Rittenhouse Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whisky 750ml

Rittenhouse is Bottled in Bond, which is a legal promise: one distillery, one distilling season, at least four years in a bonded warehouse and exactly 100 proof. Heaven Hill makes it in Bardstown, Kentucky, and it costs less than most ryes that promise nothing at all.

The brand began in 1934, just after Prohibition, as a Pennsylvania rye named for Philadelphia's Rittenhouse Square, and became a bonded four-year-old in 1948. Heaven Hill bought it in 1993 and kept the old Pennsylvania style, which means spice first. Dried fruit and toffee on the nose; cocoa, citrus, cinnamon and nutmeg on the palate; a long, maple-like spicy finish.

Bartenders reach for it because 100 proof holds up to vermouth, bitters and ice without going thin. Choosing between this and Old Overholt? Pay the few extra dollars for Rittenhouse; the strength makes the difference in a stirred drink.

Try it in a Sazerac or a Vieux Carré. Sipped neat, a splash of water opens up the fruit.

We carry it in the 750ml size. More bottles are under rye whiskey, and the rest of our whiskey is a click away. Pick it up at our Brooklyn store or get same-day delivery across NYC.