Sagamore has been on a bit of a tear lately. Although their Double Oak rye whiskey left me with lukewarm first impressions, everything non-finished so far has been right up my alley. Between the 8-Year Reserve Series release and Bottled in Bond (actually aged 7 years), the latter of which used their own distillate, I’m not exactly feeling a cold shoulder. But now we come to the whiskey that, upon first trying, actually got me interested in exploring Sagamore’s portfolio beyond the aforementioned Double Oak.

Following in the 8-Year’s footsteps, Sagamore 9-Year was released as part of the brand’s Reserve Series. It hit the market in 2024, but even in 2025, I saw it available to purchase each time I visited the distillery in Baltimore. I first tried this whiskey closer to its original release date when someone brought it to a bottle share (in Florida), where plenty of bourbons and ryes were enjoyed and appreciated. Let’s just say the Sagamore 9-Year left an incredibly strong impression on me, to the point that I soon looked into procuring a bottle for myself. With a little help from a friend, I got one more or less at cost and wasted no time popping the bottle.

Now it’s time to see how this whiskey fares after being open for several months. As with Sagamore’s other rye whiskeys, the 9-Year blends high-rye and low-rye mash bills (from Ross & Squibb) together. The whiskey was non-chill filtered and bottled at 56.3% ABV, which could be cask strength, but neither the bottle nor website confirms, so a bit of water was likely added. MSRP fell around $80 which, considering the statistics, already makes this an enticing value proposition.

Nose: Strong, oak-forward exterior showcasing dark chocolate, ground coffee, and hints of leather with a backbone of dried dates and prunes. Underneath is a comparatively mild presence of coriander, black pepper, citrus peel, and a touch of pesto.

Palate: Full, medium mouthfeel. Like the nose, this leans into the oak with cocoa, tobacco, and ground clove from the mid to back palates while black pepper, rye spice, and orange zest target the front. The coffee note from the nose presents as mocha here while the fruit comes across more fleeting and dried than before.

Finish: Progressively warming dark chocolate with a slight undercurrent of citrus. Also has a hint of BBQ sauce that gives way to a slightly fruitier profile, namely cranberries and pomegranate. Good, slightly warming spice begins to tread umami territory.

One reviewing rule of thumb I’ve often heard is to avoid relying on comparisons; you want to evaluate your subject on its own merits instead of relatively. It’s a good rule to follow, but not one that I’d call absolutely necessary. Comparisons can offer context and perspective, thereby offering a way for people to better understand what’s being reviewed. Although the logical transition from this would be talking about a super-premium whiskey, Sagamore 9-Year fortunately doesn’t fall into that camp. It also happens to be a whiskey that I’ve had an easier time analyzing in relation to other whiskeys.

For example, after several months, Sagamore 9-Year gives me a profile that’s strikingly similar to some double oaked rye whiskeys. Without spoiling my upcoming Sagamore reviews, the 9-Year might be the most oak-forward release I’ve tried from the Baltimore distillery—it’s definitely between this and the aforementioned Double Oak. There’s still a distinct rye grain presence, namely on the front palate, but everything else screams “aged rye lover” to me. Naturally, how much you’re likely to enjoy this particular release comes down to how you like your rye whiskeys to taste. I welcome a mature profile in a rye, but I also like the grain to shine through more than what’s presented here.

The oak-forward personality isn’t a dealbreaker—this is still a fantastic whiskey that handles aged notes better than many bourbons. A greater rye grain presence would’ve been nice, but there’s still enough to stand up to the dark chocolate and coffee-like notes. The whiskey never fully veers into tannic territory, which is impressive given the profile on display here. All told, despite not providing my ideal rye whiskey profile, Sagamore 9-Year shines bright by demonstrating how to pull of an older rye whiskey profile with finesse. And the best part? This was relatively available at an incredibly agreeable price point. It might not be one of my favorite Sagamore releases, but when the baseline is already well above many other producers, that’s hardly a knock.