My Son's First Taste Of Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Rye

[Thomm]

4 hours ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

 

The Mendoza line for my frugality,  (when it comes to most whiskey), is $40.00.

I'm willing to pay more, sometimes a much more,(and often do), but there is a lot of good-to-great whiskey out there for under $40.00.

I find myself picking up, then putting down, bottles that cost more.   Sometimes Mrs. Skinsfan,  (the Great Enabler), has to  tell me to  "just get the damn thing, you deserve it!" , when I waffle, more than usual, over a purchase.

Yep, that's me.  Except change the price limit to about $55.  Because you probably have forgotten about more whiskies than I have sampled, I feel justified in the extra expenditure. 

The part about Mrs. Skinsfan--those exact same words come outta my wife's mouth all the time, and not just about booze. I guess things would be different if I had a powerful hankering for 19 yo Old Fitz, but I don't see that happening in the near future. 

[mbroo5880i]

16 minutes ago, Thomm said:

Yep, that's me.  Except change the price limit to about $55.  Because you probably have forgotten about more whiskies than I have sampled, I feel justified in the extra expenditure. 

The part about Mrs. Skinsfan--those exact same words come outta my wife's mouth all the time, and not just about booze. I guess things would be different if I had a powerful hankering for 19 yo Old Fitz, but I don't see that happening in the near future. 

 

Once our wives figure out they can't change us, they soften a little to our vices.  I don't believe they ever stop thinking they can control us.  Even, as enablers, they view that as a form of control.  The "Wife Code" can be vicious at times but in the end we learn to work around it.  

[IamMatt]

1 hour ago, mbroo5880i said:

 

Thanks for sharing this.  I am also not typically a fan of double-oaked bourbon.  Hearing someone with similar tastes have a positive take on a DO rye whiskey is encouraging.  It is on my shopping list.

I was not a rye fan AND not a huge fan of double-oaked ourbon when I tried this.  Still not a fan of a lot of double-oaked bourbons.   But I like this Sagamore.

 

But, like you, I also like a bargain lol.  I so feel your pain.

[mbroo5880i]

8 minutes ago, IamMatt said:

I was not a rye fan AND not a huge fan of double-oaked ourbon when I tried this.  Still not a fan of a lot of double-oaked bourbons.   But I like this Sagamore.

 

But, like you, I also like a bargain lol.  I so feel your pain.

 

Yet another solid endorsement to seek out a bottle. Thank you!

[IamMatt]

30 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

 

Once our wives figure out they can't change us, they soften a little to our vices.  I don't believe they ever stop thinking they can control us.  Even, as enablers, they view that as a form of control.  The "Wife Code" can be vicious at times but in the end we learn to work around it.  

Gotta get the wives involved.  I used to collect handmade knives.  I learned early on to pick up something for my wife a couple of times a year to get her on my side.  Her favorite kitchen knife is one we got at a knife show, and she has a couple of favorite pocket knives I also got her from knife shows.  Hearts and minds.

 

She (more or less) supports my bourbon habit.  She was a vodka drinker when we married, but she enjoyed kissing me when I was drinking bourbon (Scandalous!!)  We both broadened our appreciation for bourbon when we spent some time in Louisville and the Bourbon Trail in 2019.  The trip included us bottling a Knob Creek SiB at the distillery for our 30th anniversary, so she is invested.  She now comes with me to as many bourbon events and tastings as she can. 

[Kepler]

1 hour ago, IamMatt said:

Gotta get the wives involved.  I used to collect handmade knives.  I learned early on to pick up something for my wife a couple of times a year to get her on my side.  Her favorite kitchen knife is one we got at a knife show, and she has a couple of favorite pocket knives I also got her from knife shows.  Hearts and minds.

 

She (more or less) supports my bourbon habit.  She was a vodka drinker when we married, but she enjoyed kissing me when I was drinking bourbon (Scandalous!!)  We both broadened our appreciation for bourbon when we spent some time in Louisville and the Bourbon Trail in 2019.  The trip included us bottling a Knob Creek SiB at the distillery for our 30th anniversary, so she is invested.  She now comes with me to as many bourbon events and tastings as she can. 

