SagaMore Distiller Select

​Sagamore Spirit comes from Baltimore, and I've only recently started getting into their products, and I attribute that to my own bias. Sagamore, up until recently, has always been sourced, and I am not typically a fan of sourced juice. However, about a year ago, I picked up my first bottle of Sagamore Rye and instantly became a fan. I saw this Sagamore Distillery Select Tequila Finish at my local spot and decided I would try it. I figure why not since I have recently also started dabbling in more tequilas. Enough of my flaws and downfalls; let's talk Distiller Select.  

Distiller Select takes Sagamore’s signature rye and finishes it in used extra Anejo tequila barrels. I don't know the age of the rye when it goes into those barrels; I don't even know how long the rye sits in the extra Anejo barrels.
 
I don't know how long the tequila sat in those barrels before the rye was added or even what distillery the tequila came out of. I am unprepared for this write-up, and I am no help to you. Here's what I know about the Sagamore Spirit Distiller Select Tequila Finish Rye. 
 
The color is lovely with its hazy, amber color. I immediately pick up the tequila on the nose, it's very subtle, but it's there. As I said earlier, I am not very well-versed in tequila, but I have picked up that most extra Anejo tequilas that I've tried have all had prominent vanilla on the nose.
 
This rye isn't any different; there is a very distinct blast of vanilla on the nose. That vanilla also still carries characteristics of rye. Cinnamon, burnt orange, and buttered popcorn are similar to what I would get with rye.
 
On top of these notes, the Distiller Select has mild notes of a flower garden. The nose on the Sagamore Spirit Tequila Finish rye is as beautiful as seeing your bride for the first time on your wedding day. 
 
My palate immediately picks up more of that earthy agave that my nose picked up, that flavor I would typically find in the tequila and rye. The two different earthy notes of the tequila and the rye balanced out perfectly.
 
Spicy black pepper also hits the front of the tongue, and I believe that comes from the rye. Creamy, buttery, and smooth as it hit midway through the palate. As it reaches the finish, the tequila picks up where the rye left off and finishes strong with the tequila and a lingering sweet lemon. 
 
I find this rye amazing; I could drink this rye every day of the week; in fact, I finished the bottle in about two days. A lot is going on in this little 750ml bottle, but it works together. For rye that is 98 proof, it drinks smoothly and easily as if it were 84 proof.
 
I believe this is the best Sagamore Spirit I have drunk up to this point. I can't wait to see Sagamore Spirit's future ahead of them.  

by Tyler