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DETAILS
REVIEW
RARITY
DISTILLERY
Buffalo Trace
MASTER DISTILLER
Harlen Wheatly
AGE
18 Years
PROOF
90 | 45% ABV
FIRST RELEASE
2000
RELEASE FREQ
Annual (LE)
MASH
REVIEW52%
RYE
38%
CORN
10%
BARLEY
PALATE: Very mature, with notes of oak, leather molasses and all-spice. The long, warm finish is preceded by notes of mint, eucalyptus, cinnamon, vanilla, and lingering pepper.
HISTORY LESSON
REVIEWWhile the Sazerac brand doesn’t have a whole lot of history in the bourbon world, the Sazerac cocktail is anecdotally considered America’s first cocktail. Not only that, it was Thomas Handy who gets credit for making the cocktail with rye bourbon and not brandy, making rye bourbon the first liquor used in American cocktails.
So it s no surprise then that when the Sazerac Company acquired Buffalo Trace in the earl 1990s, they would inevitably create a rye bourbon with the namesake Sazerac. Which brings us to an interesting bit of history. While Buffalo Trace Distillery had been making bourbon for almost 200 years under various names, they hadn’t really ever produced a successful mass consumption rye bourbon. However, they had created rye mashes and had them storing in their warehouses. With well-aged rye bourbon, and no brand to release it under, Sazerac felt like the perfect fit.
In 2000, an 18 year rye bourbon was released as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection naturally called Sazerac 18. The Non-Aged Statement 6 year version was released a few years later, Sazerac Rye.
REVIEW
Each Sazerac 18 yearly release varies slightly in profile but to be a Saz 18, the bourbon should exemplify:
NOSE: Subtle aged oak and barrel char sit behind bold flavors of dark honey, brown sugar and waves of that cherry this mash is known for.
SIP: The sip does not open hot as you might expect from such high proof. Instead it leads in with classic cherry, red hot, and hints of citrus. Waves of dark honey and aged oak follow while it closes out with more spice notes, nutmeg and raisin. The pour seems impeccably balanced and never really overpowers with any sweet, spice or heat.
For an in-depth review of each Sazerac 18 release, see Reviews.
WHAT IS IT?
Sazerac 18 Year Rye is the 90 proof entry of Buffalo Trace rye mash, a traditional high-rye bourbon. Over the years most of the Antique Collection bottles have undergone some adjustments and vary year to year in age and proof. The Saz 18 however, has basically been the same release every year since its initial release in 2000. As a result, the Saz 18 is probably one of the only Antique bottles you can get year-to-year and not expect too much variation.
Saz 18 is a part of the 5 bottle Fall release of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, better known as BTAC. While this is technically not a “brand” but a collection of different brands, the release is still widely regarded as a single compilation. In fact, the bottles within the release are so closely tied together even Buffalo Trace considers the collection a brand on their website.
More about Buffalo Trace Antique.
The initial release of the Antique Collection was in 2000. At that time, the idea was to offer up the best version of each of Buffalo Trace’s different mash bills in a special release. At that time, Buffalo Trace did not offer a successful mass produced rye bourbon, as a result they had a well-aged stock of rye bourbon with no brand. The Sazerac Company had just acquired the Buffalo Trace Distillery and it seemed a perfect time to release a well-aged offering of their little known rye mash under the Sazerac brand. At that time, and even today, it is extremely rare to find a rye bourbon that is aged beyond the 10 year mark so an 18 year expression was something trule unique.
With such a unique offering, it’s not surprising that among fans, there is a bitter debate as to which BTAC bottle is the best. Though the two ryes, Saz 18 and Thomas Handy, often get the short end of the stick, it is worth noting that these two are excellent bourbons in their own right. Due to its age and uniqueness, the Saz 18 is without a doubt a must try bourbon.
The 18 Year age statement of the Saz 18 creates something truly rare, a spicy rye bourbon with an incredibly smooth finish. Now because of this you get a slightly polarized audience. Those who are not typical rye drinkers may find this a great introduction into rye bourbon. A rye that isn’t rough around the edges or in your face with spice notes. In fact, this is the type of rye bourbon that can convert non-rye drinkers. On the flip side, rye drinkers might find the delicate and smooth profile of this bourbon to be a little lacking that robust rye punch. In either case, the balance of flavor without overpowering rye spice and an incredible smooth finish is what makes this such an outstanding pour.
IS IT HARD TO FIND?
Yes. No sugarcoating this one. As I mentioned a rye aged over 10 years is incredibly rare on its own, throw in the fact that this is Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection and good luck finding this one. You likely won’t ever see it at MSRP, and rarely even at secondary. Remember it is a fall release, so often you will see them around Novemeber-January.
IS IT WORTH IT?
Worth the hype? Yes. Worth the MSRP? The age statement alone is worth more. Worth the ridiculous secondary prices? That depends.
As I mentioned, the rarity of a rye aged for this long in and of itself is enough to warrant some higher end mark up, but the “worth it” question is complicated over the flavor profile. This pour is incredibly unique, but the profile really sits in a very niche spot. Someone who loves rye flavor but wants an aged smooth finish. For more traditional drinkers this is excellent, but probably not worth that markup, and likewise for bold rye drinkers. This one lives squarely in the what’s your palate vs what’s in your wallet conundrum. I personally don’t think it is worth the $1,500 or more some stores try to get for it, nor is it worth anything north of $100 an ounce; but I think it’s fair to say that the MSRP on this bottle does not represent the uniqueness or value. I personally would pay around $200-$500 for the bourbon and maybe closer to an $800 premium (maybe) because of the label. I think anything under $100 a pour you should definitely do just to experience something this unique, possibly more if you really love higher rye flavor. But again, everyone’s wallet and flavor profile is different.
More about worth here: Worth it?
IS IT FOR YOU?
This bourbon has a lot of complexity and is able to delicately balance rye flavor with smooth aged oak. This one is for everyone, even if you don’t consider yourself a rye drinker. In fact, true bold robust rye drinkers might find this lacking. You don’t ever find an 18 year rye bourbon and that alone is worth some intrigue. I would venture that depending on your palate, you will either be amazed at the subtle flavor of this bourbon, or left slightly wanting more punch, but its likely no one will be disappointed about the pour.
RELEASES
This is a batched release so most years are the same.
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