Buffalo Trace Antique Collection: Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye 2011
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Distiller:
Buffalo Trace
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Bottler:
Buffalo Trace
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ABV:
64.3%
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Age:
6 Years
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Price:
$$$$$
- Raided Score: 93
- Publication: WhiskyCast
- Excerpt: The taste is powerful and slightly tart with a strong pepperiness that fades nicely to reveal green apple and brown sugar notes. The finish is smooth and long.
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- Raided Score: 93
- Publication: Whisky Advocate
- Excerpt: The American equivalent to a young, cask-strength, smoky Islay whisky.
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- Raided Score: 88
- Publication: Drinkhacker
- Excerpt: With plenty of heft at 128.8 proof, it doesn’t pull punches, but it’s perhaps a bit too young to really compete with the big boys. (That said, this year perhaps Handy’s youth — 6 years old — is its greatest asset.)
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- Raided Score: 95
- Publication: Whiskey Raiders
- Excerpt: Not too punishing on the palate for the proof. Thick rye spice, a good deal of pepper and butter
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Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.
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Nose:
Pepper and butter. Caramel and toffee with some nice peanut brittle notes. Not Beam funk peanut but a sweet, salty, savory combination of salt and pepper and buttery caramel.
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Taste:
Not too punishing on the palate for the proof. Thick rye spice, a good deal of pepper and butter. Sweet nougaty toffee. For such a young product, this really shines with relatively minimal roughness on the edges.
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Finish:
Medium long - grows hotter but for the proof it is pleasant and delicious. Lots of buttery caramel and pepper. A good dusting of clove.
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Overall:
I wish I had my paws on this when I did the full SBS but my inner curiosity is a fiend - so I pulled out my bottle of 2012 to compare this sample to. This is a bit more peppery - the 2012 a bit sweeter but both are absurdly delicious for their age. I cant say that I have a favorite but Im not complaining one bit that Im in this pickle. Or rather, no pickle at all since this isnt MGP rye. I really like rye and cask strength rye makes me even happier. Im rating this fine fellow an 8 which means its quite the dram to talk about on the scale. At Rank 8, Thomas H Handy Sazerac Rye 2011 sits next to other big guns like Smooth Ambler Cask Strength Rye, Whistle Pig Store Select Rye and High Wests Midwinters Night Dram. Thanks for reading!
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Score:
8
- Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources