How about some Rye? Old Overcoat bounces back

[Absalom]

(Disclaimer: I don’t work for Beam. I just like whiskey.)

If you enjoy rye whiskey, how about some good news for a change?

Old Overholt is finally getting some attention.

After Beam bought the brand in 1987, they dumped the original recipe and shoved it off to the bottom shelf as an 80-proof 3-year-old version of Jim Beam Rye, which itself didn’t sell very well. A distiller at Beam is famously quoted as saying “We spill more bourbon by accident every day than we ship rye in a year.”

That has changed. And now even grumpy old Abraham Overholt is getting new line extensions.

A few years ago they introduced a bottled-in-bond version, 4 years old and 100 proof by law.

Now there will be a 114 proof version, to go along with the famous Old Grand-dad 114 from the same producer. They will also offer an 11-year-old; I’ll be particularly interested in that. Both are supposedly non-chillfiltered, which should help the flavor intensity.

Finally, the picture of Abraham on the bottle will be more historic, and the words “born in PA, made in KY” will be added.

No word on when to expect the new bottles in stores. Only a generic concept picture is currently available.

 

[Beauetienne]

I'm interested.The current J Beam, pre-prohibition rye is very good.

 

[Onomea]

I like rye. What’s it go for a bottle?

 

[Beauetienne]

I like rye. What’s it go for a bottle?[/QUOTE

$18 a fifth near me.

 

[M1A]

I've been thinking of trying rye. I like Bushmills and Makers Mark.
Time to try rye.
Thanks

 

[Absalom]

I like rye. What’s it go for a bottle?

In Oregon it’s currently 20 for the old regular and 24 for the bonded.

 

[Bill Bates]

I have two go to ryes. Dickels Rye which has a 95% rye mash bill with the whiskey sourced from Mid West Grain Products as is virtually all ryes sold in this country with a 95% mash bill (High West, Ezra Brooks, Bulleit, ets.). It has that nice spice I like and doesn't break the bank.

My other go to is Rittenhouse Rye Bottle in Bond which has 51% rye mash bill. It is more complex than the Dickels. It makes a killer Manhattan. Down side is locally her in Utah with its state run liquor stores, it seems to only show up on the shelf every now and then.

I just picked up a bottle of Woodfords Reserve Straight Rye to try. It has a similar mash bill to The Rittenhouse. Down side is it is about $15 a bottle more. I'll reserve comment on how it is until I've enjoyed a few more glasses.

My favorite rye is Alberta Springs 10 year old Canadian Rye. It is 100% rye. Last bottle I bought was about $25 US. Downside is it isn't sold in the US. Well it is sort of sold in the US. It is one of the places Whistle Pig sources the whisky they put in their bottle along with getting ryes from Mid West Grain Products...I just have a real problem spending the money Whistle Pig wants for their bottle.

 

[Marshwheeling]

It has been a while since I bought a bottle of Overholt. I used to drink it a lot. It was my go-to rally whisky, over store-bought ice in one of the 12-oz mugs they handed out at rallies. Bourbon was standard fare there, but I made a lot of converts to rye.

Ditto at dirt-biking weekends in the Black Hills during Sturgis week, or in the Cheyenne River Breaks in Creighton, SD. On those evenings around the fire when a bottle of whisky is being passed around, Overholt became the standard in place of bourbon.

In Pueblo, CO, three liquor stores that had never carried Overholt began to stock it in response to demand that peaked in February around the Elephant Ride, a motorcycle campout and ride over Guanella Pass.

Over time, however, the price of Overholt crept up and other whiskies became competitive. Then too, as old age set in my whisky consumption and long motorcycle weekends gradually tailed off.

I am still a fan of the brand, though. It is good to see Beam doing something interesting with it.

 

[Marshwheeling]

I have two go to ryes. Dickels Rye which has a 95% rye mash bill with the whiskey sourced from Mid West Grain Products as is virtually all ryes sold in this country with a 95% mash bill (High West, Ezra Brooks, Bulleit, ets.). It has that nice spice I like and doesn't break the bank.

My other go to is Rittenhouse Rye Bottle in Bond which has 51% rye mash bill. It is more complex than the Dickels. It makes a killer Manhattan. Down side is locally her in Utah with its state run liquor stores, it seems to only show up on the shelf every now and then.

I just picked up a bottle of Woodfords Reserve Straight Rye to try. It has a similar mash bill to The Rittenhouse. Down side is it is about $15 a bottle more. I'll reserve comment on how it is until I've enjoyed a few more glasses.

My favorite rye is Alberta Springs 10 year old Canadian Rye. It is 100% rye. Last bottle I bought was about $25 US. Downside is it isn't sold in the US. Well it is sort of sold in the US. It is one of the places Whistle Pig sources the whisky they put in their bottle along with getting ryes from Mid West Grain Products...I just have a real problem spending the money Whistle Pig wants for their bottle.

Utah is about the only place I have seen Rittenhouse on the shelves.

A couple of years ago, I ran across Canadian Club 100% Rye. It was twelve or thirteen dollars a bottle, and quite good.

 

[oink]

I think I still have about 3/4 case of the old 86 proof Pa made Old Overholt. Been in the closet over 35 years. Actually it's moved a few times. Some of the newer Ryes are very good.

 

[Absalom]

Utah is about the only place I have seen Rittenhouse on the shelves.

A couple of years ago, I ran across Canadian Club 100% Rye. It was twelve or thirteen dollars a bottle, and quite good.

Just like the Beam rye recipe, Rittenhouse and Pikesville ryes are both “barely legal” ryes, but from Heaven Hill (Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, etc.). That is, they have just above 50% rye so they can be legally called rye, but still a big chunk of corn.

The Canadian Club 100% Rye, on the other hand, actually comes from the same Alberta Distillers Ltd. (ADL) as the Alberta Rye that Bill Bates discussed above. ADL specializes in various pot- and column-distilled 100% rye whiskies and sells these both under their own label and to other brands like Whistle Pig. Beam-Suntory owns both CC and ADL.

PS: One product ADL has been selling in the US under their own label is called Alberta Dark Batch. It’s an interesting concoction of 45.5% 6-year-old pot-still rye, the same amount 12-year-old column-distilled rye, 8% Old Granddad bourbon, and 1% Sherry. The Canadians are legally allowed to mix all kinds of stuff and still call it rye whiskey. Quite tasty, although a bit unusual.

 

[Targets Guy]

My favorite is Templeton Rye. Have a shot every New Year's Eve.