On the palate, the whiskey came through a little clearer, with a more robust, peppery spiciness followed by a sourdough-like flavor and a scant touch of sweetness, and a crisp, medium finish.

Rittenhouse Square, one of the five original open-space parks in central Philadelphia, Pennsylvania If you’re new enough to the world of whisky/whiskey that you’ve yet to become jaded and cynical: good for you; try to hold on to this feeling for as long as it lasts. If, like me, you’ve found yourself in a churlish and ungrateful frame of mind, I can attest to the fact that taking a break to reset your parameters can work wonders. If you’ve had a similar experience, please drop a comment below and tell us about it! With its complex array of flavor notes from fruit and honey to leather and spice, Wild Turkey 101 Rye Whiskey is an excellent sipper and mixer for its price. Whiskey is made by fermenting a mash of grains. For a whiskey to be a rye, the mash bill of grains must be at least 51% rye. When looking at rye whiskey vs. bourbon, the key difference is the mash bill. Bourbon is at least 51% corn. Bourbon must also be made in the US. Rye can be made anywhere. If money is no object, the WhistlePig 12 Year Old World Rye Whiskey is great for drinking neat with its ensemble of balanced flavors thanks to its unique wine cask finishing.RittenhouseTown Historic District, a historic area in Philadelphia surrounding the first paper mill erected in British Colonial America I am therefore approaching this as though I were once again at the beginning of my whiskey exploration. I’m not comparing it to the all-time greats in my personal whiskey hall of fame, those monolithic legends that I have had the good fortune to try (mostly due to the kindness of others) over the past few years. I’ll be evaluating this on its own merits, but also on its own terms: as a (hopefully) reasonably high-quality bargain rye to be recommended to novices and longtime enthusiasts alike. Here goes nothing… Rittenhouse Rye – Review

Verdict: This was a crowd-pleaser. The extra aging made a mellower, sweeter, smoother rye than many of the more typical ryes, with still a touch of rye’s hallmark sour spiciness to distinguish it from a bourbon or other type of whiskey. While two panelists considered that it would make an exceptional Sazerac, another insisted it needed nothing more than a glass and maybe an ice cube to be enjoyed to its fullest. At the end of the tasting, the Rittenhouse 21-year-old was on three out of four top-3 lists. Given the hullaballoo over the bonded, and my own fondness for it in Manhattans, I was interested to see what a blind tasting would reveal about the array of Rittenhouse ryes.Made with rye and no other grains, Lot 40 Canadian Rye Whisky offers spicy, sweet flavoring and a long, tasty finish, making it ideal for drinking on its own. I blind taste tested more than 75 rye whiskeys and assessed each based on their color, aroma, palate, and finish, assigning scores to the overall taste. On the nose: Despite this having the legal minimum rye content in the mash bill, I love how much of that grain’s characteristic nuances are expressed aromatically. Aloe, key lime pie, eucalyptus, menthol… all the rye hallmarks are here, married to a rich and buttery sweetness from the corn. This is on the young side, obviously, but that youth actually works in the whiskey’s favor, for my tastes. The grains are allowed to sing out individually, but also harmonize pleasantly. Not the deepest or most complex nose on a whiskey, but what is on display here is lovely.