Bourbon Reviews:




Bottling NameSazerac
Bottled ByBuffalo Trace Distillery Frankfort,KY
TypeKentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Alcohol content90 Proof
Availability US: Available Japan: Not Available Duty Free: Not Available Europe: Not Available
Age6
Views (since 20080612) 37085
Bottling Info



Review from Wasatch (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2333, Created:20150309174346)
Purchased at:Layton, State Liquor Store
Purchased for:750ml $29.99
Nose:Very nice deep golden amber color.

Some vanilla, slightly spiced, with some caramel notes, minty.
Taste:Full Body, Very nice sweetness, with some nice spicyness, slightly minty.
Finish:Moderate, Very nice, slightly dry, with some sweetness. Nice little burn.
Overall:A very tasty rye, might just buy it again. Good price.

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Review from karloff (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 2136, Created:20121126073338)
Purchased at:newcastle
Purchased for:40 pounds
Info on this bottle:Gift from the wife
Nose:Lots of vanilla and lots of ripe fruit
Taste:A nice sweet taste with fresh fruit and a helping of licquorice.
Finish:A long finish with an after taste of sarsaparila.
Overall:Full bodied for such a light alcohol content.This is the first time i have tasted rye and i love it.

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Review from themark31 (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1879, Created:20101028193938)
Purchased at:Liquor Barn, Lexington, KY
Purchased for:$25
Nose:Fruity smell (can't figure out quite what fruit exactly), spicy, with woody undertones.
Taste:Very refined, unique taste. It has a very straightforward whiskey taste, but with something you can't put your finger on, if that makes sense. Spice and rye come out the most to me. Taste lingers towards the front of your mouth.
Finish:Very nice finish - not overly long or powerful. Enjoyable.
Overall:I typically drink bourbon exclusively, but wanting to try something different, I picked up Sazerac, my first rye whiskey. I think I expected something much sharper and was pleased to find a very balanced, but still complex, whiskey. I was very impressed and hope they carry it at my local liquor store. Fine neat - better with an ice cube.

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Review from RogueHorseman (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1773, Created:20091205193604, Updated:20091205195641)
Purchased at:5 Points Bottle, Westside
Purchased for:24.95
Info on this bottle:The classic looking slender neck
Nose:Nothing exceptional speaks out loud in particular, but it's quite tempting nonetheless.
Taste:Honeysuckle. Hint of black currant. A lemonade essence builds, of the light variety where water/sweet prevails over tart.
Finish:Heavy honeysuckle. Exceptionally oily. Some floral, a little more fruit on the tail end. Much, much longer than I recall or expected. It's both very impressive in finish length, yet at the same time somewhat of a one-two note finish and then done.
Overall:We have not seen Sazerac in these parts for some time, so I eagerly snapped up a bottle as soon as spying it above the Turkey rye.

As a fan of both rye and the work of Trace in general, I have to be honest and say that this bottling is a letdown of sorts.

I remember this being substantially more complex and nuanced. There is only a touch of leather, and it's mostly in the nose, and new baseball glove leather at that. Past samplings had a rich and robust peanut brittle pallet, and it's virtually absent here, unfortunately.

Some additional age and proof would help this be more true to itself.

Now, to be fair, this isn't by any means a bad rye whisky as it runs circles around the couple Beam offerings. BUT, this does not come close to matching the elixir found under the Russell label, nor their same price point, trusted and reliable Wild Turkey Rye in my opinion.

6.5/10 all things considered.

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Review from azoth_melusina (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1386, Created:20081214163954)
Purchased at:PLCB store in West Chester
Purchased for:$24.99
Info on this bottle:Sazerac Rye
Nose:floral, sweet dried-fruit (cranberries?); second time around (after tasting), i get a double-barrel whiff of simultaneous leather-tobacco, heck even some teriyaki beef jerky (that's leather, ain't it? :)
Taste:nice, palatable, friendly sweetness (not too much), fruity but not overly bold, subtle rye pepperiness i expected, but much more subdued...not as in 'not present' but as in a fine balance of assertion and delicacy...something 'Wild Turkey-ish' here, too: the burn? oakiness?
Finish:spicey heat prickling tongue and mouth...like a constellation of peppery bursts sparkling everywhere and leaving a singular 'tingle'...wow. complex, but easy enough to unravel. a joy to do so. about 45 seconds of that!
Overall:a highly recommended bottling for sure. for the price. for the experience. my rye experience is still limited...but i think i need to run back and get that Handy Saz. a bloodline of true nobility!

