Sazerac Rye 18 Year (Fall 2017)

Nose: Signature Buffalo Trace aroma accompanied by a deep gingerbread misting of brown sugar. Palate: Cherry cola, toasted marshmallows, rye spice, oak, and rich baking spices. Mouthfeel: Full, round, thick, and delicious. Finish: Spicy and dry, but not excessively so; you can hold the whiskey in your mouth for a considerable time to savor it. The oak ebbs and flows but makes its presence known. This is undeniably an aged Sazerac, sharing many flavor notes with the younger version but standing out as a beautiful, mature rendition of this fantastic flavor profile. Some other vintages, like the 2016, were hollow, disconnected, and bore no resemblance to the Sazerac rye I'm accustomed to. It delivers everything you could desire, except for availability. 😢

2/14/18 Nose: Rich sugars and decaying earth. Spice for baking. Palate: Compost and spice for baking. Vanilla with faint sparks of citrus.

Excellent balance of spice and oak, mellowed over time. The finish has mild spice but is quite drying.

9/10. Outstanding. It shares the same flavor profile as Baby Sazerac, but with greater depth and amplified flavors.

Quite good, but still a bit too potent for my personal taste. Sampled on 6/23/18 during a flight at Front Street Brewery.

Well made, but the spice notes are excessive. I didn't detect a mash bill with vanilla, but rather more dry leather.