Many distilleries begin their operations by purchasing whiskey rather than producing it themselves, a longstanding tradition in the American whiskey industry. Consumer concerns have often centered around transparency, as people generally prefer to know the origins of their food and beverages. Baltimore’s Sagamore Spirit has always been transparent about sourcing their whiskey. Their latest release, however, is a noteworthy rye whiskey completely distilled in-house.

Sagamore Spirit was established in 2013 by Under Armour’s former CEO and founder, Kevin Plank, along with business partners. The distillery, distilling whiskey on site since 2017, focuses on rye whiskey and occasionally produces unique items like a rye-based amaro. Initially, they also engaged in contract distilling with MGP, a well-known Indiana distillery that produces whiskey for other brands such as Bulleit Rye and Brother’s Bond. Sagamore Spirit combines high and low-rye whiskeys in their main product—a barley-legal rye with 52 percent grain in the mashbill, and the famous 95 percent rye/5 percent malted barley from MGP, aged about four to six years. The new Small Batch Rye Whiskey, distilled entirely in Baltimore, is a blend of these mashbills, aged similarly, and it has turned out quite well.

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This isn’t the first time that Sagamore Spirit has had an in-house produced rye, however. The distillery already released a few bottled-in-bond ryes in select markets that were made onsite, but the new Small Batch Rye is the first one that will be available globally. The main differences are that this whiskey is a blend of ages (four to six years) bottled at 93 proof, as opposed to whiskey from one distilling season bottled at 100 proof as is required by the Bottled in Bond Act. While the term “small batch” has no legal definition, according to the brand this release is blended in 20-barrel batches, and it is triple distilled and non-chill filtered. Most importantly, this rye is very tasty.

I really like that Sagamore uses a blend of two mashbills for this, because sometimes a high-rye whiskey can be a bit too fruity and spicy, and other times the Kentucky-style “barely legal” rye doesn’t pack enough punch. This is a happy medium, with a nose that leads off with rich caramel and black pepper notes. The palate delivers follows through on this potential, with flavors at the forefront like dried apricot, red apple, blackberry, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and a hint of menthol on the finish. Rye lovers will enjoy this new whiskey, but I think those who prefer bourbon will too.

Not all distilleries that initially source their whiskey opt to switch to in-house production, and for those that do, continuing to source certain products can help maintain consistency. A representative from Sagamore stated that while the brand plans to eventually produce all of its whiskey in-house, this transition will take several years to complete. However, the latest release follows years of Bottled-in-Bond expressions, establishing Sagamore Spirit as not only legitimate but also as a significant contender among America’s new rye whiskey distilleries.

100 So good, it’s nearly worth trading your first born for

95 – 99 In the Pantheon: A coveted trophy for the cabinet

90 – 94 Great: Guaranteed nods of approval from friends when you serve this dram

85 – 89 Very Good: Delicious enough to buy, but not quite special enough to chase on the secondary market

80 – 84 Good: More of your everyday drinker, solid and reliable

Below 80 It’s alright: Honestly, we probably won’t waste your time and ours with this

Every week Jonah Flicker tastes the most buzzworthy and interesting whiskeys in the world. Check back each Friday for his latest review.

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