Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Take IV : Sazerac 18

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Perhaps the most well known whisky of the Antique Collection, after winning Murray’s Whisky bible whisky of the year in his 2010 edition and scoring a whopping 97.5 /100 score .  Again, this is a straight Rye whisky, which means at least 51% of it is Rye. So how good is this whisky, does it deserve the title? Let’s see.

Sazerac Straight Rye 18 Year Old Whiskey (Fall 2010), 45%,£105sazerac-straight-rye-18-year-old-whiskey-fall-2010-whiskey

Nose : Balsamic vanilla interlaced with old oak , orange marmalade. A second sniff reveals some leather and coffee notes. Quite the rounded nose for a rye.

Palate: Spices galore. Nutmeg, cloves, vanilla , cinnamon, pepper and kirsch liquor all in a wonderful melange.

Finish: Spice, wood, lemon rind.  Long drying.

Bottom line:

the Saz’ is a great whisky. Does it deserve to be World’s top whisky ? I think not. But hey, if you are a lover of good whisky, and if you dig ryes, you are in for a treat. It’s so complex, Elegant, and rounded, a fantastic nose and a great body, at 45% it’s amazingly drinkable, compared to it’s brethren bottles at above 60%… How does it perform compared to the T.H Handy? It’s more rounded, a bit more complex, and not surprising as it’s some 10 years older and that cask really tamed it well. I’d say it’s a bit less perfect than the amazing W.Larue Weller, but that’s a matter of taste.

Score: 93/100

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