Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Sazerac 18yr Rye 2015 Review | The Daily Pour
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91Excellent

Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Sazerac 18yr Rye 2015

Rye Buffalo Trace
  • Distiller

    Buffalo Trace

  • Bottler

    Buffalo Trace

  • ABV

    45%

  • Age

    18 Years

  • Price $200+

Distilled in spring of 1985 and tanked some time before 2015, today's review comes to us in the form of a legendary entry in Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection - Sazerac 18yr Rye. Said to be the final year of their tanked rye, this batch is comprised of 25 barrels that all matured in Warehouse K. Given I have some other entries in various vintages from the BTAC line, and a fresh bottle of the off the shelf 6yr Sazerac Rye to compare with, I've been looking forward to this review greatly. Let's get to it.

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Aggregated Reviews
  • Raided Score: 92
  • Drinkhacker
  • By Christopher Null
  • All in all, it’s a similar Sazerac 18 to the whiskey we’ve seen before, but like an old friend it’s one you still want to spend time with from time to time.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 95
  • The Daily Pour
  • By t8ke
  • This is really something. I like it better than the 2012 bottling I had, and I'll be sad to expect this bottle to change in future years. This is so close to a perfect rye, and I think 90 proof is a fine point for this, but I bet a couple more proof points would easily set it in history as the perfect rye. I also bet it makes a pretty good Sazerac cocktail.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 83
  • The Whiskey Jug
  • By Josh Peters
  • It was decent and was perfectly enjoyable to sit and sip, but it wasn’t anything particularly special either.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 90
  • Distiller
  • By Jake Emen
  • A long, warm finish brings with it a tingling to the tongue and cheeks, along with minty and medicinal notes.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 95
  • Whisky Advocate
  • By John Hansell
  • Soft and teasing for a rye whiskey, but perfectly balanced.
  • 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:

    Rich ginger, fruits and clove. Tons of complexity here, along with a really prominent buttery sweetness. It's not savage or aggressive like most year's Thomas Handy releases.

  • Taste:

    Thick, rich, oily on the palate. First sweet, with notes of toffee, some cherry and blackberry, then satisfyingly spicy. Rich clove, some ginger, black pepper and a dash of cinnamon. While not hot, it has the mouth feel of a much stronger rye, and the filtering isn't easily noticed, if at all.

  • Finish:

    Long, decadent finish. More oak, spice and dessert here than fruit, which is cool by me. The toffee, buttery richness and integration of clove and oak are all spot on.

  • Overall:

    This is really something. I like it better than the 2012 bottling I had, and I'll be sad to expect this bottle to change in future years. This is so close to a perfect rye, and I think 90 proof is a fine point for this, but I bet a couple more proof points would easily set it in history as the perfect rye. I also bet it makes a pretty good Sazerac cocktail.

  • Score:

    95

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