Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old 2020
Like everything except the George T. Stagg, this was a first-time taste for me. I wasn’t sure what to expect with the Saz 18 - an oak bomb from 18 years in new wood? watery mouthfeel from low proof? syrupy mouthfeel from over 75% evaporation? I just didn’t know.
Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old: Specs
Classification: Rye
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Rye Mashbill
Proof: 90 (45% ABV)
Age: 18 YO
Sazerac Rye 18 Year Old Price: $99 (MSRP)
Sazerac 18 Rye: Tasting Notes
Eye: Orange blossom honey. Thin to medium unstable rims with medium legs.
Nose: A pure rye, but more herbal and a little oaken. Lots of red fruits and stone fruits up front. Bazooka Joe bubblegum with a dusty sugar. Woody, sweet and creamy oak. More fruity than herbal overall.
Palate: Boom - there’s the rye. Bubblegum, slight proof heat, lots of stone fruits. Red Jolly Ranchers (both cherry and watermelon). Lots and lots of cherry, followed by some wintermint. Cherry and bubblegum merge into a single flavor that just kind of sits and stops evolving. Mouthfeel is a little thin yet coating, indicating an older and lower proof whiskey…not too thin that it dilutes the flavors, but not enough to make it special either.
Finish: Just cherry dominant, with a touch of both herbal and floral rye and a clean minty finish.
Overall: I like this, but nowhere near as much as the first two. The proof being lower makes a huge difference…this isn’t over-oaked, it’s not woody, but the lower proof and cherry dominance drowns out other complexities that I bet are there at a higher proof. Ends up as a one-note cherry bubblegum flavor.
After the excellence from the GTS and William Larue Weller, I can’t help feeling let down by this. It wasn’t a bad whiskey or a bad rye, and I can easily see why people covet this bottle for $1500 or more on secondary. What I can’t get past is the mouthfeel and the simplicity. My biggest fear - low proof oak water like the Elijah Craig 18, at the same proof - didn’t come to pass. Nonetheless, it just wasn’t great and certainly not worth that kind of money. I might keep this for an interesting pour if I got at MSRP, but this isn’t on my hunting list.
Final Rating: 6.5
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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