It is no secret that we here at Talking Bourbon love Rye, and today we are sipping on an old fav that we have not had in a while, Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey. Made by Buffalo Trace and from their website “The One and Only New Orleans Original. Sazerac Rye Whiskey symbolizes the tradition and history of New Orleans.” Most readers probably recognize Sazerac as the old cocktail with an absinthe wash. From the Sazerac website, “A LIBATION OF RYE WHISKEY, ABSINTHE AND BITTERS AND WITH THAT, THE FIRST BRANDED COCKTAIL, THE SAZERAC, WAS BORN.” For years, you never really heard about absinthe, then a few years ago, you started seeing the name pop up in some cocktail recipes.
This rye can be hard to find sometimes, at least here in the Indpls area. Sazerac is 90 proof, sells for around $30, and comes in a corked old-fashioned-looking bottle. There is no age statement or mash bill on the bottle or on the website, However, it is believed to be 4-6 years old and has a mash bill of 51% rye, 39% corn, and 10 % malted barley. That would make it a very low rye with just barely enough to qualify as a rye (50%).
As stated above, this is an old favorite of ours, but we always have it in an Old Fashioned. We were not sure when, or if, we ever had it neat or on the rocks.
NOSE
Todd: I like the aroma, which is surprisingly strong with rye. I also get scents of vanilla, maple syrup, chocolate, and just a tiny bit of spearmint. Ice didn’t change anything.
Matt: Rye and vanilla upfront with caramel, leather, and cinnamon rounding things out. Ice brought out more of the rye, vanilla, and cinnamon.
TASTE
Todd: Very hot and somewhat harsh neat with a lot of rye. Ice makes it better and brings out the vanilla, chocolate, and maple that I got on the nose.
Matt: A little hot neat with rye and cinnamon. Ice brings out some sweet caramel.
FINISH
Todd: Medium with more rye.
Matt: Medium with some spice.
OVERALL
Todd: Not very complex, but that should be expected of a $30 bottle.
Matt: Better for cocktails but still enjoyable on the rocks if you want a simple drink.
Nose 3.25 out of 5
Taste 7 out of 10
Finish 3.25 out of 5
Total score 13.5 out of 20 barrels.
Seems like Sazerac didn’t blow us away, which was somewhat disappointing coming from Buffalo Trace, a distillery we really love. Having said that, we are big fans of cocktails made from Sazerac. Surprisingly the rye really comes through, and the harshness is calmed by the other ingredients, but it still lets you know this is an adult beverage. And in this day and age, you cannot complain about the price.
Our final verdict would be to have a bottle on hand. It is not the easiest thing to get a hold of, so you might have some friends who have never tasted it. The name and the bottle are both pretty cool and unique. It makes a great Old Fashioned and is a very good price point.