Rittenhouse is my first bottle of rye, so don't have a lot of comparison with others in the category, other than a quick taste of Bulleit Rye once. Enjoyed neat in Glencairn. Nose is odd on this one for me. Sort of a mildly sweet woody burnt sugar mixed with a medicinal smell or hay, maybe pine, cedar, or wintergreen. On the palate the rye spice immediately jumps on the tongue. Quite spicy and peppery but it fades fairly quickly, leaving more of that medicinal taste that I got from the nose. I can't quite place it, but it almost seems like a band-aid or iodine quality. Taste isn't sweet, and more on the tart side. Also for 50% ABV, it seems fairly tame, like it could be closer to 40%. Finish is fairly short and settles into toasted wood and honey. Long in the finish I get a grassy note, maybe hay again. Overall, not a bad first entry into ryes for me but the strange medicinal quality just isn't all that appealing as a daily sip. I've tried Bulleit rye, and it was much smoother and less spicy, which isn't typical of a rye, so I'm not sure it's a great comparison. Although I probably prefered the Bulleit for its flavor profile. Maybe the Rittenhouse will grow on me, but not a great first impression. Cheers!