Sagamore Spirit Manhattan Finish Rye Whiskey Review

It would be overly simply to say that I am generally opposed to gimmicks, in the world of American craft spirits. Elements of novelty, after all, are what help the products from smaller distillers stand out in a sea of other offerings, particularly when those companies can’t really compete against the economies of scale possessed by the major players in the industry. Rather, what is hard for me to accept are gimmicked products in which the novel process or technique ultimately has little bearing on how it all tastes at the end of the day, or goes too far in the opposite direction, obliterating any form of nuance in the finished product. A novel flavor concept needs both a steady hand, and enough attention to detail to feel like a worthwhile experiment. And thankfully, that’s the camp in which we find Sagamore Spirit’s new Manhattan Finish Rye Whiskey.

This is actually the second iteration of this particular release, as the Maryland-based Sagamore Spirit produced a first expression of Manhattan Finish Rye Whiskey in very limited quantities back in 2020. Now it arrives again as a greatly expanded release that is part of the distillery’s Reserve Series, coming to store shelves nationwide his spring. It carries a somewhat lofty MSRP of $80, though at least it can claim a genuinely novel process by which this particular bottle came to be.

To make Manhattan Finish Rye Whiskey, Sagamore Spirit split portions of their 4-year-old straight rye whiskey into three separate finishing casks: Vermouth, bitters and cherry brandy barrels, spending an additional 20 months in these confines. The company then blended those expressions together, seeking a ratio that would best call to mind the delicate interplay between rye, vermouth, fruit and aromatic bitters in a classic Manhattan cocktail. As they put it, the result “is a full-bodied whiskey rich in spice, herbaceous notes, bright cherry, vanilla, honey, and a touch of dryness at the finish that keeps the full-bodied character of Sagamore Spirit’s Maryland rye wholly intact.” It’s bottled at a robust 51.5% ABV (103 proof).

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So with that said, let’s get to tasting this, and see how radically the rye whiskey recipe has been transformed.

On the nose, this immediately stands out as something far off the beaten path. It’s actually quite floral and herbal up front, with both the more delicate character of the rye and the herbal side of the vermouth coming to the forefront. Underneath that, I’m getting maraschino cherries and dried herbs, along with a twist of orange citrus, rye spice, cocoa and modest tobacco savoriness. It’s a pleasant bouquet, not suggesting overwhelming sweetness up front, though there is some sturdy ethanol heat.

On the palate, things turn toward the sweeter side–toasted sugar is big here, suggesting panela sugar with cherry preserves and orange citrus. I’m getting hazelnut cocoa spread and toasted oak, with each flavor making dramatic entrances one at a time–the orange will shove its way through for a moment, and then the peppery rye, the brown sugar, and the drier herbal notes or sour cherry. The lingering spice and substantial alcohol heat evoke hot cinnamon candies. It’s a rather bombastic profile, and just a tad on the hot side overall–I don’t consume a lot of whiskey on ice, but it does seem like it would be a particularly natural and logical move here given the cocktail inspiration. I don’t think it would hurt to tamp down the ethanol heat just a tad to let these flavors shine, given the aggressive feeling of it in the throat and chest.

Still, overall I admire the approach that Sagamore has taken to capturing the essence of the Manhattan–it seems like the kind of attention to detail that a top-flight bartender would put into the project if you tasked them with it. It’s a fun little novelty, one to keep in mind if you have a cocktail lover in your life.

Distillery: Sagamore Spirit
City: Baltimore, MD
Style: Blend of straight rye whiskeys
ABV: 51.5% (103 proof)
Availability: Limited, 750 ml bottles, $80 MSRP

Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident beer and liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.