Westland Peated, Sagamore Spirit, and Sagamore Straight Rye – A Great Drams Review
When reviewing whisky/whiskey here at Great Drams, I’d be the first to admit that American whiskey doesn’t always get the attention it deserves, and often plays second fiddle to single malt Scotch. When I do talk about whiskey from across the pond, it’s often Bourbon I focus upon, rather than other American expressions (not that there’s anything wrong with that, you know I love a Bourbon).
As you’ve probably guessed, it’s American whiskey we’re looking at today, but something a little different that isn’t Bourbon. Today I’ll be reviewing three whiskies, two from Sagamore, and one from Westland.
As you’re no doubt eager to get to the good stuff, let’s get started. Here is the Great Drams review of Westland Peated, Sagamore Spirit, and Sagamore Straight Rye whiskey.
Westland Peated Single Malt American Whiskey
Think of the grains that go into producing an American whiskey, and typically it’s corn and rye that spring to mind at first. Single-malt whiskey is typically associated with Scotland, yet Seattle’s Westland Distillery might have something to say about that.
Westland is a fairly new distillery in the US, having been established in 2011. Since then, they’ve picked up numerous rewards and accolades over the years, and have produced some truly divine whiskies, just like the one I’m reviewing today.
Westland Peated whiskey is made with a combination of unpeated whiskey, and heavily peated whiskey to provide a smoky, peaty whiskey like you might expect from Islay, rather than Stateside. Indeed, a peated American whiskey is a rarity, so I was eager to try this dram.
The whiskey is aged in American oak and is bottled at a toasty 46% ABV. It has a gorgeous copper toffee colour yet is paler in colour to a lot of the expressions you find from Westland.
On the nose, strong citrus notes from the offset. Orange, lemon zest, and limeade really shone through here. It wasn’t long until the peaty aromas began to permeate, however. You can definitely get the smoke scent. It reminded me of toasted, almost burnt marshmallows or burnt sugar.
On the palate, the peat doesn’t wait to announce itself. There’s a definite smoky taste to each mouthful, almost like smoked BBQ meats. Strong tastes of peanut brittle, toffee apples, and peppermint are also present here.
The finish is shorter than anticipated. There’s a distinctly fruity flavour here, along with pink peppercorns and a hint of campfire smoke.
Hooray, it’s finally time for another rye whiskey. I know rye doesn’t get as much love as it should over here, but the tide is slowly turning thanks to drams like this.
The Sagamore Distillery is located in Maryland, which once had its very own signature way of producing rye whiskey, that almost died out for good. This style of making rye produced a much sweeter dram than a regular rye whiskey, which is much heavier on the spicy, peppery, aromatic notes.
Thankfully, Sagamore stepped in and helped to revitalise this classic way of producing rye, which personally, I absolutely adore. Not only that, but they work in partnership with local communities, including farmers, to utilise locally grown grains in their whiskey.
Sagamore Spirit combines two different types of rye whiskey, diluted down with water from the Sagamore Farm, which was filtered with limestone. This produces a unique flavour with sweet undertones accompanying that signature Sagamore rye whiskey flavour. At 41.1% ABV it’s an easy sipper, especially on a warm summer’s evening.
On the nose, you get sweet and creamy aromas, like a freshly cooked bowl of rice pudding with cinnamon and golden syrup. There’s also a touch of honey oatmeal, vanilla, and lightly toasted oak. Those with a keen sense of smell should definitely be able to pick up the spicy, peppery scents we associate with a fine rye.
On the palate you should get strong flavours of candied orange, juicy dates, and figs drizzled with honey all shining through. These are closely followed by vanilla ice cream, chocolate hazelnut praline, nutmeg, and cinnamon.
The finish is medium in length and heavy on the vanilla ice cream notes. There’s also chocolate honeycomb, bonfire toffee, and charred oak.
Finally, for the rye drinkers amongst you who enjoy a dram more closely resembling the spicy, peppery, aromatic notes you get with a traditional rye recipe, Sagamore Straight Rye is the drop for you.
This is their first 100% Maryland produced whiskey, and it’s an absolute belter. Made from a blend of two straight whiskey’s, it’s triple-distilled for extra smoothness and is rich, full-bodied, and complex in equal measure. No wonder it’s won several awards over the years.
On the nose you should pick up strong aromas of winter baking spices, along with chocolate honeycomb, and rich orchard fruits.
On the palate that first sip should yield a strong taste of ripe summer berries, accompanied by butterscotch toffee sauce, and pineapples caramelised in muscovado sugar. These are quickly followed by dark chilli chocolate and a peppery spiciness.
The finish is medium in length, and provides plenty of fruity notes, freshly baked gingerbread cookies, and lightly toasted oak. It’s spicy, but not overpowering.
If you’d like to learn more about your favourite whiskies, just like the ones listed above, or simply treat yourself to a dram or two, head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at what we have to offer.
With an impressive selection of limited-edition, rare, and award-winning whisky, as well as heaps of whisky info on our blog, it’s the perfect spot for any whisky lovers out there.
Greg
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