 

Similar experience as me.  My wife, before we were married, gifted me a trip to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, and included in that was a VIP tour of Wild Turkey Distillery with our tour guide Eddie Russell himself (yes that right there cemented her as a "keeper" Lol)

 

She planned the trip purely as a gift to me, but during the tours, once she stepped foot inside a bourbon rickhouse, the heavenly smell of aging bourbon barrels had her hooked.  Now she gets my whiskey obsession.  Win-win.  Yes, I'm a very lucky guy

 

 

 

Edited April 23, 2023 by Kepler

[Skinsfan1311]

3 hours ago, Kepler said:

 

I'm usually not a big fan of double-oaked bourbons, but this Sagamore DO makes me think it might be the way to go for a rye whiskey.  Maybe we will see more of them from other producers.

 

2 hours ago, mbroo5880i said:

 

Thanks for sharing this.  I am also not typically a fan of double-oaked bourbon.  Hearing someone with similar tastes have a positive take on a DO rye whiskey is encouraging.  It is on my shopping list.

 

1 hour ago, IamMatt said:

I was not a rye fan AND not a huge fan of double-oaked ourbon when I tried this.  Still not a fan of a lot of double-oaked bourbons.   But I like this Sagamore.

 

But, like you, I also like a bargain lol.  I so feel your pain.

Dammit!

Now I'll have to snag one1

[IamMatt]

...note to self....get commission from Sagamore....

[Kepler]

8 minutes ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

 

 

Dammit!

Now I'll have to snag one1

 

Yes, you should take the plunge.  Might I recommend their store pick private barrel select (6 or 7 year aged), or else their Bottled In Bond expression (proprietary distillate which is excellent), or else their Double Oak product.  All are high quality rye whiskies and all are highly recommended. 

[Skinsfan1311]

35 minutes ago, Kepler said:

 

Yes, you should take the plunge.  Might I recommend their store pick private barrel select (6 or 7 year aged), or else their Bottled In Bond expression (proprietary distillate which is excellent), or else their Double Oak product.  All are high quality rye whiskies and all are highly recommended. 

Oh..I've gone through couple of those 6 year Barrel Select picks, (including one that I haven't cracked yet), and they are excellent. I like the Cask strength too. They really know what they're doing there, and we usually have a bottle on-hand.

I was referring to the Double Oaked.

  I'm not fan of DO bourbon,  but I am intrigued enough to buy a bottle. I'm hoping that one of my favorite LS will have one open to try.  If not,  it's served at a lot of bars around here, so I wouldn't be surprised if the DO was available to try. 

[Kepler]

3 minutes ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

Oh..I've gone through couple of those 6 year Barrel Select picks, (including one that I haven't cracked yet), and they are excellent. I like the Cask strength too. They really know what they're doing there, and we usually have a bottle on-hand.

I was referring to the Double Oaked.

  I'm not fan of DO bourbon,  but I am intrigued enough to buy a bottle. I'm hoping that one of my favorite LS will have one open to try.  If not,  it's served at a lot of bars around here, so I wouldn't be surprised if the DO was available to try. 

 

Ahh, ok I see.  Yes, the Sagamore DO is worth a try at least, for sure.  Let us know your thoughts if you get one.  Cheers!

[Skinsfan1311]

7 minutes ago, Kepler said:

 

Ahh, ok I see.  Yes, the Sagamore DO is worth a try at least, for sure.  Let us know your thoughts if you get one.  Cheers!

Will do!

I wasn't going to drink tonight but, after participating in a couple of these threads, I'm leaning towards a pour of New Riff, followed by a nightcap of Sagamore

[Kepler]

12 minutes ago, Skinsfan1311 said:

Will do!

