SAZERAC 100 PROOF RYE WHISKEY IS VERY GOOD, HERE’S WHY I WON’T BE BUYING ONE.
I took this picture. I want you to know this because so many people are using the press release shots.
A few months ago I was able to taste the pre-release version of Sazerac 100 proof Rye whiskey at the Sazerac House in New Orleans. It was delicious. Immediately I thought this would vastly improve the seriously underpowered Sazerac cocktails all over this city. See, New Orleans is a Sazerac Company town. There are very few popular places where SazCo products aren’t heavily featured.
Yeah, we all know the game. You can’t get allocated unless you carry Wheatley, Fireball, Taaka, etc.. on and on. Because of this, practically everyone plays ball. The one place I found that made Sazerac’s with Jim Beam Rye, (Kingfish) finally buckled, and now uses Sazerac 90 proof. I can’t say that it’s because Goldring found out about it and paid a visit as he famously does, or if the retirement of Jim Beam Prohibition Style Rye was ultimately the reason for the switch, but up until now the cocktail that New Orleans made famous, was essentially boring everywhere.
This is about to change. Thankfully.
Yup, my picture again, because I’m not as big a hack as you think I am.
There are many reasons I didn’t love the ubiquitous Sazerac cocktail, but mainly because Sazerac 90 proof Rye is so, well, soft. It never stood up in that cocktail, it just sat down and did what it was told. It’s why it’s my second least favorite whiskey cocktail. You can’t really taste the Rye, and honestly what’s the point if you can’t?
Most of us that knew this, often made our own Sazerac’s with Old Overholt Bonded/Bottled in Bond, or Heaven Hill’s own cocktail stalwart Rittenhouse. Why? Because the Rye didn’t hide. The Rye stood up to the sweetness, and the Herbsaint. Why didn’t most bars do this? Because they had to move cases of the 90 to please the distributors in the hopes they would remember them come BTAC/Pappy time. Fortunately, the home enthusiasts don’t have to succumb to such pitiful chicanery.
By now you’re probably wondering when I’m going to get to the new Sazerac 100 proof release. Well, now of course. Right off the bat, it’s very good, in fact, it’s at least 8647% better than the Sazerac 90 proof. It comes in a liter bottle that’s wholesale around $23 depending on the market. TWENTY THREE DOLLARS. Think about this a moment. This is Overholt/Rittenhouse/Old Forester territory. It’s a 1000ml bottle, while Overholt/Rittenhouse are 750’s. This is shots fired.
I used the same picture twice, sue me. At least I took the picture myself, and didn’t breathlessly repost the press release images.
While I could go over tasting notes for you (I’ve now had it three times, most recently on launch day last week), SazCo has already graciously told you what you’ll taste (or else!) which will certainly be breathlessly repeated by insert influencer of the day here. I’m not going to. Not because I’m being mean, but because it’s meaningless. I, and perhaps you, won’t be sipping this neat often. It’s not a bottle made for you, the Rye whiskey drinker. It’s made for you, the Rye cocktail drinker.
Since you’ll likely experience this most frequently in a bar/restaurant, the notes aren’t that important. When you try it neat, you’ll likely understand that this isn’t a hot new release to add to ones collection. It’s simply going to make underwhelming cocktails better, and that’s why this release is interesting.
This release is meant for bars, and restaurants, not the whiskey wall of shame in nearly everyone’s basement. This release is meant to take market share from Overholt/Rittenhouse. This release is flat out an assassination attempt. This is a no-holds barred cage match and his name is Sazerac Rye 100!
Bartenders love 100pf Rye for their bar programs and they’re getting another potent tool to work with. 100pf Rye is so versatile almost nothing else will do. Buffalo Trace means to have a slice of the pie that they are being denied.
This Rye will get them into the game, and keep the allocation nonsense afloat, and we the Sazerac cocktail drinkers, will be better served at long last.
- Mickey Pinstripe
Also- The headline on this article is laughably stupid. No note mine, mine is good. The one below.
Also also- If you have to continuously tell people how many things you’ve tried/reviewed/bought to showcase your expertise…. I dunno, trying a bit hard.
See? Courtesy of Buffalo Trace. Also, how does a whiskey that just came out a week ago, become something bartenders swear by so fast? They don’t.