Another whiskey to talk about today, and another limited release. I managed to get a hold of, through my very wonderful girlfriend, a bottle of the Sazerac Rye this year as well. Both her and I very much enjoy rye whiskeys, so this was a treat indeed.
Starting off, the nose has a lot of spice and rye, almost like opening up a new package of Rye bread. Very delicious. Hitting your palate first is some vanilla and brown sugar flavors, melting into a spicy rye mid palate. The finish is sweet with some of those oak flavors coming back, but it is a fast finish. Probably the one thing I would say that could be taken as bad is that it finishes too fast. That just means I have to take another drink though!
Adding a bit of water really opened up the the flavors on the front and mid-palate, while downplaying the sweetness on the finish, making it disappear even a little quicker. The vanilla and brown sugar flavors really come to life, as do the rye and spice on the mid palate. Overall an 82 out of 100, would have gone higher if the finish stayed a little longer.
If you enjoy rye whiskeys, I would definitely give this a shot if you can find it. It is well rounded, and a great price for only being released once a year, found at Total Beverage for only $34.99.
