New 25-year-old version follows the critically-acclaimed 21 and 23-year-old expressions released in prior years
BARDSTOWN, KY—Can the third time possibly be more charming than the first two? That is the question for American Whiskey enthusiasts as Heaven Hill Distilleries announces the release of the third and final bottling of Rittenhouse Very Rare Single Barrel Rye. Following the release of the 21-year-old bottling in 2006 and the 23-year-old in late 2007, the new 25-year-old expression—drawn from the final barrels of the same lot as the first two Rittenhouse Very Rare Single Barrel releases—will have big shoes to fill.
The 21-year-old bottling captured a Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and in November of 2007 the second-edition 23-year-old was released, and it captured the “Best Rye Whiskey” award, and a double gold medal, from the San Francisco Spirits Competition. And at the San Francisco event the year before, another Rittenhouse version, the Bottled-in-Bond, was named “North American Whiskey of the Year”. So how can the new 25-year-old release, shipping this November, surpass the accolades of its predecessors? Time will tell, but Heaven Hill father and son Master Distillers Parker and Craig Beam see no discernable drop off in quality in the newest release.
“This whiskey, at 25 years old, pushes the limits of barrel aging like the two releases before it,” observed legendary 6th generation distiller Parker Beam. “But like those earlier releases, these barrels have aged on the very first floor of Rickhouse OO. The more moderate aging conditions on that low level kept the whiskey from getting too woody and tannic. And by releasing this as a non-chill filtered product—also like the first two—all the flavorful esters and taste components really come through. It’s a real marvel of nature!”
With straight rye whiskey enjoying a huge renaissance among both whiskey aficionados and mixologists, the few suppliers that still make and age rye are hard pressed to maintain stocks for their current labels. Heaven Hill’s Rittenhouse Bottled-in Bond rye is on strict allocation and stocks are extremely limited for the second year in a row. So when a new bottling of rye whiskey comes out, it is greeted with eager anticipation by the nation’s whiskey-loving populace. The first two editions of Rittenhouse Very Rare Single Barrel Rye were quickly depleted from Heaven Hill’s warehouse, and with the continuing resurgence of rye there is every reason to believe the third and final edition will sell out just as quickly.
“A huge and relatively rapid upsurge in demand has made any barrel of rye a highly prized commodity in today’s market,” noted Heaven Hill brand manager Susan Wahl. “If a 4 year old barrel of rye whiskey is worth its weight in gold, so to speak, then superb barrels of extraordinarily aged rye are priceless. And American Whiskey connoisseurs, who already consider the first two Rittenhouse Very Rare Single Barrel bottlings to be prized possessions, are in for a real treat with this last edition.”
Rittenhouse Very Rare 25-year-old Single Barrel Rye, which will be available in major metro markets throughout the country for the holiday season at an average retail price of $190 for a 750ml bottle, is a very limited release—only one thousand 3-bottle cases, or a total of 3,000 bottles, will be shipped within the US, the United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. The 100 proof whiskey is very rare, indeed, for a number of reasons—its single barrel designation, its remarkable age, its pedigree as a Heaven Hill straight rye, its lack of chill filtering. When all combined into one outstanding, impressively dressed package, it will represent a new “holy grail” for American Whiskey and Rye Whiskey lovers.
Rye whiskey has undergone a major resurgence as consumers, energized by the array of specialty Bourbons introduced in the 1990’s and this decade, have reached out to discover other styles of American straight whiskey. Heaven Hill Distilleries, the country’s second largest producer of Bourbon, also takes great pride in the fact that they are the only one of the nation’s major distillers who make all the recognized styles of American straight whiskey—Bourbon, rye whiskey, corn whiskey, even their Bernheim Original Wheat Whiskey. Rye, which was the first straight whiskey produced in the thirteen colonies and was until the late 20th century the preeminent style of American Straight Whiskey, is prized among whiskey lovers for its sharp, fruity taste and spicy finish. Heaven Hill was one of three distilleries that kept the rye category alive during the 1970’s and 1980’s, despite stagnant or declining sales.
Founded in 1934, Bardstown, KY-based Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc. (www.heaven-hill.com) is the nation’s largest independent, family-owned and operated spirits producer and marketer and the world’s second-largest holder of Kentucky Bourbon. Heaven Hill’s diversified portfolio of brands includes The Christian Brothers Brandies; Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Hpnotiq Liqueur; Whaler’s Rum; Burnett’s Gin and Vodkas; Dubonnet Aperitif; PAMA Pomegranate Liqueur; Água Luca Brazilian Rum Cachaça, and Lunazul Tequila.
Heaven Hill reminds you to “Think Wisely. Drink Wisely.”
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CONTACT:
Larry Kass
Director of Corporate Communications
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.
(502) 413-0220
lkass@heaven-hill.com