Sagamore Spirit Barrel 18 – 9 Year Old High Rye Selection (110 Proof)

Last Updated on February 12, 2025 by 5e2793

PUBLISH DATE: February 12, 2025

The Bourbon Club of Arkansas has revealed another mature rye whiskey selection, announcing Barrel 18, a 9-year-old Sagamore Spirit Rye bottled at 110 proof. This barrel represents a carefully balanced marriage of Sagamore’s signature high-rye and low-rye mash bills, showcasing the evolution of Maryland-style rye as it approaches a full decade of aging.

With distinct fill dates for each component and nearly ten years in the barrel, this release highlights how patience, blending philosophy, and barrel management come together to produce a rye that is both expressive and refined.

Barrel 18 – Technical Details

• Distillery: Sagamore Spirit
• Age: 9 Years
• Proof: 110
• Mash Bill Composition:
  • 80% High Rye – Fill Date: 08/13/2015
  • 20% Low Rye – Fill Date: 07/01/2015

This blend allows the bold spice of Sagamore’s high-rye recipe to dominate, while the low-rye component adds balance, sweetness, and depth to the final profile.

Tasting Reviews (Quoted)

Cameron Mullins

June 16 2025 – Source: Facebook

“These are my notes, would love to hear others notes. Love to see just how wrong I am. Later this week want to blind it against Michter BSR and normal Sag Cask Str.”

Nose:
“Right off the bat, you get that classic rye spice. It’s mixed with some dried orange peel and a whole bunch of baking spices – think nutmeg, allspice, and a little kick of ginger.”

Palate:
“The first sip hits you with a wave of rich butterscotch. It feels a bit drying in the mouth, and that sweetness doesn’t stick around long. It quickly flips to a dry, spicy character that totally reminds me of an unsweetened rye gingersnap cookie.”

Finish:
“This thing has legs. The finish is impressively long, lasting a solid 35 seconds. That drying, astringent feeling hangs on for a while, and as the butterscotch disappears, you’re left with that same spicy gingersnap flavor from the palate.”

Tyler Shinabery

July 24, 2025 – Source: Facebook

“Age: 9yrs Proof: 110”

Nose:
“Orange peel, vanilla and cherry explode off the nose. Cinnamon or allspice. A baked yeast bread note: a cinnamon roll fresh from the oven soaked in vanilla frosting. Green apple. Red hot cinnamon candy morphing. Fantastic.”

Palate:
“Vanilla. Brown sugar. Green apple. Green apple and oak and cinnamon carry through the mid palate onto the finish.”

Finish:
“Medium to long. Nice mouthfeel. Cherry and a rye spice. Oak and black pepper tingle through the finish.”

Overall:
“This rye takes you on a ride. Sweet and fruity on the nose with a ton of baking spice. The palate explodes with cinnamon and green apple for me and it rounds off into a peppery and balanced finish that I love in a rye.”

“I probably have a half dozen Sagamore expressions in the cabinet. None of which are over 5–6 yrs. I love watching our now ‘legacy craft’ distillers mature. Very well done gents!”

About Sagamore Spirit

Founded in Baltimore, Maryland, Sagamore Spirit has become a leading name in modern American rye whiskey by reviving the state’s historic rye tradition. Known for its two-recipe blending approach, Sagamore combines a bold high-rye mash bill with a smoother low-rye mash bill, creating layered and approachable rye expressions.

As Sagamore’s stocks continue to age beyond the 5–6 year range, releases like Barrel 18 demonstrate how extended maturation enhances structure, spice integration, and finish—solidifying Sagamore’s place among America’s premier rye producers.

Why Barrel 18 Matters

This 9-year rye represents a milestone not just for Sagamore Spirit, but for rye whiskey enthusiasts watching the next generation of distilleries mature into long-aged territory. With pronounced baking spice, evolving fruit notes, and a lingering finish, Barrel 18 stands as a showcase of what patience and thoughtful blending can achieve.