Rittenhouse Rye is an absolute classic—a Bottled in Bond powerhouse that brings rich spice, deep sweetness, and a satisfyingly full mouthfeel. It’s a rye that doesn’t hold back, delivering bold character with enough balance to keep you reaching for another pour. Another Heaven Hill bottled in bond that keeps me loyal to the brand excited about their stewardship of old brands like Rittenhouse and Mellow Corn. Nose: Cereal grains and cinnamon lead the way, followed by warm brown butter and toasted marshmallow. There’s a rich, almost campfire-like depth, with just a touch of oak sneaking in. Palate: Salted butter in the best way—creamy, rich, and layered with baking spices and rye bread. The viscosity is spot-on, coating the palate with warm spice and just the right amount of sweetness. Finish: Long and building. The spice slices through but doesn’t overwhelm, lingering on the tongue with a smoky, molasses/brown sugar note like in a fresh batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies. Rittenhouse Rye is a staple for a reason. It’s bold, balanced, and endlessly versatile—whether you’re sipping or mixing, it delivers every time.
About this bottle
First introduced in Philadelphia in 1934 and named for the city’s historic Rittenhouse Square, Rittenhouse Rye originally debuted as a two-year-old whiskey. In 1948, it was reintroduced as a four-year-old Bottled-in-Bond expression. After Heaven Hill acquired the brand in 1993, production moved from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, where it is now made with a mash bill of 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley. Produced according to Bottled-in-Bond regulations, it comes from a single distilling season, is aged for a minimum of four years, and is bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV).
How it tastes
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Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 50 parsed reviews.
The best whiskey i had on a Bourbon and American Whiskey tasting event that i was invited was this great Rittenhouse Straight Rye, bottle in bond. A 100 proof whiskey, (50%abv), it has a 4 age statement declared in their website. It belongs to Heaven Hill distillery. On the nose, it was out of this world. The first note was a crazy one: trout food, the one people use in trout farms. Rye and red fruit marmalade. Letting it breath will release marschino cherries and hints of capuccino. After a sip, it gave me notes of coffee and caramel, sawdust. Very mellowed. Spicy pepper and chilli. This is my type of aroma. I loved it. On the palate, it is very good. Red fruits syrup and brown sugar. Capuccino coffee and strawberry marmalade. Aftertaste is outstanding as well. Spicy red fruits, cherries and red chilli. Absolutely amazing. Very well delivered. Overall, this is one dram that even if it is not super complex, it is quite enjoyable and delicious. The nose is full of wonderful layers of aromas. If you can get your hands on this one, you definitively should. My score for it is 93 over 100.
The aroma is strongly of rye spice, caramel, and red apple. There are hints of herbs, corn meal, pear, and smoke. Tasting it has a traditional herbal rye taste with rye bread undertones, but it develops more into a carraway and cheap bourbon with a finish of fruit and well done rye bread. It tasted cheap and young with nail polish remover notes and a lack of aged barrel flavor. I feel like I got my hopes up far too high for this one. Everyone seems to tout it as one of the best affordable ryes, but after drinking so much Wild Turkey 101 Rye for the same price, I felt very dissapointed. Wild Turkey is lacking the nail polish remover taste and is certainly much older.
Nose: spicy rye character, a bit of eucalyptus and black pepper. a notable dusty corn element that's not overpowering, baking spices and vanilla bean, a bit of caramel. A bit of sweet peppers and dried fruit. Palate: well balanced between the spiciness of the rye and sweetness of the corn in the mash. There's definitely a bit of heat here that ironically I don't get from higher proof ryes, Bourbons, or single malts, but maybe those have all been significantly older? Charred oak, vanilla, black pepper, nutmeg and a bit of cocoa powder. Finish: a bit of maple, lingering spice medium short.
A balanced, bottled in bond Straight Rye Whisky by Heaven Hill Distillery in Kentucky aged for at least 4 years & is mostly made from Rye mash bottled at 50% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of rye, hints of dried fruits, orange peel, cinnamon, vanilla & caramel; while a bold life adds notes of rye spice, chocolate oranges, cassia bark, nutmeg, honey, red pepper & caramel syrup; that led to a long & tangy death with notes of dark chocolate, marmalade, copper, rye, oak, corn & barley. October 2020 / July 2022
TWIN LIQOURS PRIVATE BARRELL Barrel No. - 8027638 // Rickhouse - gg // FLOOR - 5 NEAT NOSE - Very pleasant, balanced, and approachable. Very fruity, more specifically red apple. Honey and Caramel. PALATE - Caramel Red Apple, Honey, and a Hint of Rye Spice. Smooth mouthfeel. FINISH - Short BUY AGAIN?? - Absolutely. At this price point, this rye is a bargain. To add to that, I walk in many different stores and see private barrels of this, which could only lead to more pleasant surprises for $30 - $40.
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