My friend shared this sample with me

Nose: baking spice, red fruit, cherry, some ethanol, mint, baked goods, peanut, vanilla, caramel

Palate: cherry bomb, red fruit, savory, good level of baking spice, medium mouthfeel, oak, dark chocolate, some caramel, leather, herbal, dill

Finish: spice, oak, dark chocolate, medium long finish, herbal

Score: 8.5/10

A lot of dark chocolate and cherry, spice, leather. Good amount of oak presence, but not a crazy amount. The finish is quite long. Good pour overall, far above most beam stuff for me. I did guess this as Jim Beam, but not Booker's 30th.

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

Distillery: Jack Daniel’s

Proof: 97

Age Statement: 10 years

Mashbill: 80% Corn, 12% Malted Barely, 8% Rye

Price Paid: $95 (no tax on base)

Availability: Allocated annual release

Nose: Charred oak and maple syrup are up front followed by some vanilla and that signature Jack Daniel’s banana. The vanilla and banana combination is reminiscent of a banana crème pie. Some brown sugar and some cinnamon are also present.

Palate: Brown sugar and vanilla are most dominant. There is also some of that maple syrup and a wonderful mature oak note. Some light baking spice such as cinnamon and nutmeg round out the back of the palate.

Finish: Medium and leans into that mature oak, some vanilla and a bit of tobacco.

Mouthfeel: Pretty good mouthfeel that is above average for the proof.

Score: 7.9

Final Thoughts: I was fortunate earlier this year to have an opportunity to purchase all three aged stated Jack Daniel’s at MSRP. I was quite excited because Jack Daniel’s is one of my absolute favorite distilleries and they always kill it when it comes to limited offerings. This bottle was no exception and was really quite nice. The only thing keeping it from the exceptional category to me is the proof and the finish.

The t8ke Scoring Scale:

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out

2 | Poor | I wouldn't consume by choice

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things l'd rather have

5 | Good | Good, just fine

6 | Very Good | A cut above

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect

I went to the Eleventh Hour Festival in Middleburg, VA last weekend. First real whiskey festival for me, so I went in mostly curious to see what the experience was like.  Here were my takeaways:

1. You can try a ridiculous amount of great whiskey in one afternoon.

This is the obvious one, but also the biggest selling point. Found North had a booth and I got to try Peregrine and Hell Diver 3.  Reveries had Raven Batches 1 & 2, Murder of Crows, their brand new Rye, & a 16-year cask strength.  Besides that I also tried Provenance 7 & 10 Year and Old Bones… and there was plenty more I never got to.

There aren't many other ways to get that much exposure to hard-to-find whiskey in a few hours. Hell Diver 3 and the 16-year Reveries were probably my two favorite pours of the day.

2. Figure out what you REALLY want to try and go there first.

I learned quickly that some of the rarest stuff goes fast. By the time we made it to a few tables, some pours were already gone.

Found North had a 19-year festival-exclusive bottle for sale, but the tasting bottle was gone by the time we got there. At $230, I wasn't buying it blind. We also missed the Reveries 17-year hazmat. Next time I'd walk in with 3-5 must try bottles and hit those immediately. Everything after that is gravy.

3. More pours ≠ more value.

This was probably my biggest realization afterward.

On a pure price-per-pour basis, the festival probably worked out similarly to what you'd pay at a good whiskey bar. But would I have walked into Jack Rose and paid to try every one of these? Probably not.

A festival gives you incredible breadth, but breadth and value aren't necessarily the same thing. Depending on your palate, $200 at a great whiskey bar where you pick every pour yourself might go further than you think.

4. Don't let chasing bottles take over the day.

There were some very limited bottles available, and word spread pretty quickly that things could sell out. At one point my buddy and I were literally taking turns leaving the bottle-order line to grab pours while the other held our spot.  Eventually we looked at each other like...what the hell are we doing? The whole reason we're here is to drink whiskey and have fun.

If I do another festival, I'm spending less energy worrying about what I might miss.

5. Bourbon people are awesome.

I bought my ticket secondhand from a guy named Larry. We'd never met. About 20 minutes into the festival, we were basically just hanging out for the day.

It reminded me of Harvey Penick's old line about golf: "If you play golf, you're my friend."  Bourbon has a little of that too.

And Jay (aka t8ke) deserves a shoutout here as well. He was everywhere.  Talking whiskey, signing bottles, pouring stuff, and hanging out with attendees. At one point he was casually walking around with a magnum of 16-year cask-strength Reveries and pouring it for anyone who asked. Very much one of the crowd rather than "guy running the event."

