Distiller: Buffalo Trace for the Sazerac Co. 45% ABV. NAS. Mashbill: about 51% rye, with 39% corn and 10% barley.

For under $40, Sazerac Rye — a/k/a “Baby Saz” (by contrast with the 18-year release) — is my flat-out favorite in the category.

It’s like the Blanton’s of rye: you can find bolder, bigger, wilder, and older, but this is one I’m always happy to come back to. Low rye in the mashbill, interestingly, contributes to the balance.

Or the William Faulkner of rye: full of sweet damp wood, rich Southern soil, surprising spice, and an assertiveness that runs right up to the edge of self-importance, then settles in genuine depth.

Similes aside — nose: fresh cedar, coriander, rye grain, toasted tobacco. Faintly sweet. Taste: follows the nose, with perfect balance, dry spice, corn sweetness, and a medium finish.

You can use it in a knockout Sazerac cocktail or Old Fashioned, but it’s always a sipper for me. Cheers, friends! -BO