I had almost forgotten about this whisky until we received some more stock back in!! There are plenty of good ryes out in the world, but Rittenhouse Rye has always been a favourite of mine. A fantastic fan favourite from the Heaven Hill family. This is just a quick rundown of my current tipple!

Heaven Hill produces this whiskey to commemorate Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, crafting the liquid in a classic Pennsylvania rye flavour profile. That profile tends to be a lot spicier and fruitier than a lot of ryes. Rittenhouse is also Bottled in Bond, which has a lot of stipulations to be labeled that. One distiller at one single distillery, and created from one distillation season. In addition to that, it has to be aged in federally bonded warehouses that are under the supervision of the US Government for at least four years, then bottled at exactly 100 proof or 50% ABV. If that is not enough, the label must clearly state where it was distilled and bottled.

Rittenhouse has won multiple awards and accolades, all which are well deserved. Even though this is enjoyable on the rocks, my opinion is that it shines brightest in cocktails. A definite favourite amongst the creative cocktail bartenders I know.

While the expected rye spiciness is definitely there, the spice most definitely plays second fiddle to the bursting fruit flavours! It’s very clean and mellow, but balances the orchard fruits and peppery bite very well.

If you are in the market for a delicious cocktail rye, grab a bottle now!

Slainte

Anthony