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Review from Jon (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1370, Created:20081127155407, Updated:20081127155517)
Purchased at:
Purchased for:23
Nose:Incredible , sweet , fruity goodness.
Taste:Dominant fruit flavors with a spicy backdrop. I swear Wrigley's Juicyfruit is in there!
Finish:Medium finish and spicy/sweet that ends with.........................................another sip!!!
Overall:If you have a sweettooth, then you have to try this stuff. I've gotten a number of friends hooked on it. You have to give it a try!! It's no wonder it's one of my favorites.

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Review from BuffaloBill (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1279, Created:20080908021153) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Boston, MA
Purchased for:$28?
Info on this bottle:Sazerac Rye 90 Proof
Nose:Hint of Lemon Zest, Camphor, Aromatic Tobacco, Vanilla, Baseball Glove Leather, Herbs, Mint and Molasses... Eucalyptus, an oily citrus peel. There's something going here that's hard to pin down. Lots of complexity. Spearmint. Also ether-like overtone.
Taste:Mild. Floral. Roses. Carnations and Rye. It sings a slow song... needs to be played. And again... citrus comes through in the nose while tasting - grapefruit, pears.
Finish:Moderate.
Overall:Granted, I am a Rye Fan, but let me tell you - there's a LOT going on here. This bottle rocks! BB

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1148, Created:20080615002640)
Purchased at:BT
Purchased for:The cost of a trip to KY
Info on this bottle:Baby Saz sample for the BD/BE/L&K Barrel Purchase
Nose:Lots of complex spices. Rye, Pumpkin, cloves, very nice balance on the nose. As time passes, I get sun flower seed scents
Taste:Sweet spice, light burn, rye, cloves, seasonal spice mix with vanilla??? almost a piece of pumpkin pie with whipped cream???. And good burn.
Finish:Very nice and even blend of rye spice and vanilla??? Good medium long finish with strong tastes??? then moves to a lighter taste for another 20+ seconds???.
Overall:I am not a baby saz guy, but I will get a bottle of this one??? very pleasant??? This offers more than the other Sazes that I have had. To bad this will not be cask strength??? very nice

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Review from gillmang (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1112, Created:20080606164154, Updated:20080606164654) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Las Vegas
Purchased for:$25 approximately
Info on this bottle:Recent purchase
Nose:Fruity, some wood and alcohol
Taste:Minty and herbal against a honeyed background with light wood accents
Finish:Wood lingers, finish is a little untogether
Overall:This is a superb whiskey. I'd judge it now as approximately 8 years old. The only failing, arguably, is its finish, but that depends too on the particular batch that went into this bottle. A fine taste this is of American bibulous history. Also (or what is saying the same thing), this rye is quite evidently not bourbon; some ryes are bourbon-like, and good for all that; Sazerac rye marks out its own resolute path amongst the American straight whiskeys. But I give the last word to Mike from Conyers, who wrote earlier: The aroma is rich, rich!! I would like to take a bath in Saz and walk through the lobby of the Ritz Carlton. The whole place would swoon!

Well put, Mike. :)

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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1004, Created:20080126123226)
Purchased at:Rum Runner, Tucson AZ
Purchased for:~$30
Nose:Spices, spices spices... lots of good citrus, flowers, and honey. Definitely not as refined as the 18 yr... bolder, stronger, definitely younger smelling

Got to love the standup and grab you scent
Taste:Every much as get up and grab you as the nose... I get a little of the wood in it that was not in the nose... but spice is the word of the day here....
Finish:If I had not had the 18yr with it, I think it would have been more complex to my pallet, but not bad....
Overall:Not bad... not my cup of tea for a daily drinker, but not bad... I tasted this with the 18 yr... and not really a fair way to appreciate it... Makes a great component in a nightcap.... but I have to watch out for that green fairy.....

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 963, Created:20080106172640, Updated:20080106173956) View discussion on this review.
Purchased at:Jockey Lot Flea Market
Purchased for:Traded for a '62 VW bus
Nose:When I nose this rye the word juicy just pops straight into my mind. It is juicy with thick fruitiness. Highly aromatic and wonderfully pleasant to inhale. In addition to the citrus fruit, there are some peaches sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon and allspice. Peeking out is a hint of leather, and of course the warm rye is not very shy. A shadow of the oak arrives just in time to add interest.

My nose does not want to give this stuff up to my mouth. The aroma is rich, rich!! I would like to take a bath in Saz and walk through the lobby of the Ritz Carlton. The whole place would swoon!
Taste:This gentleman struts across the mouth teasing your tongue with tingles of zippy sweetness. His magic wand strikes little explosions of flavor all across the palate. The cinnamon and allspice warm up the juicy citrus, especially toward the back of the mouth.
Finish:Long lasting zap of spice moderated with the remnants of the fruity sweetness. All collapses into a cleansing dryness after a few moments. This whiskey at last pays tribute to the oak with which it was on such friendly terms.
Overall:Great huntsmen of our distant past loved to sit around the fire and relive the hunt over and over, each time finding something new and exciting in the retelling (and reliving) of the events.

