The reverence that whiskey fans give to certain barrels is a funny thing. Take the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, the annual series of bourbons and rye whiskeys that comes out every fall, which immediately skyrockets in value.
Yes, these are often fantastic—this year’s Sazerac 18 was a standout for me, a deep and complex rye whiskey that I could sip all day. But one could argue that the barrels in which the liquid are pretty much just like any other barrels, besides having been used to mature some really good whiskey.
Of course, the counterpoint would be that the quality of the whiskey aging in those barrels really affects the flavor of any spirit that is finished in them. One could also argue that it’s more about name recognition and branding, and the effect that has on consumers cannot be understated.
That’s why other spirits owned by Buffalo Trace parent company Sazerac are sometimes aged in these barrels. Corazon Tequila’s Expresiones del Corazón is a good example, a series of añejo tequilas that were aged in BTAC barrels, and the results are indisputably excellent.
Related: Buffalo Trace Just Dropped Its Most Anticipated Whiskeys of the Year
Other companies do this as well. El Tesoro has released tequilas aged in Knob Creek and Laphroaig barrels, for example, because all three brands are part of the Suntory Global Spirits family.
Add Myers’s Rum to this trend, a dark Jamaican rum that has been around for nearly 150 years. Sazerac acquired the brand in 2018, and this year it got a major upgrade in the form of two new collections: the Signature Legends Collection and the Signature Cask Collection.
The Signature Cask Collection consists of five rums that were aged in BTAC barrels, a process overseen by Sazerac master blender Drew Mayville.
“With these new collections, we’re crossing spirit categories to see how the flavors interact, challenging ourselves to think creatively to develop products that entice consumers to try something they may not have previously considered,” he said in a statement. “The results are truly exceptional.”
The first rum was finished in barrels used to mature 15-year-old George T. Stagg bourbon, a barrel-proof favorite of the BTAC. This rum, which was a favorite of mine, was bottled at a high 100 proof and has notes of molasses, leather, caramel, and espresso on the palate.
The second was finished in William Larue Weller barrels, a 12-year-old wheated bourbon, and bottled at 83 proof with notes of vanilla, stone fruit, and oak on the palate.
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The third was finished in Sazerac 18-Year-Old rye whiskey barrels and bottled at 86 proof. This was another favorite of mine, with notes of black pepper, cinnamon, and a bit of citrus on the palate.
Next up is a rum finished in six-year-old Thomas H. Handy barrels, a barrel-proof rye whiskey, bottled at 84.5 proof with notes of banana, spice, and vanilla.
Finally, there’s a rum finished in Eagle Rare 17 Year Old barrels, bottled at 86 proof with notes of chocolate, raisin, and vanilla on the palate.
The Signature Legends Collection kicks off with Legacy Blend #1, a rum created in collaboration with famed Foursquare Rum master blender Richard Seale. This 94 proof expression is a blend of rum from Jamaica and Barbados, where Foursquare is located. The palate is complex and balanced, with notes of banana, tropical fruit, caramel, dark fudge, molasses, and baking spices.
Legacy Blend #1 is available now for $50 per bottle, while the Signature Cask Collection is priced at $80 per bottle. All of these new rums are available now in limited numbers at liquor stores around the country.
Related: 7 Best Dark Rums of 2024 to Drink Neat or Mix in a Cocktail
