Thomas H Handy Sazerac bottled 2010
Arrakis Whiskey . . . the spice
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Review by @Nock
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall95
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- Brand: Thomas H. Handy
- Type: American
- ABV: 63.45%
Sazerac Straight Rye Whisky 126.9 proof (2010 release) Bought in Myrtle Beach in the fall of 2012 . . . I don’t know why it was still on the shelf. And it was at the 2010 price of $59.90
Nose: Nose burning! This is wonderful stuff. The nose is so deep. It is an ocean of unctuousness. Thick rye with old burnt barrels. Where the Bulleit smells like something is burning this smells like the smoke, ash, and charcoal have seeped into every part of the rye ocean. Super intense nose fire . . . reduces to apples, sweet notes of fruit, sour lemon peel, wood, oak, maple syrup, pancakes, cinnamon, Christmas decorations. There is also a deep brown sugar sweetness. Not overly sweet like the baby Sazerac. This is from a sweetness that once was sweet ages ago . . . and now it is . . . mature. And this rye ocean is as deep as you want to go. This is what I want from America Whisky!!! Truly amazing. When I smell this I am on Arrakis with Sandworms . . . the spice must flow . . .
Taste: Not as big as you would think. Very dark sweetness (nothing bitter and very little sour). It is an undulating mass of rye, spice, and thick brown sugar that has been made into an aged simple syrup and then aged in oak for 12 years . . . now it turns salty and sharp. This is massive in the mouth.
Finish: Huge wave of rye, sea salt, spices . . . it catches your breath . . . I love it. Just a gigantic wave of rye crashes over you and destroys your senses. You are left with a very slow and low rye burn . . . it is so warm and comforting . . . Just immense and powerful. So many spices . . . I feel like I am in India . . . no back to Arrakis!
Complexity, Balance: Huge complexity. This is fantastic. I wish I would have bought the second bottle sitting on the shelf. I am a fool. The balance of the sweet and the darkness is amazing. I know this is around 6 years of age . . . but there is no way I believe it. This is the complexity I expect from 18 year or more! This is the George T. Stagg of Rye!
Aesthetic experience: This is where I get mad. I LOVE the hand written ABV and proof. I wish the bottle were different (why not use the Sazerac style bottle?). I wish they put the age on it. I wish they put the mash bill on it. I wish . . . I could buy it more often.
Conclusion: one of the great Ryes out there. It seems to be the least purchased of the Antique Collection. Another way of saying it: if you see one bottle of the Antique Collection on a shelf somewhere I bet it is a bottle of Handy. Why? This is fantastic stuff! Maybe it is the age (it is the youngest of the BTAC). Maybe it is the Rye (it is the opposite of a wheated bourbon). All I know is next time I’m buying two bottles!
Find where to buy Thomas H. Handy whisky
Americans still do not know and understand Rye Whiskey. Probably not one US whiskey drinker in 200 has ever consumed a drop of rye whiskey which was not in a cocktail. That is why the Thomas H Handy still sometimes sits on a shelf for months. Personally I think that those days are numbered now, because of the increasing numbers of whiskey buffs. If you see it, best to buy it.
Personally, I slightly prefer this 2010 release Thomas Handy, which you have reviewed, to the 2011 release, which Jim Murray named 2013 World Whisky of the Year. Why? This one is brighter. It just sparkles. I place a very high premium on "Brightness", and find brightness to be very rare in any genre of whisk(e)y. The 2011 release is also excellent, and I would describe it as slightly more complex than the 2010. But it is not bright like this 2010 is.