Tastes

Where do I begin?  Nose of strawberry, dark pumpernickle rye with a bit of menthol cherry cough drop with a hit of toasted anise.  Once the ethanol dissipates I could keep on smelling this for days The taste is creamy and delicious.  Full of luscious baking spices, a hint of dark chocolate, prickly fresh strawberry, rye bread, and a touch of honey moving into the finish. The finish is where the armagnac really comes through and does its thing.  Leaves you on a bit of prune and velvety butter, with some delicious oakiness. It is warming yet not overpowering for its higher proof. Overall-  this is a fantastic bottle and I would say an unsung hero.  I have had other Sagamore Rye products before and found them all to be ok and solid offerings, but this one is so interesting and layered.  It is perhaps one of the top 5 whiskies (bourbon or rye) that I have tried all year and among the best  "finished in another spirit or wine barrel ryes" I have ever had. Some early Midwinter Night's Drams are close and I do like AE finished rye when I have a sweet tooth, but this was very much a full flavored and spirited beast with a twist rather than sweet stuff trying to diguise rye whiskey. It retains its spiciness without getting too "candied" by the finishing barrel.  I really dig it!  Was well worth the price of admission, outkicking its coverage.

Normally not a huge fan of Japanese Whiskey. It is generally a bit thin and more scotch-like for my liking. A friend gave me a sample with the encouragement that it was a bit sweeter and closer to a high rye bourbon. Nose- smells like a floral garden drizzled in vanilla. I get gardinia, and a bit of sweetpea. Palate- vanilla is dominant. I get honeysuckle flower and a bit of black tea. I would also say a bit more "bourbony" and cornflake taste. There is a bitterness and fresh wood that I get towards the end. This is something I get in most Japanese whiskey to which I am not a fan. Finish- medium finish for something under 100 proof. It is warming and has a sweet/sour thing going on. Overall- It didn't convert me or revolt me. It is just ok. That said I don't have many Japanese whiskies to measure it against.

Tasting- This is a single barrel pick from Antioch Liquors. It is 113 proof. Age is 4.5 years. Tasted neat in glen cairn and then with 3 drops water. Single barrels will vary. Nose- inviting caramel and plenty of oak. This has a traditional bourbon nose. Not super complex, but done well. Palate- I get dusty sweetcorn, and oak right out of the box. The two are very distinct with little transition and don't quite meld with each other. Not bad, but a bit disjointed. Caramel and vanilla cream comes through next with a bit of smokiness. All in all a decent sip, but nothing quite knocking it out of the park for me. Finish- newer oak prevails. There is a mustiness to it that is nice, but a bit too much ethanol on the backend. Overall- this needs more time in the barrel! All of the parts are there but they haven't quite come together as evidenced by the corn liquor flavor fighting with the oak on the palate. I am a big fan of Starlight. Absolutely DIG their rye. That said.....bourbon takes more time I think than what you might get away with in younger rye. This shows here. I am so hoping they have held some barrels back for 6-8 year offering. THAT might definately be worth the cost of the ticket. Keep an eye on this Indiana grain to glass distillery because they are doing it right! Just quite not there yet though with their 4-5 year bourbon.

Nose- Apricot jam and currant leads. The nose is sweet and intoxicating. Palate- There is a sweet and sour taste going on that is very nice. I am surprised at the richness this brings as just looking at the bottle you might judge it as too light, or think younger ryes. There is some pepper notes at the rear and an almost umami tangy, funkiness too it. The flavors are very layered and not disjointed as I was worried about with 3 different finishes in the blend. Nicely done! Finish: If there is a weakness for me it might be in the finish. It kind of goes out on a bit of newer white rum taste. A bit of iodine right at the end. I yearned for that old barrel funky taste from the Martinique rum and the absence of that was my disappointment. Overall: Definately a buy. I was reluctant at 79.99. Looked gimmicky and too much going on. To my surprise this kind of evoked the spirit of Wild Turkey Forgiven- one of my fovorite bourye experiments! It is cidery, sweet, and tangy like that with a spiciness at the end. Barrell did something very nice here.