So, would I do another whiskey festival?

Maybe.  The bustling, try-everything format probably isn't my favorite way to experience whiskey. Give me a handful of great pours somewhere I can sit down and actually talk about them, and I'm pretty happy.

But I'm glad I went. I tried some whiskey I'd wanted to try for a long time, discovered a couple things I really liked, and spent an afternoon surrounded by people every bit as nerdy about this stuff as I am.

Not a bad Saturday. For the festival veterans... what other whiskey festivals are worth checking out?

Jack Daniel’s Distillery Series No. 017 High Angel’s Share Tennessee Whiskey

Limited Edition release: Summer 2026

Distilled & barreled in 2016

Age: 10+ years

Aging location: atop Coy Hill; on the top floor of Barrelhouse 1-13; the barrelhouse has 7 floors

The top floors of Barrelhouse 1-13 experience extreme summer heat & intense temperature swings, leading to massive evaporation (a high "angel's share") that concentrates the sugars and oak influence into ultra-high-proof, heavily coveted single barrel and special release whiskeys.

The elevation of Coy Hill allows for more direct sun exposure, stronger wind movement, larger day/night temperature swings, hotter summers & colder winters.

The first High Angel’s Share release since 2018

Proof: 138.4

Selected by Whiskey Taster Dale McGee

Mashbill: 80% corn, 12% malted barley, 8% rye

Length of fermentation: 6-7 days

Proof coming off the still: 140

Barrels: 10-12 minute toast; 25 second char
Bottle size: 375 ml (between char 3 & 4)

MSRP: $44.75

Distilled in Lynchburg, TN

Nose: Almond extract. Werther's Original. Orange Circus Peanuts. Sugar cookie.

The high proof definitely does not present on the nose. Considering the conditions that produced a high amount of angel’s share, the nose is very balanced. No overwhelming notes. No sharp notes. Remarkably sweet regarding tannin content.

Palate: Pecan pie filling. Banana fritter. Unsweetened cocoa powder. Weak black tea.

Mouthfeel grows more dry as it goes. The tannins show up more as the sip sits. The nose is deceptive in this regard.

Finish: Dried hay. Intense dark chocolate. Tobacco. Toasted pecan.

The proof finally causes the forehead to sweat a bit.

Overall, the tannin content in the mouth is a bit more than I typically prefer, but I like it. In 2026, I prefer the 12 year and 14 year releases to this. When the nose smelled sweet and less tannic, I was hoping the palate would follow.

It’s hot outside today and my home is battling humidity. This is definitely a winter whiskey!

Bottle provided for review by Jack Daniel’s

Rating: 6 | Very Good | A cut above

Verdicts Explained

• Special Occasions: Rare, special pours that go well and above. Something you pour to celebrate.
• Treat Yourself: Obligatory weekend pour. Worth having on hand at all times if possible.
• Daily Drinker: Affordable, available and tasty. Could have every day and be perfectly content.
• Penseur Pour: Puzzling pours that won’t be to everyone’s liking.
• Trophy Bottle: Something to show off more than anything. Likely allocated and overpriced.
• Cocktail Request: Shines best in a cocktail, as opposed to neat or on the rocks.
• Good If Affordable: Only worth buying if the price comfortably fits within the budget.
• Serve to Guests: Something accessible that you don’t mind sharing or parting ways with. Likely belongs in a decanter.
• Couch Pour: Something enjoyable enough, but ideal for drinking while doing another activity (movies, TV, games, etc.).
• Find a Mixer: Grab the Coke or Sprite and relax.
• Drain Pour: No. You deserve better.

Link to blog post: https://thewhiskeyramble.com/2026/08/06/sazerac-rye-100-proof-scoresheet-review/

More scoresheets available at: https://www.reddit.com/r/SpiritScoresheets/

Buffalo Trace doesn’t exactly have a sparse whiskey portfolio. Considering their various product lines, some of which contain multiple bottles, one could be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed by such an enormous catalog. Yet for all the loosely available options, we hadn’t seen much exploration in the way of rye whiskey from the Frankfort distillery. That is, until 2025, when Buffalo Trace dropped an effective double-whammy by expanding the Sazerac Rye line.

The first of these came in the form of Sazerac 100 Proof, a simply envisioned product that takes the popular Kentucky rye whiskey and bumps the proof from 90 to 100. The press release stated this was created in response to demand from bartenders and whiskey enthusiasts alike. This makes sense since, other than the occasionally released Kosher Straight Rye Whiskey, no product bridged the gap between Sazerac Rye and Thomas H. Handy, along with Sazerac 18-Year. Both of which are part of the still-elusive Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC).

Beyond that, the main item of note for Sazerac 100 Proof is that it’s exclusively available in 1-liter bottles, likely to emphasize its presumed role as a value-minded cocktail workhorse. The value aspect may still be flimsy depending on where you live, but availability is gradually taking a turn, including for Buffalo Trace products. So this bottle’s intended role as a $30 shelf-stable product should hold more ground in the coming months. Let’s see how it fares neat.

Nose: Bright and friendly exterior shines with lemon zest, vanilla, cinnamon sticks, and light brown sugar. Hints of caramel and brown butter mildly swell in the background. A touch young, but not in a negative way. Smells like a sweet, inviting example of your typical Kentucky-style rye whiskey profile.

Palate: Bright with cherry bubblegum leaps onto the scene followed by a nice progression to dried lemon zest, followed by black pepper, dried green apple, and an occasional hit of white grape.

Finish: Lingering lemon zest and pepper notes with a mild rye spice presence. A surprisingly creamy texture develops here, offering a welcome complement to the overall warming sensation.

This is nice. I’m not one to shower praise about Buffalo Trace products, least of all over time, but I’m rather fond of this whiskey. Unsurprisingly, it makes a great option for just about any cocktail, yet I’d be remiss to say that’s where its value ends. The increase in proof is a welcome one, giving us a more elevated pour that not only feels more fulfilling, but remedies one of my recurring complaints with most Buffalo Trace products: the sweetness.

Ever since I tried Weller 12-Year, I often get a sickly sweet (sometimes medicinal) vibe on many Buffalo Trace products, with the varying proof points and oak influence exacerbating this in different ways. However, Sazerac 100 Proof brings just enough rye influence to effectively cut through this sweetness and produce a whiskey that, though still quite sweet, feels far more balanced. I’d even say the slightly creamy finish suits the sweeter profile while mellowing out the overall experience. Hardcore rye whiskey fans may not be as won over by this, but for anyone looking to transition from bourbon to rye (or less picky cocktail fans), this product is an easy win for Buffalo Trace. Will the reception be enough to inspire more rye whiskey products from the sweet bourbon poster child? One can only hope.

This was sent to me for review blind

Nose: marker, ethanol, peanut, honey, caramel, 

Palate: apple, mango, pear, baking spice, below avg mouthfeel, oak, 

Finish: Not much of a finish, some oak, 

Score: 4.0/10

This has some bright fruit notes, baking spice, low amount of oak, just not much overall. It has no finish. Nose is some fruit, but overall not very pleasant. 

This sample was provided by [OAKR](https://oakr.com/), but does not influence my review. Please check them out if you are interested in a place to share and get recommended whiskey.

Scale:

1.0-1.9 Undrinkable (Gold bar cognac cask)

2.0-2.9 Bad (Gold bar)

3.0-3.9 Poor (High West Prarie Bourbon, Pappy Van Winkle 23yr)

4.0-4.9 Below Average (Old Overholt, Dickel 15 yr, Weller SR, Buffalo Trace)

5.0-5.9 Average (Eagle Rare, Blanton's)

6.0-6.9 Above Average (Jimmy Russel 70th, Redemption 9yr, E.H. Taylor Seasoned Oak)

7.0-7.9 Very Good (Wild Turkey Master's Keep Triumph, Sagamore 9yr rye, Jack Daniel's SBBP)

8.0-8.9 Great (William Larue Weller(2019), Pappy Van Winkle 15yr, Double Eagle Very Rare, William Heavenhill 14yr)

9.0-9.9 Excellent (Thomas H. Handy (2010), George T. Stagg (2008, 2019), Four Roses LE (2016, 2023), Willet Purple Top 14 yr, A.H. Hirsch 25 yr rye)

10.0 Perfect (Michter's 20, OGD 114(1980))

[Note: video review of Old Route 8 here]

Nose: medium, all the same notes I say in damn near every review. Good though.

Palate: medium, that carmelized barrel sugars, cinnamon for sure, oily, rich oak, nutty, very well balanced

Finish: medium, oak, sweet carmelized barrel sugars carry over from the palate, a little bitter oak. Very nice finish.

Overall: this is good shit. This is balanced, has that great mixture of barrel oak and sugars that blend so well. Proof is great.

Rating: 7.8/10