Thomas H. Handy (2012 Release)

Good Evening from The Blundon Bourbon Review. 

I've got a special review to celebrate Baltimore's' first snow of the season!

This 750ML bottle of uncut, unfiltered rye whiskey is 132.4 proof (2012 release), and was purchased for $79.99. I walked into my local store and they had 3 of these just sitting on the top shelf behind their counter, so I had to pick one up.

Color- A beautiful dark, deep amber- There is a nice amount of sediment in the pour, which I love. It really adds character to an already great whiskey.

Nose- As if I dove into a swinning pool of fruits- Black cherries, raisins, candied oranges, and baked apples dance on my tougne. Cloves, spice, and mint follow their lead. After ten minutes of breathing in the glass, the prodomindent notes-vanilla, carmel, pepper- really start to pop.

Taste- (Neat from a Glencarin Glass) Hot but not overwhelming. Sweet, burnt surgars with intense notes of marmalade, mint and cinnamon. Sweet vanilla, caramel, and black pepper.

Finish: Really long- I was tasting notes of malpe sugar, baked apples and pepper for minutes after my glass was empty.

Conclusion- Certinaly one of the hidden gems of the Buffalo Trace Antiuqe Collection (BTAC). For such a young rye (6 years old), there are so many rich and elegant flavors. One of the coolest asepcts of this rye is the story behind it- Thomas Handy came to New Orleans, where he worked at the Sazerac Coffee house. He was the one to suggest that the infamous Sazerac cocktail would taste better with American rye whisky instead of French cognac (he was right!). If you see this on the shelf- don't think, just pick it up and thank yourself later!

My Rating- A+ (Premium)

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