Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey Review:
reviewed 23-October-2021
SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY REVIEW:
Sazerac Straight Rye (Sazerac) is a fine whiskey. Its herbal notes of corn and rye along with spices of cinnamon and nutmeg are easy to draw. These aromas pass to the palate and blend nicely with vanilla custard and lightly burnt caramel. This rye has a medium to long finish with faint but lingering old oak and barrel char.
SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY VITAL STATS:
Category: Straight Rye
Region: Frankfort, KY, USA
Company: Sazerac Company, Inc.
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Mash Bill: Undisclosed (Buffalo Trace’s Low Rye, Rye Mashbill)
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas
ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
Price: $29.95 (Idaho 2020)
No batch or bottle number identifiers
Click to Buffalo Trace Distillery learn more.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the whiskey neat for this review.
Check out her review for this rye here!
SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY NOSE:
Sazerac gives little if any nip to the nose even with heavy draws. The whiskey is herbal with notes of both rye and corn. I also sense fresh apples and tropical notes in the aroma as well. The spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and rye are faint but they seem to help with a lingering aroma of an empty cinnamon-apple pie tin. There is sweetness here too which comes to the nose as light vanilla, simple syrup, and buttery caramel toffee. This rye is not woody by any means but there are traces of light drying oak and a little toasted wood. Sazarac is gentle and fresh and it smells great.
SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY PALATE:
Sazerac is a warm an herbal rye and like on the nose I taste grain and corn. In the back of the palate I get soft, sweet apples, and tropical fruit dance on the tongue as well. Spices of faint cinnamon, pepper and rye boost the sweets of simple syrup, slightly burnt caramel and light molasses. And like on the nose, the woodiness is faint and taste of dry old oak and smoky sweet barrel char. I cannot say this rye is earthy but there is depth here.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
When the first sip of Sazerac enters the mouth it feels like I’ve taken a tablespoon of fine virgin olive oil. There is a slight tickle on the tongue, but this solid rye stands on its own with well blended aromas and flavors. In the Glencairn exceptionally fat legs transport the sip wash back to the light russet colored pool, leaving behind a nearly perfect crown.
SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY FINISH:
The initial sip of Sazerac fades with a medium finish. But as I continue to sip, the finish grows soft, long and warm. I sense no fruit but I do feel faint spices of pepper and rye and sweets of vanilla custard and buttery caramel. As each sip goes down, old oak and barrel char help bolster the earthy but fresh finish. And when the last dram is downed, all the aromas and flavors can be drawn from the empty Glencairn.
MY SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY RATING: 90/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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