I wasn't going to drink tonight but, after participating in a couple of these threads, I'm leaning towards a pour of New Riff, followed by a nightcap of Sagamore

 

I hear you.  I think SB.com should encourage posts like this that don't necessarily result in posting in other general whiskey/whisky threads. 

[Grady330]

On 4/22/2023 at 9:53 AM, Skinsfan1311 said:

Yup!  I didn't think about that.   

Sagamore is 20 minutes from the house and you can find it pretty much everywhere around here.       

I think they are just outside of Baltimore. Met the rep, very nice, got some glasses and bling. gave me a business card and told me when I was in the area he would give me a tour and do dinner. This was just after we had done a 3 year stint at NIH and had flown into BWI over a dozen times!!  Have not been down since.

[Skinsfan1311]

2 hours ago, Grady330 said:

I think they are just outside of Baltimore. Met the rep, very nice, got some glasses and bling. gave me a business card and told me when I was in the area he would give me a tour and do dinner. This was just after we had done a 3 year stint at NIH and had flown into BWI over a dozen times!!  Have not been down since.

Yeah...I've been to distilleries all over Kentucky,  but haven't visited the one that's practically in our backyard.

The Mrs and I will need to rectify that soon....

[IamMatt]

Facetimed with my son today, he said he has REALLY been enjoying the Sagamore.  He finished the bottle of Coopers' Craft 100 that I left with him last time I visited him in Seattle, and he has a bottle of ET BIB that I included with his birthday gifts, but he is really jamming on the Sagamore. 

[mbroo5880i]

I looked at two stores today and didn't see any.  I didn't visit the store where I recalled seeing it.  I opted out of a volume purchase today because this one is on my buy list.  So, I bought just want I was looking for and nothing else.  No worries on the Cheap Bastard front.  I still got a 5% discount.  

[Skinsfan1311]

I succumbed to the thread and bought one today. @mbroo5880i I paid $54.99, which is $5.00 less than they charge at the distillery,  but $5.00 more than they charge at TW.  TW is at least a 45 minute round trip drive,  so it's probably a wash, the way my truck guzzles gas! 

I'm going to crack it for the NFL draft tonight, and check back in this thread with my thoughts on it.

 

[Skinsfan1311]

...and the verdict is?

 

 I don't hate it,  but I don't like it.  I want to, but I don't.   

I love the rye, component, and was hoping it would tame the oak, but it's just too much of an oak bomb for me.  That being said, it's approachable, and I could see this as an "entry level" rye, for whiskey drinkers who are new to bourbon and rye.

 

I'll revisit this, down the road, and Mrs. Skinsfan will probably like it, but I can't get past all that oak.    Who knows, in a couple weeks I might like it but, last night, I was overwhelmed by oak, and that's with my palate getting wrecked by a cigar that I paired it with.

[Jazzhead]

This is a Richard Nixon Pez dispenser, which every household needs.    He thinks that Sagamore's the best thing to come from Maryland since Spiro Agnew.  Count me as one nattering nabob who agrees.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Jazzhead

[Skinsfan1311]

On 4/29/2023 at 2:05 AM, Jazzhead said:

This is a Richard Nixon Pez dispenser, which every household needs.    He thinks that Sagamore's the best thing to come from Maryland since Spiro Agnew.  Count me as one nattering nabob who agrees.

I cannot tell a lie!

I've had a few Barrel Select bottles, from different sources, and they are  excellent.

Edited May 3, 2023 by Skinsfan1311

[Bourserker]

These showed up at the VA ABCs recently, and I saw one so I grabbed it.  Haven't had a chance to try it yet, but looking forward to it.  Weird and/or full flavored stuff has been my thing recently so I have high hopes on this one.

[Skinsfan1311]

I revisited this one, and I haven't really warmed to it. 

That being said, for whatever reason, it worked in an Old Fashioned.   I'm thinking that the other ingredients muted the oak.    I won't replace this bottle, but it won't be relegated to  recipes.

Edited May 9, 2023 by Skinsfan1311