hookfinger Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 As I neared the end of a bottle of Saz 18 YO rye, I started to dig thru the stash for another bottle to replace it on the shelf. Generally with these sort of specialty bottlings I will make sure I save a taste from the last bottle to do a side by side with the new bottle. I figured I had a couple of different years worth. I saw that I had 3 bottles, all with different info. One bottle was labelled 90 proof, Bottled Fall '02, the next was labelled Distilled Spring '84, Bottled Fall '02 and the third was labelled Distilled Spring '84, Bottled Fall '04. (My math puts this at 20 YR Old.) Does anybody have insight into the differences in these bottlings, other than the obvious. Just remember, your imput here may influence my decision on which bottle I open next. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Weber Posted March 24, 2005 Share Posted March 24, 2005 Sazerac 18 year old Rye currently holds the distinction of being named World Rye Whiskey of the Year. While any whiskey that has an age statement must be at least that old, it is not unusual for it to be a couple of years older. At the Buffalo Trace Distillery we have found that just because a whiskey has an age statement doesn't mean the whiskey is necessarily ready to go at that age. We sometimes find that a 10 year old bourbon needs an additional year or two to give us the flavor profile we are looking for.As it specifically relates to Sazerac 18, you have 2 different vintages. The whiskey was distilled by Gary Gayheart (our Master Distiller) back in the early 80s when the distillery was owned by Schenley. Is there a difference in the taste? In my opinion, yes. I must admit that I prefer whiskey around 10 - 12 years of age. I find the older stuff too woody for my palette.Scotch drinkers in the UK comment that this American Whiskey comes the closest to their whisky. My boss loves this stuff and can be found smoking a cigar and enjoying a Sazerac 18! I suppose that is why we make a number of distinctive whiskies here; while I may not like all of them, there are those that I just love!Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookfinger Posted March 24, 2005 Author Share Posted March 24, 2005 Thanks Ken. I guess the clarification I'm looking for is: Is the bottle marked "Bottled Fall '02, 90 proof" from a different batch than the other two. I surmised (and you reinterated) that the other 2 bottles were from the same ditillation, but some was left to age longer. I was most curious about the oddball bottle. BTW I agree that some whiskey tastes "better" at a younger age. But I find I really like the older whiskies when I'm finishing off the evening or I'm only going to have one drink, again usually later in the evening. And while I won't be the first (or last) to say it, I beleive that the Buffalo Trace whiskies arre the finest line out there right now. Thanks. Look forward to the visit again this fall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ken Weber Posted March 25, 2005 Share Posted March 25, 2005 I know we changed the labels so they would be more consistent with the rest of the Antique Collection (using the bottled date). The bottle in question was from a different distillation run. When an age statement is used, the youngest whiskey has to be at least that age. We found that with Sazerac Rye (and some other older whiskies), we use whiskey that is 18, 19, and 20 years old. So, by stating that it was distilled on a certain date is not entirely accurate. The youngest whiskey used was distilled on that date, but some older product has also been used. The label would get pretty crowded if you included several different distillation dates.Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hookfinger Posted March 25, 2005 Author Share Posted March 25, 2005 Appreciate your help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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