Whiskey Review: Sazerac Rye Full Proof

Note: This review of Sazerac Rye Full Proof reflects the personal opinions of Editor Kyle Swartz. This bottle was sent to him as a media sample.

Buffalo Trace Distillery recently introduced Sazerac Rye Whiskey Full Proof as a permanent addition to its growing Sazerac Rye portfolio. Bottled at 125 proof, this new release emerges from the distillery’s recent $1.2-billion expansion. The suggested retail price is $39.99 per 750-ml. bottle.

Nose

Milk chocolate, cherries, rich oak, rye spice, mint and notes of herbal tea. Nice fullness to the nose from the higher proof.

Palate

More of the same, with tons of chocolate, Maraschino cherries and rye spice/mint, with a hint of herbal tea. The higher proof really highlights all those wonderful, classic rye flavors. Drinks much smoother than you’d expect, and with the trademark Buffalo Trace texture, too.

Finish

The lovely texture on the mid-palate leads into darker chocolate and dryer cherries, and more of that herbal tea. Deep Kentucky hug and a robust finish that leaves plenty of dark sweet notes lingering.

Upshot

The back label on this bottle hypes up the historical Sazerac cocktail, but who wants to mix with this? Sazerac Full Proof is a lovely sipper, rich, sweet, and robust. It drinks wonderfully smooth for 125 proof. I’m well on my way to crushing this bottle. Killer release, a whole new dimension of Sazerac rye, this is a no-brainer anywhere near SRP, if you can find it.

Kyle Swartz is editor of Beverage Dynamics. Reach him at kswartz@epgacceleration.com. Read his recent piece, The State of U.S. Whiskey at Kentucky Bourbon Fest 2025.

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