I’m not the most knowledgeable whisky guy, but I think I have a decent grasp of what’s good and what’s not good, so one of my friends will often send me pictures of the shelves when he’s going whisky shopping with the message, “What should I get?” He doesn’t always go with my recommendation because we have different palates, but he trusts me pretty well. In the beginning of July he sent me a shot of the clearance rack in the store he was in with that question. I said, there were quite a few good bottles there, and if it were me, I’d pick up the Sagamore Spirits Ale Cask Finished Rye for $50. And if he didn’t buy it, would he get it for me and I’d Venmo him the cost of the bottle and shipping. I can’t remember what he picked up, but he did, indeed, grab me the Sagamore and ship it to me. It's no secret I love Sagamore. They’re batting 1.000 in my book. I’ve had the Tequila Finished Rye. The Cask Strength. The Cognac Finished. And I own bottles of the 8-year, the Double Oak, and the Rum-Finished. Between those first three and the next three sits this Ale Cask Finish and it’s also wonderful. So Sagamore Rye is nice and spicy with the taste of clove and cinnamon on the palate with a little bit of that Early Gray tea flavor. In other words, this is a spicy rather than a sweet rye. What the ale cask finishing does to this is add yeast and hops to both the nose and palate, and it’s a wonderful effect if you like ale or even hoppy beers. The finish is nice and spicy as well with the hops lingering, and it makes for an incredibly unique pour. I’m not sure I’ve ever tasted anything like this, but I’d say the same for the Sagamore Tequila and Cognac finish. The Cask Strength was a little more straightforward but also great, but my advice to you: if you appreciate rye, don’t sleep on Sagamore. They’re the rye distillery to beat right now.