Tastes

Reviewed on 3/20/2019 - Last review of old rating scale. I was determined to find a bottle of EH Taylor Small Batch today and ended up spending way too long trying to find one. My favorite nearby store was out, only having EHT Rye in stock, which was a bit more than I wanted to spend, and the only other store near me had a 50% markup, which isn't something I'm willing to put up with. By the time I got home I was aching to open that bottle, which I eventually purchased for a small $1 markup, so after a steak dinner with brussels sprouts and bacon, I had a dram of the Small Batch for dessert, along with an apple tartlet and some vanilla bean ice cream. ALL THAT to say that I didn't crack open my latest bottle of "baby Saz" until later on in the night. I happened upon this bottle a day before, sitting on the shelf next to the aforementioned EHT Rye, and I haven't had it in a while, since before the move out to Colorado. "Baby Saz" has always been a favorite of mine, I have even bought three bottles at once when I was new to bourbon tasting because it wasn't the easiest to find. Since then I have tried quite a few ryes, hovering around High West's varieties for a while, then sampling Angel's Envy and EHT Rye before landing what might be the grail of my lifetime: Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye. (Bulleit Rye, Old Overholt, Rittenhouse BiB, WT101 Rye, and others have been in the collection as well). Anyway, I'm glad to try Sazerac again with a bit more experience under my belt. Bottle: This bottle is unique and simple. Always stands out on the shelf and reminds me a bit of the old Weller bottles, which I miss dearly. Appearance: The color is fantastic, but man oh man does it seem THIN. Nose: Watermelon, heavy up front, which isn't something I remember. And not fresh cut watermelon either, more like chemical, jolly rancher watermelon. Or those sour patch ones. Slight spice covered quickly by a medicinal scent. Not a whole lot there. Grass at the end. Taste: Again watermelon, but the spice is right there with it. Flavor disappears fast, though right before it does comes quite a bit of corn and pepper. Finish: Corn and Pepper, minty cinnamon disappearing immediately. I was a little worried after trying a few more ryes that I would no longer enjoy this like I once did. The nose added to that concern but the overall flavor profiles were more complex than I remember. Actually, I hope I may be getting better at this than I used to be. Mouthfeel is still rather thin and the cost/difficulty of finding this bottle has it teetering iff the edge of being worth it. If I happened upon it at the right price I may pick it up again, provided I don't have a bottle at home and my High West and WT101 supply is good and full. Rittenhouse BiB is also higher on my list. 83/100