Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/948966
march 2018 / the tasting panel / 105 After introducing the rye whiskey to the market in May 2016, Sagamore Spirit followed up its debut with a Cask Strength Rye Whiskey bottled between 111–113 proof. The company's five-acre, three-building facility, which opened in April 2017, houses the world's only 40-foot mirrored finished copper continuous column still; crafted at Vendome Copper in Louisville, Kentucky, it's joined by a 250-gallon copper pot still used for R&D, limited releases, and new spirits. According to Sagamore Brand Director Rachel Fontana, the staff is still testing the waters when it comes to figuring out yields and output, but maintaining a philosophy of distilling to quality—never quantity—has been a firm objective from the outset. "Maryland rye was known the world over for quality and smoothness, and we honor that tradition every day at Sagamore Spirit," Fontana says. "We take pride in our fast-paced and dynamic team culture and work incredibly hard to produce a nuanced product that pre-Prohibition Maryland distillers would call their own." Sagamore currently produces a high rye and a low rye, which are barrel-aged separately for four years and blended for the two core expressions. It also recently released two spirits as part of its Sagamore Reserve Series, which the brand plans to expand: The Double Oak Rye Whiskey is aged for four years before finishing in a second oak barrel, while the Moscatel Barrel Finished Whiskey rests in Spanish casks that previously held floral-tinged Moscatel wine. The distillery, meanwhile, welcomes roughly 1,000 visitors each week for tours that end with a tasting of either three whiskies or a trio of rye cocktails. "It's great for people who might be just transitioning to whiskey drinking," Fontana says. "There's no wrong way to do it!" Sagamore Spirit products are becoming ubiquitous at Baltimore-area bars and restaurants, and Fontana couldn't be happier. "It's a thrill to see Sagamore Spirit Rye Whiskey on back bars of our local haunts," she says. "The reception has been fantastic, and Baltimore is filled with creative bar- tenders who use Sagamore Spirit to craft cocktails for all palates." Read on for three spots currently placing Sagamore on the front lines of their bar programs. PHOTO: TASHA DOOLEY SAGAMORE RECENTLY RELEASED A DOUBLE OAK RYE WHISKEY AND A MOSCATEL BARREL FINISHED WHISKEY AS PART OF ITS RESERVE SERIES.