Candy cane | Fresh mint | Rye spice | Dried apricot | Classic steel tank batch aroma

Rye spice | Vegetative | Straw | Rye grain | Mild summer fruits | Light aged oak | Well balanced

Light cinnamon | Aged dry oak | Rye spice | Leather | A degree of mustiness | Long & mellow

There aren’t many double digit aged ryes released to the market in any given year, and Sazerac 18 Year more times than not, is the oldest on offer. We’ve already been treated to Scarlet Shade a 14 year old rye, Barrell Rye Batch 4 which includes some 14 year old rye in its blend, and Parker’s Heritage Collection finally released a double digit aged, cask strength rye this year fans have been long asking for. It’s a big year for rye, but does Sazerac 18 Year have something to add to the conversation?

Sazerac 18 Year once again maintains its 90 proof point which definitely seems to be the brand’s sweetspot. It’s as elegant as ever and offers a few of its traditional rye flavors throughout. This year’s edition had some minor differences, mainly candy cane and dried apricot on the nose and a vegetative note on the palate. The finish keeps with its typical tempered aged dry oak, leather, and mustiness. Its creamy mouthfeel is present once again and is nearly as effective as it's ever been. For as old as this rye is, its aged oak notes and general mustiness (which has been overdone in previous releases) is very much kept in check.

For some, I can see them unimpressed with their first sip of Sazerac 18 Year. Its flavors are subdued and nothing about it screams for your attention. Despite Sazerac 18 Year’s rising trajectory over the last few releases, the whiskey could still use a bit more flash in certain places. As nicely tempered and balanced as it is for a high aged rye, it needs a few more flavors to stand out in its flavor profile. Sometimes age and mouthfeel can only get you so far.

The fever surrounding its brand, the contentious relationship certain whiskey drinkers have with the brand’s parent distillery, and its overall scarcity leading to frustrating sky-high secondary prices does at times overshadow this special rye. It’s still a great value for its age even with the $25 bump in its price this year, though that is reliant on finding it at or near MSRP. At the end of the day there's still no other rye on the market that is anywhere near an exact photocopy of it. It’s far from a steller showing this year, but it’s still one that will satisfy those lucky enough to find a bottle.