Sagamore Spirit
Distillers Select
Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Tequila Barrels
Batch 2C
98 Proof
Review
Sagamore Spirit Tequila Finish Rye is the latest finished release from Sagamore Spirit. Sagamore Spirit is a distillery located in Baltimore, MD, established in 2017. They are dedicated to producing Maryland style rye. What is Maryland style rye, you might ask? Well, the definition is a bit loose, but it is generally a rye made with a relatively high percentage of corn, as opposed to the Pennsylvania (Monongahela) Rye, which is made with a much higher percentage of rye. There is usually a small amount of malted grain added for enzymatic purposes, and that grain may be malted barley. Sagamore Spirit is currently distilling their own rye, but at the moment is using rye sourced from a well known Indiana distillery. Sagamore Spirit utilizes a blend of two different rye mash bills, which then get proofed down with Sagamore Farm spring water.
The bottle label states: “We finished our straight rye whiskey in Extra Añejo Tequila barrels. The result is remarkably unique Tequila Finished Whiskey with notes of agave and vanilla on the nose and honey, peppercorn and orange citrus to taste. Pairing tequila and whiskey is always a risky move, but this was a risk worth the reward.”
Tasting Notes
Let’s taste it:
🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn
👉🏻Nose: Baking spices, pine, brown sugar, and some sweetness from fruit – maybe nectarine or peach? Light lime, hint of anise, caramel and vanilla; medium alcohol burn
👉🏻Taste: Starts off with honey sweetness & caramel, which quickly gives way to baking spices and black pepper…
👉🏻Finish: …which builds throughout the finish. There’s still some lime; pine notes, baking spices, and light honey sweetness linger; there are subtle notes of tequila.
Summary
I have been a big fan of the finished Sagamore Spirit whiskeys, with my favorite being the Sagamore Spirit Calvados Finish Rye. While this Tequila finished one is good, it will not dethrone the Calvados one for me. The interaction of the tequila with the rye is unusual. The flavors almost neutralize each other. They are all still there, but seem to be subdued.
Don’t get me wrong. I am enjoying this rye and have already finished a third of the bottle. There are just others in their line that I would choose before it. Have you tried the Sagamore Spirit Tequila Finish Rye? What did you think? Cheers!🥃
Check out our write up and review of the Sagamore Spirit Distillery on BourbonObsessed.com and learn more about them!
Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us?🙂 If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!