While I make no claims as to my own abilities as a storyteller, I participate in that Southern tradition (from both Black and White folks) of retelling the experience, not in hopes of settling the truth, but of releasing a greater truth.....a shared love of the adventure of living, an unspoken truth that must be revealed indirectly........a truth whose face will never be seen full on, and can only be felt.

You are not here, physically, to share this wonderful Saz Rye with me, but please allow me the privilege of retelling my delight in drinking this whiskey and grant me license to poke at the mysterious truth of the experience with words and (perhaps) exaggeration. While, unlike the hunt, here we risk little or nothing, 'tis not risk we seek........but pleasure........and of all things, surely pleasure is the best to share. So my humble efforts to share are now before you.

When you drink Saz, join me at my campfire.........and share and tell, and retell, your own tale.........therein lies the more worthwhile and interesting truth.

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Review from LogicalFrank (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 720, Created:20070224111453)
Purchased at:Binny's in Chicago, Lakeview
Purchased for:$22.00
Info on this bottle:Sazerac Rye, Special Bottling for Binny's Beverage Depot, Barrel #1
Proof Of this Bottle:90
Nose:Assertive but not w/o complexity. Delicate notes of peach candy, mint, leather, bread yeast and pine all make themselves known.
Taste:Soft and very drinkable. A tangy fruity flavor as it crosses the lips which wanes into a pleasant cherry and caramel character along w/ some cinnamon, leather and oak notes.
Finish:Crisp w/ a caramel sweetness waning to a mild oaken spiciness.
Overall:Can't go wrong w/ this one. There's something for everyone here. Enough complexity to be interesting to those drinking it neat, it's plenty smooth for those who prefer their whiskey on the rocks and assertive enough to hold it's own in a cocktail.

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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 521, Created:20060606143326, Updated:20060606144459)
Purchased at:Chuck's Bowling Green KY
Purchased for:$25,99
Nose:Very ftuity nose with citrus, flowers, mint, honey, peaches, cinnamon, and allspice and only a belated whiff of the rye. Liqueur like in the sweet nose.
Taste:Fruit derived sweetness along with the rye spice that adds some pepper zest to the mix. An excellent taste that is quite smooth.
Finish:The finish is moderate with the flavors consistent across the whole mouth and palate. The mouth is left very refreshed, like it is after eatng fruit.
Overall:An excellent whiskey that marchs to its own drummer. I can certainly see how this rye would make a first rate cocktail. One of those whiskies about which one is apt to say, 'How did they make that?'

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Review from MikeK (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 491, Created:20060505195701)
Purchased at:NH State Liquor stores
Purchased for:18.99
Nose:Wow! Fresh and fruity with plenty of spiciness. Aromas of rye, tangerine, spearmint, and orange peel
Taste:Another wow! Fresh and vibrant. Spice, fruit, rye and mint. Nice balance of sweet and tart.
Finish:Medium to long finish. Spicy. Slightly sweet fading to dry. Gentle sweet spiciness hangs on forever. Apricots.
Overall:

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 465, Created:20060426085034)
Purchased at:Bourbon's Bistro Bar
Purchased for:5.00
Info on this bottle:Standard Bottle
Proof Of this Bottle:90
Nose:Sun dried peaches and walnuts. Rich with caramel and spices.
Taste:Rye grain and spice - cinnamon. A hint of oak and fruit - peaches and citrus fruits. Just a hint of fresh cut grass.
Finish:Nice and sweet - very fruity and it last a long time.
Overall:Very nice neat with a fruity dessert.

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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 330, Created:20060107123226)
Purchased at:Gift from distillery
Info on this bottle:Bottle 902 of the first 1000 bottled
Proof Of this Bottle:90
Nose:Sun dried peaches and spice - cinnamon and nutmeg, with some nice caramel tones. Just a hint of rye grass in the back.
Taste:Rye grass with rich fruit - peaches and apricots, with caramel and spice definitely a lot of cinnamon. Nice mouth feel with a little warmth but no alcohol burn. Very smooth and flavorfull.
Finish:Clean and sweet with caramel and fruit at first leading into a nice spicey cinnamon before fading. Not a long finish, but a nice one.
Overall:This product is great and once again prooves that whiskey doesn't have to be decades old to be great.

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