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Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Sazerac Rye 18yr 2020 spirit image
90Excellent

Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Sazerac Rye 18yr 2020

Rye Buffalo Trace
  • Distiller

    Buffalo Trace

  • Bottler

    Buffalo Trace

  • ABV

    45%

  • Age

    18 Years

  • Price $200+

This is the Fall 2020 Release of Buffalo Traces coveted Antique Collection member: Sazerac Rye 18yr. This is no longer their tanked rye distillate, as many recent batches have also departed from that notable feature. Aged for 18 years, let's see how it is.

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Aggregated Reviews
  • Raided Score: 94
  • Whisky Advocate
  • By Susannah Skiver Barton
  • More dark fruit and dark chocolate on the finish, as well as persistent oak that swerves, pleasantly, into leather.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 95
  • The Whiskey Wash
  • By Courtney Kristjana
  • If you don't get a chance to try the Antique Sazerac 18 Year Old, I find it comparable to the Michter's 10 Year Single Barrel Rye.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 88
  • Breaking Bourbon
  • By Nick
  • This is the most notable difference compared to the tanked batch, which is more complex and oak forward throughout than the 2020 release. Still, while it does not live up to its former greatness, this might be the closest Buffalo Trace has come yet to matching it.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 91
  • Distiller
  • By Jake Emen
  • The finish is fairly quick, with cedar, black pepper and vanilla, with a closing flourish of Peppermint Patties.
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  • Raided Score: 85
  • Drinkhacker
  • By Christopher Null
  • The finish is sweet but drying, with some cinnamon and mint showing up in the mix. Sazerac Rye has been heading in a more barrel-forward direction for a few years now, and 2020’s is yet another step down that road, and a big one.
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  • Raided Score: 88
  • The Daily Pour
  • By t8ke
  • Nobody has ever really accused Sazerac 18 of being bold or powerful, and this rings true in 2020 once more. Instead, flanked by releases that promise to overpower your palate, Sazerac 18 exercises some balance, complexity and demonstrates how delicious nuance can be.
  • Read Full Review

Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.

House Review
  • Nose:

    Light, fruity, quite a bit of honey. Some pepper and spice, a bit of sweet cream and oak. Not too old, bold or oaky.

  • Taste:

    Moderate mouth feel. Some faint ethanol, but not much at all, which is to be expected with the lowest proof of the series. Faint fruit, peach, apple, pear, a bit of brown sugar and cocoa. Light oak character, not a ton of structure.

  • Finish:

    Long finish. This makes up for some of the lack of presence in the palate, though the notes are pretty delightful.

  • Overall:

    Nobody has ever really accused Sazerac 18 of being bold or powerful, and this rings true in 2020 once more. Instead, flanked by releases that promise to overpower your palate, Sazerac 18 exercises some balance, complexity and demonstrates how delicious nuance can be. This is no different.

  • Score:

    88

  • By t8ke
  • Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources