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Classification: Blended Straight Rye Finished in Toasted Wave Stave Secondary Oak Barrels
Company: Sagamore Spirit
Distillery: Sagamore Spirit and sourced from Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP)
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 96.6
Age: 4-5 Years (Plus 18 months finishing in secondary barrels)
Mashbill: Undisclosed
Color: Dark Gold
SRP: $59 / 750mL (2026)
Butterscotch | Seasoned oak | Cherry | Chocolate
Cherry | Grilled peach | Burnt orange peel | Toasted grain | Hazelnut
Dry seasoned oak | Plum | Amaretto | Baking spices
This double-oaked blend of in-house distilled rye and sourced Indiana rye from Sagamore Spirits offers plenty of bourbon-like oak notes at the cost of its rye characteristics, yet not all is lost in the process.
Sagamore Spirit is a five-acre waterfront distillery located in the Baltimore Peninsula neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. The company was founded in 2013 by Kevin Plank, executive chairman of the sports brand Under Armour. In September 2023, Illva Saronno Holding S.p.A., an Italian company known for the Italian liquor, Disaronno, purchased a majority stake in Sagamore Spirit.
Sagamore Rye Double Oak is a blend of rye whiskey from their in-house distillery and Ross & Squibb Distillery that was aged for 4-5 years and then entered secondary toasted wave stave barrels for an additional 18 months.
The rye opens with a rich, delicious aroma, ripe with butterscotch, seasoned oak, cherry, and chocolate. It’s not overly complex, but the scents that are there do a lot of heavy lifting. The palate begins with fruit upfront, but less sweet than you’d expect. Cherry, grilled peach, and burnt orange peel ground the flavor profile as toasted grain and hazelnut move in. The finish further deepens the flavor with a good amount of dry seasoned oak out of the gate, followed by plum, amaretto, and baking spices.
Sagamore Spirit chose to use a blend of ryes to make this whiskey instead of going 100% in-house distilled, like they already do for many of their current products. This was likely a move to help create diversity and complexity in its sip, but thanks to the secondary oak barrel finishing, most of it gets lost. Rye characteristics, in particular, get lost as heavy flavors that are more common in bourbons command most of the attention. Double oaked fans will still find a lot to enjoy here despite leaning a bit to dry during the whiskey’s finish. Though Sagamore Rye Double Oak isn’t as dialed in as I would have liked, the sip, much like their Small Batch Rye, is an enjoyable pour, and I like the direction the company is currently headed with their rye offerings.
