Sagamore Spirit Distiller’s Select Tequila Finish

Sagamore Spirit Distiller’s Select Tequila Finish

Official bottling

Single bourbon - Maryland
Amber
49% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oak chips, black pepper, malted grains, vanilla, cinnamon, honey, hints of maple syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, expands, tingly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Black pepper, oak chips, maple syrup, malted grains, honey, Demerara sugar, hints of cinnamon. 
Finish: Short. Honey, vanilla, malted grains, cinnamon, oak chips, hints of Demerara sugar. 

Comments: 

Spicy, but woody - that seems to be a distillery characteristic. Still plenty of sweet notes, maple syrup, Demerara sugar, but the woody note persists to the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Sagamore Spirit Cask Strength Rye

Sagamore Spirit Cask Strength Rye

Official bottling
Single rye - Maryland
Amber gold 
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Hazelnuts, cough syrup, chocolate, black tea, black pepper, marzipan. With water, cherries, strawberry jam, chocolate. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, mouth coating, hot, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Marzipan, hazelnuts, brown paper, cough syrup, cloves, cherries, black pepper. With water, cherries, chocolate, brown paper. 
Finish: Long. Cherries, chocolate, hazelnuts, cloves. 

Comments: 

Wow, this rye tastes like Nutella! It’s very, very spicy, but those chocolate and hazelnut notes hold their own against the black pepper. There’s also a layer of cloves and cherries, which brings to mind Black Forest gateau.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Sagamore Spirit Small Batch

Sagamore Spirit Small Batch

Official bottling
Single rye - Maryland
Amber
46.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, peaches, strawberry jam, brown paper, black pepper. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Cloves, black pepper, honey, butterscotch, brown paper, peaches. 
Finish: Short. Honey, black pepper, black tea, peaches. 

Comments: 

A very fruity rye, the characteristic black pepper is there, but it’s overtaken by slightly woody peach and strawberry notes. It’s at a good ABV too, high strength ryes tend to be too spicy for my liking.

Verdict:

I like this.

Sagamore Spirit Rye Double Oak

Sagamore Spirit Rye Double Oak

Official bottling
Single rye - Maryland
Mahogany
48.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sandalwood, oak chips, vanilla, cooked rice, malted grains, maple syrup, brown sugar. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, tingly, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Sandalwood, oak chips, maple syrup, sawdust, malted grains, black pepper, sea salt, hints of vanilla. 
Finish: Short. Sawdust, malted grains, black pepper, oak chips, hints of ginseng. 

Comments: 

Very oaked, woody spirit, with some sweet notes offsetting the bitterness. It’s had too much time in the cask, in my opinion. Even with water, it’s still rather woody.

Verdict:

I like this.

Sagamore Spirit Rye Rum Cask Finish

Sagamore Spirit Rye Rum Cask Finish 

Official bottling 
Single rye - Maryland
Dark amber
49% ABV
Dram

Nose: Tyre rubber, photocopy paper, cinnamon, brown paper, black pepper, corn syrup, vanilla, hints of honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, cool, airy, slightly astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Black pepper, photocopy paper, raisins, artificial grape flavour, corn syrup, honey, ginger, hints of allspice. 
Finish: Long. Artificial grape flavour, ginger, allspice, cinnamon, honey. 

Comments: 

Batch 10. Spicy, sweet jammy rye whisky, not a common set of tasting notes in my experience. The rum finish gives it a bit of ginger and additional sweetness. Quite tasty, well constructed whisky. 

Verdict:

I like this.

Sagamore Spirit Straight Rye Whiskey

Sagamore Spirit Straight Rye Whiskey

Official bottling 
Single rye - Maryland
Amber
41.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Black pepper, brown paper, orange peel, vanilla, marzipan, blueberries. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, sticky, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Black pepper, marzipan, orange peel, brown paper, strawberry laces, hints of bananas. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, black pepper, strawberry laces, bananas, vanilla. 

Comments: 

Batch 4E. Decent rye, with characteristic spiciness, if a tad sweet. Lots of strawberries and a very bourbon-y hint of banana. I’ve always wanted to try Maryland whisky, and I’m interested to try more.

Verdict:

I like this.