Thomas H. Handy Rye 2020
The young upstart of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection line, Thomas H. Handy (THH) is by far the youngest at around 6 years old, half the age of the next-youngest 2020 BTAC release. Being a rye, that might work in its favor - ryes tend to age quicker in the barrel than other whiskies. This is the polar opposite of the Sazerac 18 Year Old - young vs. old, high proof vs. low proof - and yet, same mashbill, so the base is the same. This is a case study in how the same distillate, aged differently (in different parts of the warehouse, among other things) can produce wildly different outcomes.
Thomas Handy Sazerac: Specs
Classification: Rye
Origin: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Rye Mashbill
Proof: 129º (64.5% ABV)
Age: 6 YO, Distilled in Spring 2014
Location: Warehouses K, M, N
Thomas H. Handy Rye Price: $99 (MSRP)
Thomas H. Handy Rye: Tasting Notes
Eye: True copper. No rims, droplets coat the glass.
Nose: Sweet rye, somewhat muted at first. Toasted and charred barrels, marshmallows toasted and burnt. Nose stays fairly muted with air. Smells a lot like Michter’s Toasted Barrel Strength Rye...
Palate: More powerful rye notes, but still not blow-your-face-off spice. The heat hits on the back palate and barges its way forward from there after detonating a cinnamon bomb near my throat. Dark maple candies and toasted marshmallows. Mouthfeel is coating, not overly hot (in fact it’s really a pleasant heat!). A bit of bitter oak comes in towards the end.
Finish: Keeps the toasted marshmallow going alongside the bitter tannic note.
Overall: Eerily similar in profile to the 2020 Michter’s Toasted Barrel Strength Rye (MTBSR). This has a touch more heat, but also a touch more tannin. I like this enough to get it at MSRP - if we’re talking secondary, get the MTBSR instead for ⅓ the price.
This probably surprised me the most out of all five - I knew a younger rye could be fantastic, and honestly while not fantastic this was very good. I think it represented “rye” as a category better than the Saz 18 did, and did more service to the BTAC mythos than the Saz or the Eagle Rare 17.
Final Rating: 6.8
10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)
9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)
8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)
7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)
6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)
5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)
4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)
3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)
2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)
1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)
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