Sagamore Spirit Double Oak - Review

Stats

Sagamore Spirit Double Oak

Straight Rye Whiskey

NAS

Sagamore Spirit - Baltimore, Maryland

Distilled in Indiana

96.6 Proof

Mash Bill: Undisclosed (At least 51% Rye)

Retail Price: $60

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Copper

Nose: Vanilla, Toffee, Caramel, Baking Spices, Brown Sugar and Cinnamon

Palate: Honey, Graham Crackers, Molasses, Almonds and Nutmeg

Finish: Oaky, Warm, Long-Lasting and Viscous

Overall: The extra oak finish creates all the fun here. The sweetness cuts off at the perfect time allowing the rye spices to kick in. I’m all about comparing what I taste to other things I’ve tasted. Palate association, if you will. Sagamore Double Oak is no exception. The best association I could make with this pour is: Almond Roca.

It’s no secret that I gravitate towards Double Oak, Toasted Barrels, Charred Oak, etc. The extra vanilla, caramel and brown sugars seem to shine through and stand tall.

Library Rating: 8.6 / 10

Templeton Rye Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish - Review

Stats

Templeton Rye Whiskey Finished in Oloroso Sherry Barrels

Limited Release

NAS

Templeton Distillery - Templeton, Iowa

Distilled in Indiana

92 Proof

Mash Bill: Undisclosed (At least 51% Rye)

Retail Price: $50

Poured Neat in a Glencairn

Color: Red-ish Amber

Nose: Fruit Forward, Orange Zest, Caramel and Black Pepper spice

Palate: Creamy Milk Chocolate, Roasted Almonds, Clementine, Sweet Red Grapes, Black Pepper

Finish: Viscous with a Medium-Long Finish. Warm and Lasting.

Overall: I'm going to put this out there early, I'm not a fan of Sherry. However, I will always give something a try before passing judgement. Boy, am I glad I didn't pass this up. Probably one of my favorite Sherry Cask Finish expressions I've tried. The flavors do-se-do from the Nose all the way to the Finish. The big takeaway and biggest flavor that hits me is the Milk Chocolate and Roasted Almonds. A Hershey bar. I was already blown away by the Nose, but throw some chocolate bars at this guy and I've found something to relate to. Sure the Sherry has an influence, but nowhere near the negative association I have with the Spanish Wine. The Sherry creates that Citrus zest that rounds things out beautifully.

Library Rating: 8.5 / 10

A Tribute to Rod 'The Mayor' Bourbondy

This week, our Whiskey Community lost an amazing soul. "The Mayor", as his friends and family knew him was a true global whiskey ambassador and a dear friend. They just don't make them like this anymore. A Patriot, a loving husband and one of the most genuine folks I ever had the pleasure of meeting in person. Rod was someone who was more than a friend, he was a brother.

I first met The Mayor back in 2020 when The Bourbon Thieves were just starting out. We would jump on Live calls that would last throughout the night. Some mornings I'd wake up in the Library after not knowing what the heck happened the night before. This was during the first few months of quarantine so it really didn't matter how late we all stayed up partying it up. The relationship continued on and each day we would swap memes back and forth. He had me cracking up most days.

Andrea and I had the honor of meeting Rod and Marge in person back in October when we were in Chicago. We were immediately welcomed with open arms, smiles, food and of course, bourbon. Our good friend Louis was with us for this visit and he warned us to be sure to take things slow because drinking in the Garage was no joke. Louis had been to the Garage before and fell victim to the "only one more" statement.

The Mayor certainly had a very fond appreciation for Whiskey and you could tell by all the empty bottles on his shelves. Just like my story, he had a memory associated with each of those bottles. We did jump on an Instagram Live for a few minutes which was a nice treat. As expected, the four hours we spent together really flew by, but I'm still so thankful for the hospitality Marge and Rod showed us.

Mayor, you are already missed. This Community was in no way ready for this news.

If you fee like contributing to help Marge and the rest of the family through these tough times, please click on the Go Fund Me link. No amount is too small and the appreciation is limitless. https://www.gofundme.com/f/memorial-for-rod-johnson?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_campaign=p_cf+share-flow-1