The tasting today consist of yet again one of our favorites, Sazerac Rye. SR has been aged 6 years, is 90 proof, and comes in a somewhat cool corked bottle.
This can be another one that can be hard to find, and the price is all over the board. We have seen it from $29.99 to $39.99, and have even heard of it going for $24.99.
NOSE
Ron: SR has a very complex nose of cinnamon, licorice, leather and even a little pipe tobacco.
Todd: This is odd but I didn’t really get anything Ron got. It has a smooth spicy aroma with undertones of orange and if my sniffer is working, bananas.
Ron: I heard that if you smell bananas it means it is a cheap and not very good whisky. I don’t get that at all, though I will give you the spice.
Todd: I have never heard that about bananas except from you.
TASTE
Ron: This one has lots of flavors including pepper, caramel, oak, and a spicy toffee like taste. It goes down warm but not hot.
Todd: Yeah, I got most of that, almost reminded me of a piece of Werther’s candy with a spicy background. It seemed to sit nice on the tongue. I liked it a little better with one cube. Could also taste the rye.
Ron: I liked it neat, but probably was a little better with ice.
FINISH
Ron: It has a nice spicy finish that lingers on for a while.
Todd: I got a nice sweet long finish, though not overly complex.
OVERALL
Ron: Back when I only liked to drink Bourbon, this was the only Rye I would drink, I can see why, and as you can tell, I still drink it today.
Todd: Very good stuff and one of my favorites in the Rye category.
Nose 4.5 out of 5
Taste 9 out of 10
Finish 4 out of 5
Total Score 17.5 out of 20 Barrels.
A slightly lower score on the finish brought this superb drink down a little. Don’t let that fool you, this is a great Rye at a great price, especially at the lower end of the price range we mentioned above.
Saz goes down good neat, with a few rocks, or in a classic Bourbon cocktail. You need this in your cabinet, and at this price you should go get a bottle.
Now that the work is done, on to the second glass.