Thomas H. Handy Rye Whiskey (2023, 124.9 proof) Quick Review

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My reviews tend to be long-winded and detailed. I know that many readers don’t have the time or patience to read them all. This is why I have decided to create a “Quick Review” format. I’m not going to cover backstories, distilling methods or anything like that if I know I’ve covered it in a previous review of a similar bottle. You’ll find that a lot of these quick reviews will be based on single barrel picks because their backstory is usually the same with the exception of the group that picked them.

Introduction

Thomas H. Handy is part of Buffalo Trace’s annual Antique Collection – a group of five whiskies that are meant to showcase the best of what Buffalo Trace can produce. The collection initially launched in 2000 with just three offerings – William Larue Weller, Eagle Rare 17yr and Sazerac 18. George T. Stagg was added in 2002 and Thomas H. Handy was introduced in 2006.

That first bottling of THH (the abbreviation enthusiasts use) was slightly older than 8 years old. After the first two releases, the average age its been bottled at has been around 6 years old. In addition to the age, THH has always been bottled at barrel proof. The barrels have typically been pulled from near the middle floors of their warehouses which has allowed the proof to remain relatively constant over the years – with the highest proofed batch being 134.8 proof (2007) and the lowest proofed batch being the bottle I’m reviewing today (124.9 proof). That’s much less proof variation than WLW or GTS have had over the years.

Not much is known about the recipe that it uses, but THH does contain some corn in it like most Kentucky rye whiskies. Some sources put the mash bill at 51% rye, 39% corn and 10% malted barley.

If I can take a moment of your time to expand on the rye whiskey recipe(s) that Buffalo Trace makes, I’ll admit that I was under the impression that THH, Sazerac Rye (Baby Saz), Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye (VWFRR) and Sazerac 18 all use the same mash bill. But there is one annoying detail that prevents my theory from seeming correct…

Julian Van Winkle III joined the Buffalo Trace family in 2002 and it took the distillery until 2005 to begin laying down barrels of rye whiskey for his VWFRR label. It wouldn’t be ready until 2018 (to maintain his 13 year age statement on the front of the bottle) so in the meantime he used up his old stocks of Medley Rye Whiskey. However, Buffalo Trace had already been laying down barrels of rye whiskey as early as 1998 that would see use in the first THH bottling in 2006. If Julian Van Winkle would have used those barrels, he could have started to bottle his own as early as 2011. As it stands, VWFRR didn’t contain Buffalo Trace distilled rye whiskey until 2018. Therefore, I believe that Sazerac Rye, Sazerac 18 and THH all use the same rye whiskey mash bill, but VWFRR does not.

2023 Thomas H. Handy Rye Whiskey

The specs for the barrels used in this batch of THH were aged for 6 years and 2 months. Buffalo Trace does not give us a total barrel or bottle count from this release, but they do tell us the evaporation loss rate was 27%. This is about on par with every other THH release I’ve seen the spec sheet for. Barrels were plucked from floors 3 and 4 of Warehouse S.

There are a couple of constants for THH including a still proof of 135 proof and the barrel entry proof was 125. The maturation barrels have always used a Number 4 char level. These things have not changed since 1998.

So how does it taste? Let’s find out. I sampled this neat in a glencairn.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Brown sugar scents combine with wildflower honey and vanilla marshmallows. I’m smelling a mix of mint and menthol that blend well with the very obvious citrus notes of lemon and tangerines. Spice notes come mainly from star anise and clove while a bit of oak and cedar cigar box add some maturity to the mix. Nothing unusual to really note on the nose aside from the fact it comes off as being less hot than I thought it would be.

Palate: Sweet flavors like molasses cookies, Christmas fruitcake and a bit of cherry cola keep the palate on the sweet end of the spectrum. Spice notes range from one side of the spectrum to the other with ginger, rye spice, cinnamon, white pepper and a hint of peppermint. Herbal notes are less obvious (probably due to the high corn content) but consist of a bit of mint and sage. Fruits consist of the typical orange (tangerine) flavors followed by unripe peaches, apricots and even a small amount of blackberry. Very nice! Tannins mostly sit this one out, but I can pick up on some oak every now and then.

Finish: Fruit and spice flavors hang around on the finish with sweetened stone fruit, apricot jam and some more citrus. The spice comes by way of all spice, star anise, cinnamon and peppermint stick. Herbal notes are light, but can also be recognized. Surprisingly, the oak turns slightly more woody at the end, but it’s not tasting older than its actual age.

Score: 8.4/10

The 2023 release of Thomas H. Handy doesn’t carry any major surprises from its traditional profile. But don’t let me fool you into thinking it’s not great – THH still ranks among my most favorite rye whiskies in this age range (with Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye just a step or two back). If you love citrus, clove, spice and lots of sweetness, you’ve come to the right place. Rye whiskey lovers that value herbal, botanical or tannic flavors in their glass should probably look elsewhere.

THH is the most accessible and least pricey (at least on the secondary market) bottle available in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. That’s not saying much when you consider the competition it has going against it. There’s a plethora of 12-year-old, barrel proof MGP ryes coming to market for $120 not to mention Michter’s Barrel Strength, Old Overholt and Bardstown Bourbon Company all making equally great, less expensive rye whiskies. You don’t have to take my word on it, try them all for yourself. But you’ll soon see that THH Rye Whiskey doesn’t have as much going for it as it did when it was first released almost two decades ago.