Sagamore Spirit Cask Strength Straight Rye

Batch 2F, Bottle 3370, Bottler CAM, at 112.2 proof. MGP has it made. All the fun of distilling some of the greatest American whiskey, no hassle of marketing to deal with. All they have to do is sit back, and young distilleries will beg to take their whiskey and put their name on it. Given this is a cask strength MGP rye, only great things can come of it. Hoping anything that's not rye in the mashbill stays quiet in this bottle. Decent color, probably 4-5 years old. It's expected that MGP stays quiet about the age, but the "aged fully" remake on the bottle is really just a kick in the crotch. Good spice, black pepper, and cinnamon on the nose, followed by a fruit note, perhaps old or tropical fruit, and a bit of sweetness not unlike maple as well. The nose burn is medium, but the reminder that this is rye is there as you pull the glass away. The body is hot as it hits the gums. The initial flavor is rye grain, but almost immediately an explosion of maple and even chocolate burst forward. I thought this would make it sweet, and right as I was ready to be disappointed, I breathed in and the fire was lit. The finish is where the rye comes to burn you, and it burns very, very well. Sure, I can tell that the ethanol is high and also part of the burn, but only rye can penetrate the gums and stay there for minutes after a sip. After a few more sips, I can pick up a similar fruity note that I got from the initial scent, but only if you think fruits in desserts, like bananas foster or apple pie. This is a fine whiskey that features rye. I don't believe that an openly featured "low rye mashbill" should be allowed to be called rye whiskey, but honestly, once past the shocking sweetness phase, only the rye really remains. Cask strength likely makes this even more attractive, as less proof probably equals much higher sweetness. Not a bad thing to pick up, so long as it's still the sourced product in the bottle; I don't know anything about Maryland, but I'd bet a lot of money that they couldn't make anything that would come close to rivaling MGP. Really, I just need an MGP tracker app.

This is a pint bottle, which cost me $30.99 at the Uptown location of Total Wine here in Albuquerque. There's no age statement, it's 112.2 proof, and it's dark copper in the glass. I found very limited information on the mash bill. Some sites said that it's a blend of two mash bills, one high rye and one low rye, while others said that it's a 95/5 mash bill. Since Sagamore Spirit began by using MGP juice, and now - or so I understand - is distilling its own whisky, it may be that both have been true at different times. But while I often find it frustrating that distilleries frequently don't let you know what's in their whisky (all other products have to list their ingredients), this is perhaps the most frustrated I've been. NOSE: I first got vanilla, then cinnamon, a mineral note that reminded me of the rough gravel that granite decays into, and honey. As I began sipping, a fresh mowed grass note appeared, with a hint of smoke, nearby rain, and summer leaves. MOUTHFEEL: Creamy. TASTE: Cinnamon, brown sugar, butter, red pepper, and black pepper. The pepper notes came in late, but were very emphatic. FINISH: The finish overall is long, and begins with cinnamon and brown sugar. These fade out, and a strong oak comes in, which is what lingers and lengthens the finish. SUMMARY: This is fine whisky. It's a little hot, but not too much, and the taste more than makes up for it. In some ways this drinks like a bourbon, but it has definite rye characteristics. I highly recommend this juice. RATING: In my eight level hick scale, which counts from the bottom, this receives a 6 rating, which is Fine. This is equivalent to 3.75 stars, 87.5/100, or 8.75/10.

I have come to enjoy Sagamore more with every pour. Seeing this cask strength bottle peaked my interest as I have been leaning toward the higher octane drams in my preferred pours. Hopefully this does not disappoint. Nose is really quite different for a rye. It brings to mind an iced cinnamon bun as opposed to the traditional rye baked goods. This is actually quite a nice start. First sip is... well holy flavor bomb Batman... this is not your traditional rye at all. Don't get me wrong there is definitely the subtle pine that all ryes remind me of, but this brings a lot more to the table. Some honey on the ends and an almost molasses flavor through the middle. For a cask strength the burn is never overwhelming and comes mid sip with a slow burn to the finish with a bit of toasted marshmallow to close. Ok. I am a HUGE WhistlePig fan and to me the little piggy is the benchmark. Sagamore is a brand to take note of and this bottle can go a few rounds with some of my better WP. Don't be shy if you see this on the shelf or any of their bottles to be honest. Sagamore has found a place in my glass and my heart lately. Hope the little piggy doesn't get too jealous!

I heard some of the more common Sagamore Rye bottles weren’t that great (Double Oak and Straight Rye) and was able to try this bottle at a restaurant. I had it neat and in a glencairn glass. The nose has the rye spice I was expecting but something was off a bit. It wasn’t as pleasant as many of the other ryes I’ve had in the past. Almost like some lemon, orange, or herbs that was coming through. The palate then made me really question what I was drinking. It was “okay” but the herbal taste came out way to strong for me. I didn’t enjoy it and it drowned out any of the rye flavors, vanilla, and oak. The finish confirmed the taste as it didn’t linger too long but continued the “herbalness” with a mixture of oak. Overall, this was a rye I wouldn’t try again. I’m a big rye fan and for some reason, didn’t like this too much at all.

Aroma - reminds me of a rum with all that brown sugar dominating the nose. There is some vanilla.. some herbal rye notes in the background. Cinnamon red hots . Slight orange citrus too. Taste -cherry cola. Sweet brown sugar. There’s a toasted marshmallow note in the finish which I really enjoy. Really unique rye profile. Overall - bourbon lovers rye. Extremely sweet rye. Very unique flavor profile and the finish is actually really nice and long. Viscosity is a bit low which is interesting because the finish is so long. Love that toasted marshmallow brings so much more depth. Would make for an excellent old fashion or Manhattan. Definitely a bottle worth keeping on hand. Awesome value for that $55-$60 range. 4.3-4.35

A bold, Straight Rye Whiskey by Sagamore Spirit Distillery in Maryland crafted with copper stills, aged in new charred oak barrels aged for more than 6 years & bottled at 112.2 proof. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grain, wood, fruit, nuts, herbs & spices; while a bold & spicy life adds notes of cherry cola, roasted marshmallows. brown sugar, dark chocolate, honey, & nutmeg; that led to a long & warm death adding notes of black pepper, rye, cinnamon, hazelnut, pecan. caramel cream, clove & oak. Thanks to Clay & Courtney for stopping by with a story, tasting & lunch.