Sagamore Spirit Port Finish Rye (2019 Release)

That time of year again. College starts on Monday, so I find myself in Maryland getting ready for another move in. Before I left with my son (yes, he’s the one going to college), I figured, when in Rome (or Maryland), I would grab this sample where this spirit has been created, and if time permitted, I would sample. Well, I found some time. The color is a rich amber with a slight strawberry hue. The nose is akin to A Midwinters Night Dram. Cloves, nutmeg, cinnamon baking spices mixed in with dill, vanilla cream, maraschino cherries, ripened plums. Dig some more, and milk chocolate and raisins (Raisinets) add more sweetness to the baking spices. First draw on the palate is anesthetizing, thick and creamy and most definitely, sweet. Those spices found on the nose are embodied on the palate. Vanilla, brown sugar provides the sugary sweetness encasing dill, cloves, nutmeg and white pepper. Buried in the potpourri of flavors, some stone fruits work their way through: plums, black cherries. A trace of pomegranate comes forward towards the finish. Fruits and oak tannins and spices with a smidge of vanilla cream ride the finish for a good length. The palate remains woody and drying that keep the mouth dry all evening. The addition of water dampens the spicy edge and that creamy body becomes thinner while retaining all the sweetness. Definitely better at full strength. A solid offering from Sagamore Spirits. Full of sugar and spice and everything nice. A fair amount of depth backed with at full cask strength. A fantastic alternative to AMWND at two-thirds the cost. Most of the Sagamore line that I have sampled were decent but nothing that would turn my head. This, however, is a head turner and worthy to seek, sample and purchase. Thanks @dubz480 for the generous sample. A nice little surprise. [89/100][Tasted: 8/24/19]

The standard Sagamore was okay. Nothing special, but not bad enough where I was turned off from the brand altogether. According to the internet and a few people I’ve spoken with, this Port Finish is the best they have. So I’m glad I tracked this down before it was gone. Batch 1B; Bottle 3391; By SE Nose: Gala apple/apple cider. Rye bread, rye spice, and black pepper. Vanilla, toffee, caramel, and fudge. Plum and apricot. Black licorice and black cherry. Dill, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Awesome nose—and unique to boot. Palate: Rye bread and rye spice. Black pepper, dill, clove, and nutmeg. Caramel, vanilla, and toffee. Gala apple and apple cider. Black cherry and black licorice. Wintergreen and peppermint. Pistachio and mint chocolate. Maybe just a touch of plum, but it’s muted compared to the nose. More of a stereotypical rye taste than the nose suggested, but the quality is still there. Great taste. Finish: Black pepper, dill, clove, and nutmeg. Rye spice, rye bread, Gala apple, and apple cider. Pistachio, walnut, and mint chocolate. Medium-length finish; surprisingly short for a 50.5% whiskey. Solid nonetheless. Sensational nose, great palate, respectable finish. A damn fine whiskey overall. And a considerable boost considering it cost $60. This beats the brakes off of most wine cask-finished American whiskies. The only ones that stack up off the top of my head are the Jefferson’s Groth Cask and Wyoming Whiskey Double Cask. This is as good as the former and edges the latter. That is fantastic company to keep. This restores my faith in Sagamore after my experience with the entry level offering. I’m in. I’m not sure if this was a one-off, or if they have plans to roll this out again in the future. Either way, it’s a must buy. 4.75/5.

Port encompasses this dram without taking the character away from the whiskey itself. N: Rich tannic fruit notes and light spice, a sweetness tries to break through but spice prevails P: Spicy but dark fruity notes and a dry slight bitterness encroach F: port. It finishes like port. You started by drinking a whiskey with slight port notes and finished with a port with slight Rye whiskey notes. Awesome balance and transformation. Deserving of its medal. Why only 4? Bc I want, with my palate a fairly prominent whiskey note start to finish neat. It's a bias. If I got more spice with the fruit dry finish this would easily be 4.5-5.

Batch 7A... Overall spicy/harsh nose of rye bread, black pepper, lemon/lime zest, ethanol balanced slightly with a healthy dose of maple. Fortunately, the sip improves a little on the nose with a healthy dose of sweet cherry fruit on entry that builds into an intense rye kick, with a bit of harsh heat before fading. The finish is warm and lingers, but unfortunately the notes are bitter/astringent, green pepper, new oak. Overall, from the midpalate to the finish, I would rate this an unpleasant pour. This will rank with Peerless Rye as one of my most overprice bottles.

Tasted a bit young to my tongue. The toffee really stood out to my nose. I truly enjoyed this dram. Some may not enjoy port finishes on their rye, but I fancy it when done correctly. Sagamore has done it correctly, trust me. I will be keeping a bottle in my permanent rotation. N- spice, toffee P- dark chocolate, plum, rye spice F- dry, caramel

Sight - Dark cherry blood Nose -Syrup, dark cherries with some plum and spice. Taste - A plum dried cherries with some dark chocolate and that rye spice punch that's smooth all the way Finish - A long lasting dark chocolate cherry with hints of apple that will leave your mouth a bit dry but keep you warm.