Sugar and spice are teaming up as unexpectedly ideal partners this spring in Baltimore-based Sagamore Spirit’s newest limited-edition rye whiskey: Sagamore Spirit Reserve Series Rum Cask Finish Rye Whiskey, announced today by the award-winning distiller.
Sagamore Spirit first offered a Rum Cask Finish Rye Whiskey in 2019 as part of a smaller release offered exclusively at its Baltimore distillery. The positive response to that first batch, which was aged in a Jamaican high ester rum barrel, led the distillery to offer this year’s version, now available nationwide.
For this year’s release, Sagamore Spirit’s distilling team took a blend of its barrel-aged 5- and 6-year-old straight rye whiskies, placing some of it in hand-selected barrels from South America, and the rest in barrels from Jamaica, aging both for an additional 10 months. Once aged, the whiskey from both barrels were then blended back together. The Jamaican rum barrels contribute notes of ripe banana and bright pineapple, which are then balanced by the rich vanilla and brûléed sugar character from the South American rum barrels. The result is a complex, yet approachable take on Sagamore Spirit’s award-winning rye whiskey at 98-proof.
“This product is another great example of our distilling team’s commitment to excellence,” said Brian Treacy, Sagamore Spirit’s co-founder and president of distillery operations, in a press release. “Rum and rye whiskey were both favorites in Maryland’s early days, dating back centuries. Our team brought them together again in a whole new way that brings out the best of sugarcane and rye grain, all in one bottle.”
Rum Cask Finish is part of the Sagamore Spirit Reserve Series, a collection of limited-edition Maryland-style rye whiskies that celebrate the legacy of Maryland distilling, with an unyielding focus on excellence from start to finish. Past releases include 8-Year-Old Rye Whiskey, Manhattan Finish and Tequila Finish.
Sagamore Spirit Rum Cask Finish is as versatile as its predecessors and can be savored neat, on the rocks, or mixed into a seasonal cocktail as warmer weather approaches. It is becoming available nationwide this month in 750ml bottles at a suggested retail price of $79. To find a bottle near you visit sagamorespirit.com/find-rye.
While Rum Cask Finish will only be available for a limited time, fans can enjoy Sagamore Spirit year-round with its Signature, Cask Strength, and Double Oak rye whiskies, the distillery’s core offerings that are leading the Maryland-style rye revival across the country.