Bourbon Reviews:
| Bottling Name | Thomas H. Handy 2006 | | Bottled By | Buffalo Trace Distillery Frankfort,KY | | Type | Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey | | Alcohol content | 132.7 Proof | | Availability | US: Available Japan: Unknown Duty Free: Unknown Europe: Unknown | | Age | 8 | | Views (since 20080612) | 12353 | | Bottling Info | [from BT press release 3OCT2006]
Thomas H. Handy - NEW
Welcome the newest edition to the Antique Collection - Thomas H. Handy. This whiskey is named after the New Orleans bartender who first used rye whiskey to make the Sazerac Cocktail. The barrels were aged eight years and five months on the eighth floor of Warehouse K with a proof of 132.7. This whiskey has been produced in response to consumer requests for a well-aged, barrel strength whiskey. It's full of rich flavors like candied fruit and allspice. |
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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1844, Created:20100613164551, Updated:20100613164835) View discussion on this review.
| Purchased at: | | | Nose: | (Cut to about 107 Proof) Peachy, just peachy, then a little vanilla, and a big dose of freshly peeled oranges, then some flowers, some brown sugar and some rye. Highly aromatic and interesting. Lemme at it, LeRoy!! | | Taste: | Thick spice and rich creamy juicy honey like sweetness. Cinnamon bite and juicy fruit gum shove the mouth around this way then that..........and the creamy plays on. The alcohol gins up the spice another notch........and the creamy plays on. Ginger jumps in to warm it up, warm it up..........and the creamy plays on. Tell yo momma, tell yo pa, I'm going back to Arkansas!! LeRoy's on the mouth harp now and I'm blowing the fool out of the kazu..........and the creamy still plays on! | | Finish: | ............and the creamy plays on! | | Overall: | We gone play a little bit of Terry Allen's 'Gone to Texas' (All I need is a ride) now for you, so listen up!
'I doon need no chicken shit business man telling me what to do........same thing goes for you!'
Have yo own self another sip of this Here Hot Handy whilst we let ole Terry do the talking, he funny! and some of his music is too good...........and some of it ain't too good. |
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Review from bunghole (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1609, Created:20090622134639) | Purchased at: | Gift from Mike of Georgia | | Purchased for: | Brotherhood. | | Nose: | Very tight, but a splash of water and ten minutes of breathing time opens it up nicely. Very fruity topnote of peaches. Spicey with nutmeg; cinnamon, and maybe a hint of cloves. All standing on a sturdy oak stage. There is some sweetness here, but it's indistinct. | | Taste: | Oh yeah, this is rye. Strong and punchy. Very tingly with spiced apple rings, and cinnamon topnotes. Some malty sweetness, but not much. | | Finish: | Long, warm and assertive. Cinnamon yet again. Drys as it fades into mint. | | Overall: | Exemplary. |
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Review from spun_cookie (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 1126, Created:20080611170016) | Purchased at: | barturtle's collect | | Info on this bottle: | unknown how long this has been open | | Nose: | Pine tree, lots of rye and spice... Then mellows... Alcohol is not bad, but this may have been open a while | | Taste: | Smooth.. Wow so very smooth with a growing heat... Full of perfect balance...spice, light pumpkin, all the good things in a rye | | Finish: | Slice, pine tree, vanilla malt, rye and heavy spice... Good long finish. Very nice across the board | | Overall: | I like this a lot more than the 07. Just damn good stuff. Glad I have a bottle |
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Review from abcgroup (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 918, Created:20071124143445) | Purchased at: | McScrooge's--Knoxville, TN | | Purchased for: | 58.99 | | Nose: | Pretty heavy alcohol on this. Given the proof, letting it open up doesn't do much to simmer down the alcohol smell. Mixed in with that though is a citrus scent that is floral and light. | | Taste: | Man oh man...this taste is fantastic. This smokes any rye I've had. It's sweetness is solid but not overbearing. Spicy and complex. It's like a good spiced leather if that makes sense? | | Finish: | Medium body finish...spicy on the tongue and lingers well. There's a definite fire in the hole in your chest on this one. The almost tannic feel of the rye stands out in the finish. | | Overall: | Overall, I can't top Mike's review. He hits the nail on the head. Simply put, this s a great fucking bottle of rye. It's worth every penny (under $70). This kills the regular Sazerac and is MUCH better than the Rittenhouse 21. |
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Review from Mike (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 905, Created:20071116120046, Updated:20071116132552) View discussion on this review.
