Old rye throwdown
Posted: Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:45 pmThe set up: Four rye whiskies whose history is sometimes murky and hard to determine for sure. I have Rittenhouse 21 YO Rye, Vintage 23 YO Rye, High West 21 YO Rye, and Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 YO (reportedly it is really more like 16-18 years old).
I will take a beginning sip of water and after a sip of each whiskey I will take another sip of water before the next sip of whiskey. With nothing further ado, I will offer a short comparison of these renowned whiskies.
Rittenhouse (100 proof) - rich in barrel and grain flavors - restrained spice with nice fruit
Vintage (94 proof) - deep in rye sweetness, barrel tannins, and mild spice
Van Winkle (95.6 proof) - that special old whiskey characteristic of all Van Winkle whiskies, rye is fruity/spicy
High West (92 proof) - softer (it was reportedly aged in used barrels) with more corny sweetness (it probably has less rye grain than the other whiskies).
I think the Rittenhouse has the best balance. I prefer it over the others
I will take a beginning sip of water and after a sip of each whiskey I will take another sip of water before the next sip of whiskey. With nothing further ado, I will offer a short comparison of these renowned whiskies.
Rittenhouse (100 proof) - rich in barrel and grain flavors - restrained spice with nice fruit
Vintage (94 proof) - deep in rye sweetness, barrel tannins, and mild spice
Van Winkle (95.6 proof) - that special old whiskey characteristic of all Van Winkle whiskies, rye is fruity/spicy
High West (92 proof) - softer (it was reportedly aged in used barrels) with more corny sweetness (it probably has less rye grain than the other whiskies).
I think the Rittenhouse has the best balance. I prefer it over the others