Nose- the nose is prickly. I get a fair amount of fresh raspberry and musty wood on the first whiff. There is some anise in the background and some white pepper notes. Nice nose, and nothing I would expect from MGP rye (dill, vanilla, all spice). Taste- upon entry this does not taste like rye at all, but rather a high rye bourbon. In fact I get a dusty sweet corn taste followed by strawberry jam, currants like you might find in a scone, some raisins, and oak. It is a bit drying and has a few hot spots, but all in all a good sip. Finish- finish is medium to longer with notes of wood, jelly, and white pepper. A pretty good balance. Overall- This is a nice surprise. It really showcases what a nice port finished rye can be. The finish gives a nice jaminess to it. The port seems to impart an aged mustier taste reminescent of what one might find in say Wild Turkey to what I think might otherwise be a younger rye. Reminds me alot of some of the finished Highwest Rye I have recently had, or a great sub for Midwinter Night's Dram if you can't find it. I enjoyed this one and can't wait to put it in a manhattan cockatil.

Sazerac Rye is good for a few things- 1. Always good and consistent in a cocktail. Cuts through but is light enough not to overwhelm other added flavors 2. Good intro rye for those weening themselves from bourbon to try rye without the shock value. It is sweet and polite, and drinks more like a high rye lower proof bourbon, as compared to a rye whiskey 3. It is an inexpensive bottle that has good lineage and easy to find Sazerac Rye fails for a few reasons 1. It is thin and not very complex 2. It does not bring the rye spice that rye drinkers crave in a good rye. 3. It is far on the opposite spectrum from its BTAC parent. Unlike Stagg Jr has been as compared to George T. Stagg, "Baby Saz" falls far from that tree 4. It has no wow factor. Saz is a workhorse for bar cocktails. It does its job faithfully and should be credited for that. Beyond that it is ho hum rye. Cheers!

Taste- 2 oz neat and then 3-4 drops water. Nose- Orange peel, all-spice, and holiday egg nog (I have never got that note, but this was delicious) Palate- Neat it is every spice in the spice cabinet and it is a sensory overload. It is nutmeg, pepper, allspice, and clove. It is thinner but coating in a glorious way with hints of chocolate and cocoa nibs on the back palate. Water is transformative. Snickerdoodle cookie, yellow butterscotch candies, drizzled in maple syrup, and at every turn of the screw amped to 11. Finish- long, lasting and leaves you on a butterscotch note. Overall- One of the best ryes I have had to date. Think Cornerstone Rye on steroids. But it is also different from the more nuanced, older rye whiskey that are the standard bearers- Saz, Handy, Michter's, etc. different then what you would think. Neat It is way too much spice and heat, but with water- wow! That said, if you favor an earthy, tempered and polished rye along the lines of say Thomas Handy this is the opposite of that. This is an in your face, throw everything but the kitchen sink at you, and then you have to sort it out type of a rye. I like that, it challenged me. Every drop of water unlocked a new layer and kept my interest at every sip. I also think that if you are an on the rocks drinker this could be your jam because it will definately hold up. Only reason I do not give it a 5/5 is that it is a shocker straight out of the bottle and needs a little coaxing and work. If you figure in the affordable $70 pricetag though....this could be a 6 out of 5! Well done, Canada!

Nose- strong dusty corn prevails, subtle hint of licorice. There is some cherry notes in the background. Nose is young but playful. It isn't bad. Palate- corn pudding, vanilla dominate. It is singular and a bit one note. The mouthfeel is rather nice and buttery. I expected more mashiness, so as to this I like it. Finish- a bit smokey and longer than expected which is a good thing. I get a some bbq smoked cherrywood and then it is gone. Overall- the rye is way better as this tastes so young BUT this makes a wonderful old fashioned cocktail for relatively cheap money (tried it,loved it and might be a go to). Is it a bad bottle? NO. Is it a diamond in the rough? NO. I compare this with 2-4 year offerings of Yellowstone (their own bill, not the sourced HH) and this is in the vicinity, but is a bit behind. I would love to see this when it is 6 yrs out or even if a few bottles were placed in a small aging barrel for a few months. The pieces are there,but it is not quite all together. A great mixer, a subpar sipper. 2.75/5