2018 Buffalo Trace "Sazerac 18" Rye Review
The coveted Sazerac 18 - the only member of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) I have yet to try. This particular bottle consistently fetches the most out of all the others on the secondary market (depending on the year the Eagle Rare 17 may get more) due to its limited numbers. So it must be amazing right? Read on to find out.
I tried this bottle at Haymarket Whiskey Bar in Louisville for a pretty damn reasonable price. Their selection was quite nice and we learned that they can buy bottles on secondary and sell in their stores if they want. Cheers to getting rid of distributor horseshit! I've seen it at various other locations but they've always wanted a sample of my blood, a Cantonese child and TOO MUCH MONEY! As I mentioned earlier this bottle is produced in very limited quantities and most people immediately sell that bitch the second they've acquired it - if they are so lucky - and crazy ass people buy it. Gotta be good right? About that...
In da nose I got red delicious apples and candied fruit. So I guess smart people would say candy apples. Anyway the nose was very pleasant and, honestly, quite unique. Then came the mouth stuff. In da mouf I got minerals, soil and grains that just did not go together. It lacked any sort of punch, memorable qualities and PIZZAZZ for such a desired bottle. I've heard older vintages are great (especially if Stitzel-Weller juice) but this just straight-up was unimpressive much like my di...sastrous college transcripts.
So now that I've tasted them all I'm going to put the ranking from most fav to least fav as (varies by year but on average): William Larue Weller, George T. Stagg, Thomas H. Handy, Eagle Rare 17 then Sazerac 18. I await your complaints. Come at me, bro.