In this big new world of Bourbons and ryes it is almost impossible to keep track of everything coming out. We have tasted so many whiskeys and still there is an endless supply of ones we have not tried and sometimes not even heard of. Today’s tasting, which was recommended by a friend, is both of those. We have not tried nor heard of Sagamore Spirit. Seems they are known for ryes and are also known for their different finishes. They have rye finished in rum barrels, port barrels and even tequila barrels. For our review, we are tasting Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Rye, which like the name states, is aged a second time in oak barrels.
From their website “After aging our straight rye whiskey for 4 to 5 years in high-char new American oak barrels, our distillers transfer the aged whiskey into toasted wave stave barrels for an additional 18 months. The increased surface area of the low-char, medium-plus-toast staves”. We are not sure what a wave stave barrel is and don’t feel like looking it up.
Sagamore Double Oak Rye is 96.6 proof, sells for $60, is not available everywhere, in fact it can be hard to find. It consists of a high rye mash bill and a low rye mash bill, and comes in a tall, heavy and somewhat unique looking corked bottle.
This double aging process has been growing in popularity among distilleries the last few years. Some complain that it is a way of masking mediocre juice with more oak and char. Others find the extra aging adds more depth. Talking Bourbon is on the fence, we like Woodford Double Oak as well as an appreciation of Angel’s Envy Rye, but do not like Angel’s Envy Bourbon or really any of the other “finished” whiskeys. If push came to shove, we would probably agree that if you just make a great drink, there is really no reason for the extra aging or finishing. But we will drink Sagamore with an open mind.
NOSE
Matt: Good nose, first whiff is brown sugar sweet along with strong rye. I also pick up notes of almonds, leather, bread and malt. I am also getting a scent that I just can’t place. Ice doesn’t bring out much more, maybe a little more sweetness.
Todd: I get the rye and leather along with pepper, but I also get a malty/barley scent that reminds me of Irish Whiskey. And while I like Irish Whiskey, I am not sure I want my rye to smell or taste like that. Secondary aromas include toffee, toast, nuts, and a hint of mint.
TASTE
Matt: Spicey rye, leather, and oak upfront with toffee, bread, woodiness, and dark fruit behind. While I can pick out some of these flavors neat, it is pretty hot, and ice brings out a lot of the more subtle ones, including more rye.
Todd: Rye, leather, pepper, and oak, which is good, but I also get that slight taste of malted barley that again reminds me of Irish Whiskey. Still get that bit of mint that was on the nose. I agree, too hot neat to pick up on some of these flavors, ice really helped in bringing them out.
FINISH
Matt: Medium and spicey.
Todd: Medium long with a nice spice on the back of the tongue.
OVERALL
Matt: Good rye but not sure I would go out of my way to keep it in stock.
Todd: Nor sure what to think of this stuff, I like it but probably a bit too much of that malted barley taste for me.
Nose 4 out of 5
Taste 7.75 out of 10
Finish 3.25 out of 5
Total score 15 out of 20 barrels.
Well, guess Talking Bourbon is going to stay on that fence. This rye did not convince us that the process of extra aging or finishing whiskeys is something we should seek out. To be fair, the friend who told us about this brand said they had it in an Old Fashion, and really liked it. We have tried it that way and it was very good, the strong proof, oak and rye definitely comes through. Hate to sound cheap, but $60 is a bit steep to a lot of people to just be a mixer. And at that price, it is not quite good enough on its own.
Final verdict, if you are a great fan of all thing’s rye, and you also like this current craze of finishing juice in other barrels, you should give Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Rye a shot.