tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post2515307234295764321..comments2024-03-16T11:28:41.525-04:00Comments on Diving for Pearls: NOT Single Malt Report: Rittenhouse Bottled-in-Bond Straight Rye WhiskyMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02288790197865570681noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-78751852603353958612014-02-10T02:57:06.427-05:002014-02-10T02:57:06.427-05:00For those who are following this discussion, Flori...For those who are following this discussion, Florin enjoyed the Rittenhouse that I brought and I enjoyed the Double Rye that he brought. More to follow on this in another at some point this year. Cheers!Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-57788596024862212292014-02-10T02:51:54.790-05:002014-02-10T02:51:54.790-05:00That's good to know. I think K&L, HiTime, ...That's good to know. I think K&L, HiTime, Party Source, and Binnys might be getting more allocations than entire states.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-61764380788818937112014-02-10T02:49:02.112-05:002014-02-10T02:49:02.112-05:00Jordan, that would be great to compare the two! I&...Jordan, that would be great to compare the two! I'll set aside a sample of the DSP 1 version for you if you're interested, unless you wind up picking up a whole bottle of it before then.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-6425316637390424252014-02-10T02:47:12.740-05:002014-02-10T02:47:12.740-05:00Eric, if the Rittenhouse made at Brown-Forman is a...Eric, if the Rittenhouse made at Brown-Forman is anywhere near the quality of my Bernheim bottle, then you can count me amongst those "some people".Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-6164782629667990212014-02-08T21:27:05.564-05:002014-02-08T21:27:05.564-05:00Both of my bottles (purchased around the end of 20...Both of my bottles (purchased around the end of 2011 or the beginning of 2012) are DSP 354. So if you ever want to compare, I'm happy to send off a sample.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-51419421208965697452014-02-08T21:08:53.050-05:002014-02-08T21:08:53.050-05:00We'll get allocations that then sell out over ...We'll get allocations that then sell out over the course of ~6 months. Right now there's only about a case left in the state and there's no way to know when we'll get more.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-37528790770316286412014-02-07T20:15:48.384-05:002014-02-07T20:15:48.384-05:00I think someone needs to ask Chuck Cowdery. Based...I think someone needs to ask Chuck Cowdery. Based on the DSP it does appear that Bernheim is producing and bottling Rittenhouse instead of Brown-Forman. After all those contracts expire eventually.<br /><br />Incidentally some people might say Rittenhouse was the best whiskey produced at Brown-Forman.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-72132432729013232572014-02-07T18:29:32.342-05:002014-02-07T18:29:32.342-05:00That's funny, I was just asking around to see ...That's funny, I was just asking around to see who has tried any of Knob Creek's single barrels. They're on the shelves everywhere; Hi Time has its own selected barrel. I'm not the biggest fan of the Beam style, but I'm open to surprises.<br /><br />Wasn't my Double Rye review a soft pan? Now, the Knob Creek Rye was a heavier pan. For Dewar's White Label, I brought out the iron skillet.<br /><br />You're right though, it's difficult to filter out price when trying to quantify quality. In the Ritt's case, there are only three ryes I've enjoyed more, found more complex, and thought better made: Willett, Handy, and Bowman. I'll still buy the Ritt first because of its price, but if they were all equal in cost I'd pick those three first. If HW Rendezvous was $25, it would be a close call but I'd still go with Rittenhouse. If Ritt was $50, well......I don't want to give Heaven Hill any ideas. My one weakness would be love at first sight with this bottle. There's a sensitive man underneath the hubris.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-5056792873598178232014-02-07T16:42:30.315-05:002014-02-07T16:42:30.315-05:00Yes, bring it on! After you panned the DoubleRye ...Yes, bring it on! After you panned the DoubleRye I opened a new bottle from my stash - and it was as delicious as I remembered it (the mouth waters). Maybe we'll do a DoubleRye DoubleBlind! <br /><br />As for the Rittenhouse, I bought a bottle in Fall 2011 that was so hot and blank, I couldn't approach. Unfortunately that was before I started storing samples. I'll be more than happy to be proven wrong on this! It was a major disappointment, seeing how it seems to be everybody's favorite.