Bourbon Season 2020 - Part 4 // Sazerac Rye

We have arrived at the fourth part in this Bourbon Season 2020 series. This time, we’re delving into the history of American cocktails and the use of rye in whiskey. And we’re tying it together in a review of Sazerac Rye, a straight rye whiskey. Cheers!

Text by Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove
Photography by © Reinhold Podevijn

The Sazerac Cocktail

Normally, I don’t really talk about cocktails. It is not really my forte, and I’m not a very good home bartender. More often than not, ‘a splash’ in the recipe book ends up ‘a splash’ on the kitchen floor. But for this article in Bourbon Season 2020, I’d like to at least reference a cocktail, namely the Sazerac, traditionally a a combination of cognac or rye whiskey, the Green Fairy (absinthe), Peychaud's Bitters, and sugar. It might also be the first real American cocktail, although this is heavily disputed.

The story goes that in the middle of the 19th century, a spirits importer from New Orleans started importing a cognac named Sazerac-de-Forge et Fils, which was then used in a cocktail in a local bar, adding, among other things, bitters from the local Peychaud pharmacy. Others say that the cocktail was actually invented by the owner of the Peychaud pharmacy, though the exact history and true facts are covered by murky water.

About 20 years later, however, the recipe was changed so it would use rye whiskey because of a cognac shortage. Incidentally, it was then that a certain Thomas H. Handy bought the Sazerac Coffee House, the local bar that introduced New Orleans to the Sazerac cocktail. Thomas H. Handy then started the Sazerac Company, and at one point they started producing rye whiskey, named after the cocktail recipe that they had also procured when the bar changed ownership. Oh yeah, it’s produced by the Buffalo Trace Distillery now. Yes, it’s a bit complicated, but if you want to read up on it, just look for “Sazerac” and “Sazerac Company” on Wikipedia. I got my information there. If you’d rather try out the cocktail itself, check Liquor.com’s recipe here.

Sazerac Rye, Straight Rye Whiskey

Now that we know the origin story of the Sazerac Rye whiskey, it’s time to take a closer look at yet another element that might leave some people puzzled. What is a rye whiskey? Well, it’s all in the name. Rye whiskey is a whiskey made by using at least 51% rye in the mash bill, the other grains usually being corn and malted barley. At least, that’s if you are talking about American rye whiskey, which, luckily for us, is the case.

Sazerac rye isn’t simply a ‘rye whiskey’, though. The label reads “straight rye whiskey”, which means that the rye whiskey has aged at least two years, and it has not been blended with other spirits. But that’s something I normally expect when I buy a bottle of whiskey. Still, better safe than sorry.

There’s quite a lot of interesting things to be read about the history of rye whiskey, but I’ll be keeping that for another article. Let me just add that rye is a grain that grows more easily than other grains, and that the use of rye in your mash bill offers up a spicier, fruitier distillate.

And with that information, let’s delve into the tasting notes!

Tasting Notes

For some reason, I expected this expression to be rather sharp in the nose, but that is entirely not the case. Quite the opposite, actually. There’s sugary orange, like those candies that are covered in granulated sugar. I’m also picking up clove, only because I’ve started to make mulled wine again at home. There’s also a spicier note there, which I think is there because I know this is a rye whiskey. So my mind might be tricking me into thinking it’s there. After a couple of sips, a note of warm wood started to reveal itself. Think sauna wood. Think resin.

When you drink this Sazerac, you’ll notice that, just like many other ‘American style whiskies’, this is very easy-going. This expression doesn’t require a trained palate, nor does it focus on complexity or layered flavours. Instead, it’s simply and straightforward, with a couple of flavors that are easy to spot, with categories such as “fruits” and “sweets” being the easiest to pick up on. There’s vanilla and a little caramel, there’s the oranges again, and there’s a little spice, mixed with a slightly drier finish. The influence of rye is there, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say that this is a ‘100% rye whiskey‘. It definitely isn’t.

Very enjoyable, in my opinion. A little bit stickier than water, with a soft medium-long finish that leaves a tingle on the tongue. It’s better when the dry element kicks in, and you take another sip. The 45% ABV shines in its absence, and I’m happy this Sazerac Rye doesn’t have the ‘kick’ that is often found somewhere during the tasting process.