This whiskey draws its historic character from a premium grain platform distilled in 1985 using ancestral copper distillation setups. Upon reaching its optimal 18-year wood maturity profile in the mid-2000s, the liquid was transferred directly into stainless steel tanks to permanently halt the interactive aging cycle. This process protected the liquid from becoming over-oaked or bitter over the subsequent decade. The final remaining stock was proofed down to 90 proof with limestone water, chill filtered, and bottled in the fall of 2015 under the global brand parameters managed by the Sazerac Company.

Every bottle handled by Midnight Whiskey is procured strictly through authorized, verified allocation channels and passes rigorous physical seal and label inspection points before being logged into inventory. Shipments are handled via specialized, glass-rated container packaging and absolute age-verification checks; an adult signature (21+) is strictly mandatory upon delivery. Review our complete protocols via our editorial and authentication standards.

Is the 2015 Sazerac 18 the last of the original tanked batch?

Yes. The 2015 Sazerac 18 was the absolute final release drawn from the original whiskey distilled in 1985 and later held in stainless-steel tanks to halt its aging curve. From the 2016 release onward, Sazerac 18 has come from **Buffalo Trace**'s own continuously barrel-aged rye inventories. The 2015 vintage is bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV).

Why was the old Sazerac 18 held in steel tanks?

The original 1985-distilled rye reached its perfect 18-year maturity threshold in the mid-2000s. To stop it from absorbing further oak bitterness or wood char over time, the remaining liquid was moved into stainless-steel tanks and bottled in small batches over the following years. The 2015 release officially emptied the last of that tanked stock, representing the oldest whiskey variant in the Sazerac portfolio matrix.