of Willett 2-year rye as a present. I haven't opened it yet. But I am not familiar with Willett... can anyone help me find some info on this whiskey?

It's good stuff. I got to sample a whole bunch of Willett's not too long ago; the 2 year rye is really excellent.

[Chris Amirault]

Is anyone else picking up a slight apple-y note in the Redemption? Makes me wonder how it'd fare in applejack drinks....