| Purchased at: | Sigman Bottle Shop Conyers, GA | | Purchased for: | $99 | | Info on this bottle: | Caution! Flamable! | | Nose: | Intense ripe fruit, with figs playing the predominant part for me.....followed by peaches, apricots, and oranges. A few minutes pause, and out stroll cloves and nutmeg. A few more minuntes, and nuts and leather sally forth. The alcohol barely intrudes because it is held in check by the richness of the other aromas. A very memorable nose.
Cut about 20% to about 107 proof the nose loses some of it insistency and is less fruity and a bit more nutty and leathery. Still an aromatic delight. | | Taste: | Uncut: Rich, thick sweetness as a prelude - corn, vanilla, and oak also struggle to raise their hands in identification, barely succeeding. This is followed by a riotious outbreak of spice and pepper..........taken in small quantities it is delicious and drinkable......but go not near open flames. Incredibly thick mouthfeel and spicy sweetness quickly overtaken by an intense rye bite. Then comes the alcohol, yes, it will have its say after keeping quiet for a while. An impressive whiskey by any standard.
Cut: Adding 20% branch water takes nothing from the wonderfully viscous mouthfeel and the fruit has a chance to sort itself itself out from the intense sweetness of the uncut version. Citrus battles to the front, but peaches and figs are right there with it. The spice is not nearly as forceful and the cloves and nutmeg are ever so subtle as they declare themselves in attendence at this party.
I cannot decide whether 'tis better to sip, sip at full throttle, or tipple, tipple at 107 proof.........each method offers its own rewards. My gullet says leave the 132.7 proof to stronger, younger folks...........but what do they know? | | Finish: | Either way, uncut or cut, the finish is powerful and it is only your memory of the experience of drinking Handy that encourages another sip or tipple.......the finish leaves you breathless. | | Overall: | Exceptional whiskey that craves a drinker equal to its merits. I forcefully maintain that this is not 'whiskey snobbery' on my part, so don't even think the thought. It is a recognition that not everyone will appreciate Handy's powerful appeal. It has nothing to do with their worth as humans or their taste in general, but it is my opinon that only a very exceptional novice drinker could approach this whiskey and appreciate its fine qualities, experience is required.
For drinkers who want to 'grow' in their knowledge of whiskey, buy a bottle of Handy and keep it handy for a sip every six months or so. When you have tried different whiskies and your taste has matured, pat yourself on the back when you 'know' that Handy is great. If you are new to whiskey and 'know' that Handy is great, give yourself many pats on the back............you are an exceptional fellow or gal!
