Sagamore Spirit High Rye Bourbon Whiskey 6 Year Reserve Series 750ml

For nearly a decade, Sagamore Spirit built its identity on a single, singular commitment: putting Maryland back on the map as America's premier rye whiskey state. Maryland once held a third of the country's rye whiskey supply in 1939, before the state's entire distillery infrastructure was converted to ethanol production for the Second World War effort and never fully recovered. Kevin Plank — the founder of Under Armour, who established Sagamore Spirit in 2013 on a five-acre waterfront plot on Baltimore's peninsula — has been working to reverse that decline ever since, reviving the old Maryland rye tradition with a sourcing-to-distilling evolution that now produces 100% Maryland-made grain-to-glass whiskey from non-GMO grain.

So when Sagamore Spirit released a bourbon — with minimal fanfare, as a limited Reserve Series expression — it was genuinely surprising. Not because they couldn't make one, but because bourbon had never been their stated ambition. The High Rye Bourbon is the distillery's first ever, and it comes with an immediate and specifically Sagamore character baked into the mashbill: 25% rye, a proportion that puts this firmly in the high-rye bourbon category and that carries the Maryland rye house's most characteristic and most specifically recognizable spice and herbal character directly into a bourbon framework.

Breaking Bourbon called it "well-rounded and full of flavor" for a 6-year-old, noting that opening with heavy brown sugar notes, dryer notes of cinnamon stick, charred oak, and yellow cake help balance out the sweetness — syrup and brown sugar boost the sweetness in the palate, while black peppercorn and rye spice remind you of the quarter rye grain found in the bourbon's mashbill — ending on classic dry notes along with a dash of vanilla, the bourbon never comes across as too dry, instead providing a nice balance to the finish. Drinkhacker's Drew Beard found top notes of candy apple and freshly grated nutmeg that give way to a piquant midpalate of fresh oak, lemon zest, and freshly grated cinnamon stick — the sharpness and heft of the alcohol pushed just to the limit before dialing back on the finish, eroding in a warming wave of black pepper, marmalade on rye toast, and cinnamon sugar. His conclusion: "Sagamore has clearly figured out how to build an impressive and versatile rye whiskey, and if this inaugural effort is any indication, they have done the same with bourbon. Here's hoping this first effort is not their last." 

The limestone spring water from Sagamore Farm — the same 250-acre horse farm that has anchored every Sagamore Spirit expression since the beginning — proofs the bourbon down to its final strength, adding a touch of Maryland terroir to what is otherwise a bourbon made with the skill of a distillery that has been perfecting whiskey for a decade. Maryland meets Kentucky. The first one they've ever made. Limited, and worth finding.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Sagamore Spirit was founded in 2013 by Kevin Plank, executive chairman and founder of Under Armour, on the Baltimore Peninsula — a five-acre waterfront plot in the city of Baltimore, Maryland. The company's founding mission was explicit: to revive the lost tradition of Maryland rye whiskey, a style that had its roots in colonial America and that, before World War II, represented a full third of the American rye whiskey supply. The distillery opened physically in Baltimore in 2017 and has progressively shifted from sourced-and-blended whiskey to fully Maryland-distilled, grain-to-glass production, working with local farmers to grow and harvest grain — including 100% non-GMO corn from Sagamore Farm, the historic 250-acre horse farm located 22 miles outside of Baltimore, owned by Plank. In September 2023, Illva Saronno Holding S.p.A. — the Italian company known for Disaronno — purchased a majority stake in Sagamore Spirit.

The High Rye Bourbon represents the first bourbon whiskey in Sagamore Spirit's history — released as a limited expression under the Reserve Series line, available initially at the distillery and select Baltimore-area retailers. The mashbill is 60% corn, 25% rye, and 15% malted rye — a high-rye bourbon composition that deliberately bridges the distillery's Kentucky bourbon heritage nod and its Maryland rye tradition. Aged six years and bottled at cask strength — nearly 60% ABV — the bourbon is proofed with the same Sagamore Farm limestone spring water used across every expression in the Sagamore Spirit range. No added color.

Critics Reviews

Breaking Bourbon (extended review):
"Sagamore High Rye Bourbon will appeal to those who appreciate a sweet and spicy sip as it weaves this theme throughout from start to finish. Opening with heavy brown sugar notes, dryer notes of cinnamon stick, charred oak, and yellow cake help balance out the sweetness. Syrup and brown sugar boost the sweetness in the palate, while black peppercorn and rye spice remind you of the quarter rye grain found in the bourbon's mashbill. Ending on classic dry notes along with a dash of vanilla, the bourbon never comes across as too dry, instead providing a nice balance to the finish. Given that they're typically focused on rye whiskey, Sagamore Spirit came out swinging with their High Rye Bourbon Release. At just 6 years old, the whiskey is well-rounded and full of flavor. Its proof is never overwhelming, instead helping to pull out and enhance the flavors."

Drinkhacker (Drew Beard):
"At nearly 60% alcohol, the palate is big and well-spiced but still approachable with top notes of candy apple and freshly grated nutmeg that give way to a piquant midpalate of fresh oak, lemon zest, and freshly grated cinnamon stick. The sharpness and heft of the alcohol are pushed just to the limit before dialing back on the finish, eroding in a warming wave of black pepper, marmalade on rye toast, and cinnamon sugar. Sagamore has clearly figured out how to build an impressive and versatile rye whiskey, and if this inaugural effort is any indication, they have done the same with bourbon. Here's hoping this first effort is not their last."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Heavy brown sugar opens the nose with the most immediately welcoming and the most specifically sweet primary aromatic — the 60% corn's most directly bourbon-character contribution arriving first. Cinnamon stick follows, adding the most specifically rye-derived and the most characteristically Sagamore spice secondary note. Charred oak and yellow cake add warm, baked secondary depth. Candy apple and freshly grated nutmeg add bright, fresh aromatic lift. The overall impression is sweet and spiced in specific and genuinely pleasing balance from the first approach.

Palate
Big and well-spiced at cask strength but approachable — the most consistently and most specifically confirmed palate quality across both critical reviews. Candy apple and nutmeg carry through from the nose with freshness and clarity. A piquant midpalate of fresh oak, lemon zest, and freshly grated cinnamon stick builds genuine complexity. Syrup and brown sugar boost the sweetness further through the mid-palate, while black peppercorn and rye spice — the 25% rye mashbill's most directly identifiable palate contribution — provide the most specifically Sagamore-Maryland structural counterpoint to the Kentucky bourbon sweetness.

Finish
Warming wave of black pepper, marmalade on rye toast, and cinnamon sugar — the most specifically memorable and the most precisely Maryland-rye-tradition-referencing finishing character available. Classic dry notes and a dash of vanilla carry the close without tipping into overly dry territory. Well-balanced, long, and genuinely satisfying.

Quick Overview

Cocktail Suggestions

Neat — the only appropriate introduction to a cask-strength first bourbon from a rye-focused distillery making its inaugural statement in the category.

High Rye Manhattan
2 oz Sagamore High Rye Bourbon · 1 oz sweet vermouth · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · Luxardo cherry. The rye spice and brown sugar character makes this one of the most naturally Manhattan-compatible mashbills available.

High Rye Old Fashioned
2 oz Sagamore High Rye Bourbon · 1 tsp Demerara syrup · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · expressed orange peel. The rye spice and black pepper carry through the Old Fashioned format with specifically Maryland-meets-Kentucky character.