Sazerac 18 Year Antique Collection 2008
American whiskeys are a wholly unique expression of brown liquor. Whereas most of the world’s top-shelf whiskeys are produced using 100% malted grain, American whiskeys are made using different percentages of corn, rye, grain, and wheat. Add to this the fact that they are most often aged in new, charred wooden barrels, and the result is a spirit that is rich, viscous, and full-bodied with dominant flavors of vanilla, caramel, and honey commonly. And the warmer climates (relative to Scotland for instance) in which American whiskeys age means that they mature differently and more quickly than other spirits, allowing them to be drunk younger.
All in all, this adds up to a different set of expectations for bourbons and ryes. The stereotype for these whiskeys is that they are simpler than their Scottish counterparts, lacking complexity and the ability to age as successfully as scotch. The reality is that there are a great number of American whiskeys on the market that offer complexity to challenge the finest of scotches, and whose impressiveness as older expressions demonstrates just how well they can age.
The Antique Collection from Buffalo Trace demonstrates some of the very best expressions of American whiskeys that you can find. I’ve written earlier about the W.L. Weller Bourbon that is part of this annual series, and have been consistently impressed by the strength of character exhibited by all of the whiskeys in this series. They all demonstrate layers of complexity and depths of flavor, and are all rich, luscious whiskeys that have belied all of the stereotypes.
The only downside to the Antique Collection is just how hard it is to find them. The bottlings are all very limited, and are allocated on a very strict basis. It is not uncommon for shops to receive only one or two bottles. As a result, getting a chance to try these whiskeys can be more a product of luck and good timing than anything else. Yet the fact that all of the bottlings in the series are priced at ~$60 is a credit to Buffalo Trace and it’s decision to not pinch customers and capitalize on the series’ scarcity.
And so I was fortunate this winter when I had the opportunity to pick up a bottle each of the Sazerac Rye 18 year and the Sazerac 6 year Thomas Handy (cask strength) from the newly bottled 2008 series. The different ryes that I’ve tried in the past, most notably Black Maple Hill’s 18 year and 23 year bottlings, have all been excellent experiences. In contrast to bourbon, rye presents a more complex character on account of the greater percentage of rye in its recipe, (a minimum of 51% rye as opposed to bourbon’s minimum 51% of corn). The Black Maple Hill 18 year in particular exhibited a spicy character with notes of menthol accompanying the sweeter flavors of vanilla and caramel. What I’ve come to believe is that rye stands somewhere between the different poles of bourbon and scotch, with a flavor profile that speaks to the best of each (even to the point that some ryes evince a thread of smoky caramel akin to a good Highland scotch).
The last three years of Buffalo Trace’s 18 year Sazeracs have all been drawn from a batch that had been aging for 18 years when in 2006 they transferred it to stainless steel to maintain it in its current state. Halting the aging process at 18 years, at which point this Sazerac was winning awards (such as the Malt Advocate’s 2005 American whiskey of the year award) makes great sense. And all of the accounts that I’ve read of the different releases since then (the Malt Advocate’s John Hansell for example) have born this out.
And so the only difficult question that arose was which bottle to open first, the 18 year or the 6 year cask strength! Fortunately I had some help in the decision, and a friend and I who both favored older whiskies decided to go with the 18 year. And with a satisfying thunk we popped the cork.
The color is a crystal clear, rich red-gold. The nose has deep, enveloping aromas of banana bread, floor polish, caramel, and warm pears and apple crisp. The palate has strong notes of vanilla and toffee up front that give way to spiciness and salted caramel. The palate is distinctly dry and oaky, giving you a real sense of the 18 years in oak. The texture is surprisingly light (this is bottled at 45%), but the flavors leave a strong impression on your palate. The finish is resinous and oaky, with the polish from the nose returning, after which it trails off into an impression of red berries that linges on and on.
This is a fabulously enticing rye. The bourbons from the Antique Collection that I’ve had have all been stellar, but this 18 year Sazerac is another beast entirely. Where those have been luscious and bold, this is more reserved. It opens up more slowly, but ultimately brings additional complexity and nuance to the table. The nose, palate, and finish all had their own unique character, each demonstrating the different personalities of this one whiskey.
On the whole I’d say that this is a great rye to have on hand, and that you shouldn’t hesitate to give it a try if you have the chance. I particularly am of the opinion that this is the type of American whiskey that could change an adamant scotch drinker’s mind, and open them up to the possibilities to be found in ryes and bourbons. So do your scotch-drinking friends a favor, and introduce them to this Sazerac 18 year rye.
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