Rittenhouse Straight Rye

I love history, I love whisky and I occasionally love whiskey. Annoyingly, I had a look around for Rittenhouse history but found pretty much nothing; mostly what I came across focused on the history of Rye whiskey and the 1790’s Whiskey Rebellion, which it is said to have inspired.

In short, the US was largely controlled from the Eastern part of the country (which is historically different to the Western parts, as you will know). A lot of decisions made in the East and rolled out on a national scale were disliked in the West, and the final drop (pun ever so sadly intended) came when, under the presidency of George Washington, the government decided to place an excise tax on whiskey. This was fiercely unpopular in the West, where whiskey consumption was considerably higher, where government officials found it tricky, let’s say, to collect the tax.

Rittenhouse Straight Rye is packed with nice flavors, much more so than most other American whiskeys/bourbons. It pours a medium-dark, syrupy, brown; the nose offers the beautifully sweet and rounded elements you want from an American whiskey: Vanilla, Cinnamon, Wood, Candyfloss, ginger and a touch of leather. It gets even better on the palate – starting off with a delicious sweetness (molasses, buttery candied apple and a faint touch of orange) and shifts to present its manlier side (whisper of spicy rye, oak, peppery). A medium-long finish, it begs for another sip. Going for around $20 in the US, it offers great value for money.

It is also worth noting that Rittenhouse Straight Rye won the 2010 World Whiskey Award title of Best American Whiskey.

Color: Syrupy brown.

Nose: Vanilla, cinnamon, wood candyfloss, ginger and a touch of leather.

Taste: Molasses, buttery candied apple, touch of orange, whisper of spicy rye, oak, peppery.

Want to buy this rye? Available in: USA & World (click), UK & Europe (click)