Brewbound:“Sagamore Spirit finished a blend of six-year-old and four-year-old straight rye whiskies in barrels that first aged Sagamore Spirit rye, and then Sierra Nevadas prized red ale. The result is a one of a kind rye, revealing rich cocoa on the nose, with notes of creamy caramel and hazelnut to taste.

Its a case of what goes around, comes around in the best of ways that gave rise to two limited releases. Last year, Sierra Nevada finished its red ale, made with Maryland-grown malted rye, in spent Sagamore Spirit barrels. The result was a complex, one-of-a-kind craft ale. Sierra Nevada then shipped those same barrels back to Sagamore Spirit. The Baltimore distillers filled the twice-used barrels with straight rye whiskey to finish for an additional 10 months. The collaboration initially came about when a discussion about trademarks turned into a barrel-aging brainstorm the fruits of which have now been fully realized