Bulleit Rye vs "Baby" Saz

[Smithford]

I've only been able to sample Bulleit Rye twice, both times in bars (it's not distributed yet where I live). The first time was from a freshly opened bottle. It tasted like Wrigley's Doublemint, but not like the first chew - more like after you've been chewing for 5 or 10 minutes and most of the sweetness had gone. Very dry and spirity - unique.

The next time I sampled it, it was the very last shot from a bottle that had been opened for a few months. With aeration (and possibly some evaporation), I found a lot less mint and more of that floral/violet/lavender character that I get from the other young LDI ryes (it's predominant in Willett, but also present in Rendezvous). Some here have described it as "dill" or "pickle juice" and I see where they're coming from, but for me it translates as violet. Like C. Howard's (Chowards?) scented gum. But I didn't detect it in the freshly opened bottle.

I just recently finished a bottle of Baby Saz, which is a much sweeter Rye. I've never detected any mint in that, but did very briefly, about two thirds of the way through the bottle, find a slight hint of that floral note.

For me, the Rye spectrum begins with Rittenhouse BIB and ends with Bulleit. Ritt is sweet and bourbony, with only a hint of Rye spice and Bulleit is dry, spicy and herbal. Sazerac sits right in the middle.

separated at birth?

[White Dog]

Love the photo comparison. There is a bit of minty green on many Rye labels. Saz 18, WT, Willett, Bulleit.

[JayMonster]

Went back to this well one more time, and yes, I finally detected a bit of mint... but I think Smithford described it. Background mint... certainly not the overwhelming mint others described... but the mint was there. (Fortunately, it was in proportions that are tolerable, and not the Scope like quality of Evan Williams Black).