Sazerac Rye 6yrs

Sazerac Rye 6 Year is a straight rye whiskey, and the category tells you most of what to expect. Rye grain usually gives a drier, spicier profile than bourbon: black pepper, baking spice, a touch of mint or dill, and a firm, crisp edge in place of corn-driven sweetness. Six years in oak should add vanilla, caramel and toasted wood to that backbone. Styles like this tend to finish dry and peppery, with enough sweetness from the barrel to keep the spice in balance. Exact proof and mash bill aren't listed in the details here, so check the label for those. Try it neat first, in a Glencairn or similar tulip-shaped glass. The narrow rim concentrates the rye spice and oak on the nose, so you can pick out what's there before you taste. After a few sips, add a few drops of water. A small amount often loosens the grain notes and softens the alcohol's bite without flattening the flavor. For slower sipping, a rocks glass with one large cube works well. Large ice melts slowly, so the whiskey chills and opens up without turning watery quickly. Rye's peppery character holds up to cold better than many softer, sweeter whiskeys. Cocktails are where rye like this is most at home. The Old Fashioned is the obvious choice: a sugar cube or a bar spoon of simple syrup, two or three dashes of Angostura, a strip of orange peel, and about two ounces of rye. The grain spice cuts through the sugar and gives the drink more structure than a bourbon version would. In a Manhattan, use two ounces of rye, one ounce of sweet vermouth and a couple of dashes of bitters, stirred over ice and strained into a chilled coupe. The rye's dryness balances the vermouth's sweetness. Sazerac's home city, New Orleans, also gives its name to the Sazerac cocktail, and rye is the traditional base there. It's built with an absinthe-rinsed glass, a sugar cube, Peychaud's bitters and a lemon twist. A rye Whiskey Sour, with lemon juice, simple syrup and an optional egg white, comes out firmer and less sweet than the bourbon version. For a Highball, pour one part rye over ice with three parts soda water and finish with a lemon peel. The spice stays crisp and the drink is light.