Sazerac Rye Single Barrel Select

This is for the special bottling. Nose is damp. There’s lemon. Saltiness. Very sour. Play dough? Palate is like gummy bears, tangerine, cherry, powdered sugar. Finish has grape juice, black pepper. Mild mint. Blood orange. Compared directly to the standard bottling, this is significantly better. I enjoy Sazerac, but it lacks depth and seems excessively damp and briny in this comparison. In contrast, this store selection is sweeter, juicier, and milder. It challenges my perception of how this could be related to the regular version, but this is exactly why I appreciate distillery selections of all kinds. Truly remarkable.

A special bottling from Sazerac House in New Orleans, Barrel 160 from 2021. I suspect it's not much different from the standard offering, but here goes anyway… The nose presents cinnamon, rye, pineapple, wood, apple, and caramel. On the palate, it's sweet and perhaps a bit richer than the standard version, with notes of prunes, wood, oranges, black pepper, toast, and a touch of caramel. It's acceptable. Not drastically different, but distinct.

A special selection. Honey, black pepper, rye, and peppermint are present. It's quite mild, with a touch too much ethanol in the finish.

It has a pleasant sweetness, not excessive. A little smoky, with a good kick. Mellow caramel in the middle.

A top-tier selection. Peppermint, honey, black pepper.

Spicy with a caramel finish. A selection from a friend.