Sazerac 18 Year 2021 Kentucky Rye

Sazerac Rye 18-Year-Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (2021 Antique Collection)

Price

$1,499.95

✔ 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 Old (2021 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 90 Proof

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

Proof

45%

ABV

750 mL

Format

18 Yrs

Oak Age

2003

Vintage

Kentucky

Region

Distilled in the spring of 2003 and aged on the second and fourth floors of Buffalo Trace's Warehouses K and P, the 2021 Sazerac 18 Year Old was bottled at 90 proof — the lowest strength in a four-bottle 2021 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection that went out without George T. Stagg. Buffalo Trace's note gives bright apples, herbs, anise and maple syrup on the palate and a finish of cocoa, coffee and dates.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

A four-bottle year: Buffalo Trace held back George T. Stagg in 2021 after its 15-year barrels failed the brand's taste standard, leaving Sazerac 18 beside William Larue Weller, Thomas H. Handy and Eagle Rare 17.

Two warehouses, two floors: Barrels from the second and fourth floors of Warehouses K and P, where the 2020 release came from the third floor of Warehouse K alone.

Spring-2003 distillate: One season on from the spring-2002 rye in the 2020 bottling.

Minnesota Rye Platform: Large-grain Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn as small grain, and North Dakota malted barley to finish.

90 proof, chill filtered: The only 2021 Antique Collection bottle under 100 proof; William Larue Weller (125.3) and Thomas H. Handy (129.5) went out uncut and unfiltered.

Nº 02

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Sazerac Heritage

Frankfort 2003 Vintage Era

Distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, the 2021 Sazerac 18 represents the spring 2003 distillation run. Aged for full eighteen years across Warehouses K and P, this release delivers extraordinary wood complexity and refined rye spice.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

2003 Distillation & Warehouses K & P Maturation

2003 Vintage Distillate

Minnesota Rye Mash

Distilled in spring 2003 from Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn, and North Dakota malted barley double distilled to 135 proof.

Warehouses K & P Floors 2 & 4

18Y Oak Maturation

Aged 18 full years on Floors 2 and 4 of Warehouses K and P, developing rich oak tannins and deep herbal spice profiles.

90 Proof Precision

Chill-Filtered Elegance

Precision proofed to 90 proof (45.0% ABV) with limestone spring water and chill filtered, prioritizing silkiness and refined mint-spice top notes.

Independent Stave Oak

Heavy Char Cooperage

Entered new 53-gallon white oak barrels (#4 char, 55-second char) at 125 proof in spring 2003.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery Tasting Notes

Sensory Profile

Nose: Marzipan, lemon zest, fresh grass, crème-brûlée sweetness, pear, and tobacco leaf.
Palate: Bright orchard apples and herbal accents, sweet anise, and rich maple syrup.
Finish: Rich cocoa powder, dark roasted coffee beans, and dried dates.

Strategic Position

In the 2021 set the plainest contrast is the 2021 Handy aged on floors five through seven. Compare it directly with the 2020 Sazerac 18 from Warehouse K's third floor and the 2022 Sazerac 18 from two distillation seasons in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

2003 Distillation Era Benchmark

The 2021 allocation represents a clean distillation progression to spring 2003, drawing across Warehouses K and P.

→

Rye Whiskey Vault Context

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

Collector IndexSAZ18 2021 RELEASE

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Series Position: 2021 BTAC Allocation (4-Bottle Set)
Category: Kentucky Straight Rye
Proof / ABV: 90 Proof (45.0% ABV)
Age Statement: 18 Years Old (Distilled Spring 2003)
Format: 750 mL

Explore the rye whiskey collection this Sazerac 18 Year 2021 belongs to.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
PRODUCER / DISTILLERY	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac Company)
COLLECTION	2021 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)
CATEGORY	Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
AGE STATEMENT	18 Years Old (Distilled Spring 2003, Bottled Fall 2021)
PROOF / ABV	90 Proof / 45.0% ABV
FILTRATION	Chill Filtered
MASH BILL	Minnesota Rye, Kentucky Corn, North Dakota Malted Barley
WAREHOUSE / FLOOR	Warehouses K & P (Floors 2 & 4)
REGION	Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT	750 mL
SKU	088004140045-21

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Buffalo Trace's 2021 release data match the process in its readable Sazerac 18 letters: a rye-led grain bill of Minnesota rye, Kentucky corn and North Dakota malted barley, distillation to 135 proof and barrel entry at 125 proof. The barrels for this release were filled in the spring of 2003 and rested on the second and fourth floors of Warehouses K and P; the whiskey was chill filtered and bottled at 90 proof.

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

When was the 2021 Sazerac 18 distilled?

Buffalo Trace filled the barrels for the 2021 Sazerac 18 Year Old in the spring of 2003 and aged them on the second and fourth floors of Warehouses K and P. The 2020 release had come from spring-2002 rye on the third floor of Warehouse K, so the 2021 moved one distillation season on and drew from two warehouses.

What does the 2021 Sazerac 18 taste like?

Buffalo Trace's note for the 2021 Sazerac 18 Year Old gives bright apples and herbs, anise and maple syrup on the palate and a finish of cocoa, coffee and dates.

What proof is the 2021 Sazerac 18?

The 2021 Sazerac 18 Year Old was bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV), the lowest strength in that year's four-bottle Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Eagle Rare 17 was bottled at 101 proof, William Larue Weller at 125.3 and Thomas H. Handy at 129.5, and George T. Stagg was not released in 2021.

Is the 2021 Sazerac 18 chill filtered?

Yes. Buffalo Trace's 2021 release data list chill filtration for the 2021 Sazerac 18 Year Old, while William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy, the two uncut whiskeys in that year's Antique Collection, were not filtered.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace Distillery · Sazerac 18 Year (2021 Release)

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Sazerac Rye

The Elemental Distinction

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Sazerac Heritage