Sazerac Straight Rye

Review by: zSolaris

Distillery: Buffalo Trace

Region: Kentucky

Price: Sample courtesy of /u/GoatFester

ABV: 45%

Age: NAS

Color: 1.3, Russet/Muscat.

Nose: (according to the wife) It starts off with a very light note of oak. A hint of maple ham comes up as well as a bit of cherry.

Palate: Mouthfeel is fairly thin. It’s a lot sweeter than I expected with lots of sugary notes coming up. There’s a bit of rye spice, not a whole lot, along with some maraschino cherry. It tastes almost like the Manhattan one of my coworkers makes. A bit of brioche pops up as well.

Finish: Short in length. A bit of cherry and a bit of oak.

Conclusion: This is easily the sweetest rye whiskey I’ve had. It’s sugary, both in the form of just plain sugar notes and the maraschino cherry notes, and the rye spice notes are tempered as a result. It’s an incredibly easy drinker, perhaps a bit too easy. Overall, it’s pretty tasty and makes me want to try the higher end Sazerac.

Final Score: 79.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

Published by zSolaris

Unknown's avatar

Home is where the corn is! Or at least that's what I told the wife before moving her from sunny Southern California to the Midwest anyway. She doesn't share my love of scotch, the drink, but has been incredibly supportive of my little wander down the rabbit hole. We do both share a love of Scotch, our dog, though (she named him, I swear!). He's the cutie in the profile pic.

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