Sazerac 18 Year Old Rye Whiskey 2012

Sazerac 18 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (2012 Antique Collection)

Price

$2,299.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 18 Years (2012 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 90 Proof

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

90.0

Proof

45.0%

ABV

750 mL

Format

18 Yrs

Age Statement

1985

Distillation

Kentucky

Region

The 2012 Sazerac 18 Year Old is Buffalo Trace's 90-proof Kentucky straight rye from that fall's Antique Collection, bottled from a stock of rye distilled in 1985 and held in stainless steel tanks after its years in barrels. Buffalo Trace described the 2012 release as intense spice with an underlying sweetness and a dry finish.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

90 proof (45% ABV) & 18 years old: Fixed 18-year age statement proofed to a refined 90 proof.

1985 Distillation Stock: Emptied from charred oak barrels into stainless steel tanks to arrest further wood aging while preserving delicate aromatics.

Warehouse K Maturation: Originally matured in Warehouse K before transfer into stainless steel holding vats.

Official Flavor Profile: Buffalo Trace's 2012 flavor line: intense spice, underlying sweetness, and a clean dry finish.

2012 Collection Anchor: One of two ryes in the 2012 set, and one of its two 90-proof fixed allocations.

Nº 02

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Tank-Preserved Rye Heritage

Frankfort Historic 1985 Rye Vintages

Distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, Sazerac 18 Year Old is the age-stated rye entry in the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Carrying the legendary Sazerac name from 19th-century New Orleans coffee house culture, this 2012 allocation represents an irreplaceable chapter in American rye history, drawn from stainless-steel preserved 1985 distillate.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

1985 Distillation & Stainless Steel Vats

1985 Rye Distillate

Straight Rye Mash Platform

Distilled in 1985 from Buffalo Trace's straight rye mash bill, featuring rye as the primary grain alongside corn and malted barley.

Warehouse K Aging

18-Year Oak Maturation

Aged 18 full years in new charred white oak barrels in Warehouse K before being transferred into protective tanks.

Stainless Vats

Arrested Maturation

Stored in stainless steel tanks to halt further oak tannin extraction, preserving delicate herbal mint and spice notes.

90.0 Proof Bottling

Chill Filtered Proofing

Proofed down to a refined 90 proof (45.0% ABV) before bottling for the fall 2012 Antique Collection.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery Tasting Notes

Sensory Profile

Nose: Intense spice aromatics with underlying dried fruit and sweet oak.
Palate: Intense spice with an underlying sweetness, as Buffalo Trace described the 2012 release.
Finish: Dry, clean, and elegant with lingering rye spice and dark molasses.

Strategic Position

Sazerac 18 is the aged, 90-proof rye among each fall's Antique Collection lineup. In 2012 its companion rye was the 132.4-proof Handy rye of 2012, while the Sazerac 18 and the Eagle Rare 17 were the set's two 90-proof whiskeys. Where the other three bottles that fall went out uncut, the Sazerac 18 carried its 18-year age statement at 90 proof.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

1985 Distillation Tank Era

The 2012 release comes from the long-running tank stock, following the Sazerac 18 of fall 2011 and preceding the 2013 bottling that followed, lasting until the 2015 release that emptied the tanks.

→

Straight Rye Vault Context

Catalogued within the primary Whiskey Collection and The Vault at Midnight Whiskey.

Collector IndexSAZERAC 18 2012

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Series Position: 2012 BTAC Allocation
Category: Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
Proof / ABV: 90.0 Proof (45.0% ABV)
Age Statement: 18 Years (Distilled 1985)
Format: 750 mL

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
PRODUCER / DISTILLERY	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac Company)
COLLECTION	2012 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)
CATEGORY	Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (Age-Stated)
AGE AT BOTTLING	18 Years (Distilled 1985; Tanked; Bottled Fall 2012)
PROOF / ABV	90.0 Proof / 45.0% ABV
GRAIN RECIPE	Kentucky Rye (51%+), Corn, Distiller's Malted Barley
WAREHOUSE / STORAGE	Warehouse K & Stainless Steel Holding Vats
REGION	Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT	750 mL
SKU	088004000035-SZ12

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

The rye in this bottle belongs to a stock distilled in 1985 that aged in barrels and was then emptied into stainless steel tanks, where it could no longer take on oak. Through that era, each fall's Sazerac 18 was drawn from the tanks and bottled at 90 proof. Buffalo Trace's 2012 announcement adds that this release aged in Warehouse K and describes it as intense spice with an underlying sweetness and a dry finish.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 2012 Sazerac 18 made from?

The 2012 Sazerac 18 is Kentucky straight rye whiskey from Buffalo Trace Distillery, drawn from a stock of rye distilled in 1985 and later moved from barrels into stainless steel tanks. Under US rules a straight rye is made from a mash of at least 51% rye and aged at least two years in new charred oak containers.

What proof is the 2012 Sazerac 18?

The 2012 Sazerac 18 Year Old was bottled at 90 proof, or 45% ABV. In the same 2012 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, the Thomas H. Handy rye was bottled uncut at 132.4 proof.

What does Buffalo Trace say the 2012 Sazerac 18 tastes like?

Buffalo Trace described the 2012 Sazerac 18 Year Old as having intense spice, an underlying sweetness and a dry finish.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace Distillery · Sazerac 18 Year Old (2012 Release)

Curated For You

Michter's US★1 Barrel Strength Sour Mash Whiskey 112.6 (2026 Limited Release) Michter's Distillery

$169.95

The Macallan TIME : SPACE Sherry Cask 20 Years Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2026 Release) The Macallan

$1,699.95

The Macallan TIME : SPACE Mastery 200 Year Anniversary Edition Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky — 2024 Bicentenary Release The Macallan

$1,599.95

3 in stock

The Yamazaki Smoky Batch The Third Single Malt Japanese Whisky Suntory

$449.95

1 in stock

Sazerac 18 Year Old

The Elemental Distinction

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Tank-Preserved Rye Heritage