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Whiskey Review: Sazerac 18-Year-Old 2017

We review Sazerac 18-Year-Old 2017, one of two rye whiskeys to be released each year as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

OVERALL RATING

9
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Tasting Notes

About:

18 years old, 90 proof, distilled in the spring of 1998, tanked into stainless steel in 2016.
Appearance:
Amber
Nose:
There’s lots of sweetness and spice in this nose, with a very holiday-like bouquet of allspice, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and dried fruit. I also get an earthy, almost musty component—old wood, fresh soil—which conjures up the feeling of celebrating Christmas in an old, drafty manor house.
Palate:
Like last years’, I find that Sazera 18-Year-Old delivers a really pure expression of rye. There’s a slightly green, stemmy note in the entry that builds to a nice bold crescendo of burnt caramel, dried herbs, black pepper, and dill pickle. It’s very sweet and full on the palate, with a filled-out feeling and a dense, mouth-coating texture. Ninety proof feels like the perfect strength. The finish is long and dill-inflected with a lot of mellow, integrated oak spice.
Finish:
Comments:
I wish I’d saved a bit of last year’s Sazerac 18-Year-Old to taste alongside, but I didn’t. Revisiting my tasting notes from 2016, I see the linkages, and I prefer the 2018. The tannin and astringency seems to have mellowed significantly, and graininess has been replaced with a chewy herbaceous quality I really love. Delicious.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Margarett Waterbury

Margarett Waterbury is the author of "Scotch: A Complete Introduction to Scotland's Whiskies" and a full-time freelance writer and editor specializing in the beverage industry. Her work has graced the pages of numerous publications, including Whisky Advocate, Food and Wine, Spirited Magazine, Artisan Spirit, Edible Seattle, Sip Northwest, Civil Eats, Travel Oregon, and many others. She also boasts editorial experience as the former managing editor of Edible Portland and as a co-founder and former managing editor of The Whiskey Wash. In recognition of her talent, Margarett received the Alan Lodge Young Drinks Writer of the Year award in 2017 and was awarded fellowships for the Symposium for Professional Wine Writers in 2017 and 2019.

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