In this case, as in many others, were it not for one of my many whiskey mentors (Bourbon Joe), I would not have insisted that 'my' liquor store get a bottle of Handy for me and would not have sampled this marvelous stuff. So, I salute Bourbon Joe with a sip of the full bore 132.7 Handy and wish he were doing the same right here beside me. Bourbon Joe KNOWS whiskey!! |
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Review from Jon (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 887, Created:20071105054640, Updated:20071105054956) | Purchased at: | Thorobred Shop | | Purchased for: | 53.99 | | Proof Of this Bottle: | 134.8 | | Nose: | Powerful fruitiness( peaches, mangos ) with a mixture of vanilla, cotton candy, more sugar, and cloves with nutmeg and oak. JoeBourbon is right, it " is hard getting your nose out of it"! | | Taste: | An intense fruitiness comes hard and fast like a mixture of juicy fruit gum mixed with candy pez and peaches. Very unique!! I've never had a rye like this. It's from another planet, very different. The intense ( did I say intense) fruitiness mingles with the oak and clovey spices to create the perfect rye. | | Finish: | Perfect and very long but not cloying. Powerful with fruitiness as the main contender, so it's technically not balanced as far as spice-to-fruit goes. However, as balance is concerned with me, I believe PERFECTION has been reached. I wish my name was Thomas Handy. | | Overall: | I bought 3 bottles and they are all gone as far as Lexington, KY is concerned. Simply the best rye I've ever had PERIOD! |
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Review from bourbonv (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 871, Created:20071028103910) | Purchased at: | Liquor Barn on Hurstbourne Lane, Louisville | | Purchased for: | 61.00 | | Info on this bottle: | 2007 bottling | | Proof Of this Bottle: | 134.8 | | Nose: | Peaches and apricots with a little caramel and vanilla - a hint of grass and spices - cinnamon and nutmeg. | | Taste: | Lots of rye grass and cinnamon spice with some caramel and fruit - peaches. Nice mouth feel with very little burn but lots of heat. | | Finish: | Long and spicey with cinnamon and nutmeg spiced peaches. The oak tannins compliment the spices making for a slightly sweet and spicey finish. | | Overall: | This is a very good rye whiskey neat but better with an ice cube to dilute it and open up the flavors. |
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Review from JoeBourbon (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 700, Created:20070203131922) | Purchased at: | PALCB | | Purchased for: | 49.95 | | Nose: | Cinnamon is the colsest spice that comes to mind. Maybe a hint of cloves. It's hard getting you nose out of this glass. | | Taste: | Power, Power and more power. An incredible pour. A most complex array of tastes. Not overly alcoholic given the proof. I just wish I was able to discern all of the complexity within. | | Finish: | Not overly long, but superb. | | Overall: | This offering is one of my favorite rye whiskeys. In a recent blind tasting it beat the Willett's 23 y/o uncut and unfiltered rye and also LeNell's Red Hook rye. This may, for me, be the best rye whiskey out there right now. |
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Review from TNbourbon (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 625, Created:20061102204514) | Purchased at: | Middle Tennessee | | Purchased for: | $53.99 | | Nose: | a little closed at first -- some subtle clove present, but little else. Aha, the march of the Red Hots -- to the fore! Finally, some rotting-log earthiness (if you like the outdoors, that's not a knock, by the way). | | Taste: | At last, Christmas! Mom's sugared, candied lemon- and orange-peel candies. Sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon; or, maybe, eaten alongside a cinnamon-stick candy. Yeah, I can see this being the same as the Saz Jr. souped up to barrel strength. | | Finish: | A fresh, clean finish that seems short till you realize the last tingle just stays and stays. Cheers. | | Overall: | Jingle Bells. This is 'holiday' whiskey. A fair treat. |
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Review from shaggy (BourbonEnthusiast Review ID 620, Created:20061027080448) View discussion on this review.
| Purchased at: | Shopper's Village - Lexington, KY | | Purchased for: | 55.99 | | Info on this bottle: | Uncut, Unfiltered, Barrel Proof - Part of 2006 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection | | Proof Of this Bottle: | 132.7 | | Nose: | The nose is more aromatic and pungent with lots of charred oak. The high proof breaks through with a heavy alcohol aroma. | | Taste: | It is incredible. Such high proof, yet very smooth. I was worried that being unfiltered it would be harsh or have an ash flavor. It does have some heavy oak, but it is not overbearing. I taste a bit of burned raisins, fruits and hint of carmelized brown sugar. The mouth feel is very rich and slightly oily. I hit it with a splash of water the second time. The water opens up the all-spice flavor and makes the whiskey a bit easier to drink. | | Finish: | The rye comes through very strong and finishes sweet and complex. The waves keep coming long after the swallow. My entire tongue feels a little tingly and coated with the oils and the spicy sweetness lingers. With a splash of water the tingling finish is still there along with so many complexities it is hard to put a finger on. | | Overall: | This must be the best rye I have tasted so far. Being a huge fan of the Saz Jr and Rittenhouse this one takes the cake! I would take this over the Rittenhouse 21 in a minute. |
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