Summer fruits | Confectioner’s sugar | Cocoa powder | Butterscotch | Hint of root beer

Rose tea | White peppercorn | Cantaloupe | Light maple syrup | Rye grain | Thin mouthfeel before turning creamy

Cocktail cherry | Rye spice | Cinnamon | Caramel | Light charred oak

When many see bottled in bond on a label, they may automatically think it’s 4 years old, since that is the minimum age for the classification and many bottled-in-bond ryes on the market are 4 years old. Sagamore Whiskey has been sourcing whiskey for many years as their own stock came of age, so it wouldn’t be wrong to think this may be on the younger side before the label catches your eye. This is, in fact, distilled by Sagamore Whiskey and features an 8 year age statement, and as the company puts it, “the new expression marks a significant milestone in Sagamore Whiskey’s continued journey toward becoming a fully Maryland-made whiskey brand.”

Rye is the backbone of Sagamore Spirit, which was once called Sagamore Rye. It’s impressive the inroads they’ve made in what seems like a few short years; though, behind the scenes, it was probably a ton of hard work. Having an 8 year old rye on the market is an accomplishment, and the rye is starting to come into its own. Though the company has already given us tastes of their 10 year old rye, both as a limited release and private selections, it's interesting to taste it in its more widely available form.

Most noticeably, the rye is much brighter and more expressive than its older 10 year version. That’s also true compared to the growing range of MGP 10 year old ryes on the market. Though I miss some of the extra-aged oak and heavy flavors the older ryes feature, the preserved youthfulness it still carries at 8 years old is noteworthy. Summer fruits lead the aroma, with the palate offering lightly floral notes of rose tea, white peppercorn, cantaloupe, and maple syrup. It’s also thin on the tongue at first but surprisingly turns creamy, which the company’s older rye doesn’t offer. The finish is sweet thanks to a cocktail cherry note that gently transitions to tempered rye spice, cinnamon, caramel, and charred oak.

Older ryes used to carry a premium price, but that's no longer the case. It strikes a fair middle ground on proof, appealing to enthusiasts and less seasoned drinkers, which is required to be exactly 100 when labeled bottled in bond, and results in its $60 asking price being extremely fair. This is a rye for those who say rye isn’t for them. The common complaints that rye is too spicy and bold simply aren’t true here. Sagamore Bottled in Bond 8 Year Old Straight Rye is extremely newcomer-friendly and still offers rye veterans something to love. That’s an impressive feat, and one any craft rye producer should be proud of.