American

Whiskey Review: Thomas H. Handy Rye 2017 Release

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Whiskey Review: Thomas H. Handy Rye 2017 Release

A 2017 bottling of the ever famous spice monster from Buffalo Trace, Thomas H. Handy. Named after a bar tending legend who introduced the idea of rye being involved with the Sazerac cocktail.

by Phil Dwyer
February 18, 2025

Phil Dwyer is a whisky enthusiast, YouTuber, and manager of The Whisky Shop Manchester, UK.

Tasting Notes:

About:

A 2017 bottling of the ever famous spice monster from Buffalo Trace, Thomas H. Handy. Named after a bar tending legend who introduced the idea of rye being involved with the Sazerac cocktail. Previously you would have had Anton Peychaud heading the helm with him own bitters and a Cognac driven approach to the cocktail. However, after numerous different issues occurring around the two of them, you know have the option of having your Sazerac served with Cognac, Rye or a split base of the two. This liquid is the same mash bill of what makes up the regular bottling of Sazerac Rye, they’re also roughly the same age. The key difference is this barrel selection will be slightly varied, and the ABV is obviously massive in comparison. This is what cask strength rye should taste like to me. It’s a nuclear assault on your senses of spices, power and divisiveness. However, this liquid can also have its softer, more delicate side to things, which just showcases how truly incredible rye can be as a grain for whisky manufacturing.

Appearance:

Sauternes

Nose:

Caramel, toffee and freshly sawn wood. There’s an interesting foliage, autumn floor aroma to this – if anything it adds to later part of the year flavours that rye can evoke. There are touches of nutmeg, Irish coffee, vanilla cream, red cherry sweets and just a touch of watermelon for something tropical.

Palate:

Instantly spicy and very ABV driven, but allows those tropical and fruit notes to be more present at the start. We’ve got the cherry and watermelon fighting for top spot to counter balance the intensity of spice.

Some classic grain notes of pencil shavings, sticky toffee pudding, dark chocolate, red chilli flakes, lemon oil, fresh black pepper, freshly baked bread.

Finish:

Fizzy and spicy with some mellow notes of caramel and some funky, Jamaican style rum notes that I wasn’t expecting. More bready/yeasty/brioche notes that seem to amplify the sweetness of toffee sauce and hot honey. A slight return to that forest floor/autumnal note that reminds me of nutmeg, cinnamon spice and freshly baked pastries that have a spicy element to them.

Comments:

As much as I love the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, I feel that the Thomas Handy releases tend to float under the radar, along with the Eagle Rare releases. However, it is such an amazingly driven, supercharged style of rye that just gives and gives in every way possible.

This is what cask strength rye should always taste like to me, obviously different distilleries produce different styles, but I just love how unforgiving and complex this bottle actually is versus a lot of regular bottles of American whisky that can sometimes just fade away when it comes to taste and depth.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer's passion for whisky is undeniable. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil manages The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curates an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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