<br /><br />I think that the price does play a role. Recently I had a Knob Creek 9yo from a stored sample, that I didn't like much when opened back in 2012 (*). It wasn't great, but also not worse than my Old Grand Dad 117, of which I do have a good opinion. The latter is a good deal, if not a great whisky, whereas the $10 more expensive KC not so much. So yeah, whether we want it or not, chances are price creeps into our assessments.<br /><br />* Knob Creek 9yo SB Reserve, TPS Barrel #106, $34: It has the signature Jim Beam bitter rye note. Some nice dark chocolate; burnt ash, peanuts. Not very exciting, more of the same Jim Beam juice. I would definitely drink it on a desert island. Here - not so much.Florinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14445344658258056628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-37153440410416787462014-02-07T16:15:45.345-05:002014-02-07T16:15:45.345-05:00I'll bring what I have left of both! I really...I'll bring what I have left of both! I really wanted to enjoy the Double Rye, but that bottle was rougher than expected from the start. Thus my impossible-to-prove theory that Costco was given a lower quality batch. That theory could also extend to those lower quality JW Gold Labels we both bought at Costco......and maybe the reports of declining Lagavulin 16s.<br /><br />I would be interested in trying a crummier Rittenhouse. It was being distilled by Brown-Forman (DSP-KY354) until very recently when they switched over to Bernheim Distillery (DSP-KY1). I sincerely doubt the rye stayed the same. Or there was a difference between distilling seasons. Or I'm blinded by my infatuation with my bottle.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-633683624989478882014-02-07T16:05:29.744-05:002014-02-07T16:05:29.744-05:00Hey Eric. I'll admit was a little vague about...Hey Eric. I'll admit was a little vague about the actual distillery. The back of the bottle says DSP-KY1, which is Bernheim, which is also in Louisville.<br /><br />You're right about Brown-Forman stepping in after the old Bardstown Distillery burned down in November 1996. They bought the Bernheim distillery in '99, but I'm not sure when they started distilling rye there. On the Facebook fan page, they said the current (then 2011) rye had been distilled at DSP-KY-354, Brown Forman's digs. But again I'm happy to say that my bottle code of L1 (2011) has the DSP-KY-1 on the label.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-72096773948053241002014-02-07T15:45:59.507-05:002014-02-07T15:45:59.507-05:00The stuff going onto shelves now is probably close...The stuff going onto shelves now is probably closer to 4 years old than the 6-8 that it used to be. The demand is high, so Heaven Hill has the pressure of bottling stuff sooner, yet the quality is still there.<br /><br />Have you found Rittenhouse BIB shortage issues in Oregon? Despite what certain retailers say out here, I've always been able to spot bottles on shelves in CA.Diving for Pearlshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02373371259792882112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-73548205400350087932014-02-07T10:24:49.711-05:002014-02-07T10:24:49.711-05:00Are you sure you didn't get your reviews mixed...Are you sure you didn't get your reviews mixed up? Bring me a sample of 90pt Rittenhouse Rye, and I'll give you one of 90pt Double Rye. Or else bring me a 79pt DR and I'll show you a 79pt RR. But let's stay with the 90pt for now...Florinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14445344658258056628noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-59758529406045571952014-02-06T18:30:14.301-05:002014-02-06T18:30:14.301-05:00Well, that's me reading to fast but I didn'...Well, that's me reading to fast but I didn't notice, Michael, that you did acknowledge that fact without mentioning Brown-Forman (which is based in Louisville).Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-53114769706090845122014-02-06T18:26:56.900-05:002014-02-06T18:26:56.900-05:00I have a feeling your bottle was distilled at Bern...I have a feeling your bottle was distilled at Bernheim but for a number of years Heaven Hill contracted Brown-Forman to produce Rittenhouse since their previous distillery burned down. I am fairly sure Heaven Hill is now making rye whisky now that they have settled at Bernheim.Erichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13215982348779717643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3101162324715983722.post-86390711038383661442014-02-06T18:05:48.972-05:002014-02-06T18:05:48.972-05:00A-yup. And it's still that good, even though t...A-yup. And it's still that good, even though the age has probably gone down since supply has been so tight.Jordanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06448702693643593156noreply@blogger.com