Thomas Handy Rye Bourbon

Every fall now, people who love whiskey and people who never drink whiskey trip over themselves to get their hands on anything Van Winkle.

Around the same time, Buffalo Trace also releases their rare and limited 5-bottle Antique collection, including 3 barrel proof offerings: Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye, George T. Stagg Straight Bourbon and William Larue Weller Bourbon. The Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye pays homage to the New Orleans man who, in the late 1800’s, changed the principle ingredient of the Sazerac cocktail from cognac to rye whiskey.

Unlike what you’ve likely grown accustomed to for high-proofers, here the flavors come first and the burn comes later. Let this one coat your mouth and you’ll instantly know you’ve entered another level. The complexity and uniqueness separates it from every other rye whiskey. It shares the low-rye mashbill (close to 51%) with the standard Sazerac Rye 6-year, allowing for plenty of sweetness. The rye spice is there, but it dances with others including clove and cinnamon. It’s the whiskey equivalent of a slice of cake.