![]() Handy was apparently the person who first started to use rye whiskey instead of brandy in the Sazerac cocktail and it is him that this is named after. A D is one star and a D- one-half of a star.I have tried all the other four whiskeys in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection several times before but for some reason I have never tried TH Handy before so this was a totally new experience for me. A C- is two stars.ĭ+ to D-: Below average whiskey. A B- is three stars.Ĭ+ to C-: Average whiskey. The best of the mass market whiskeys fit in this category, as do the bulk of the premium brands. Five stars.Ī-: A fine bottle of whiskey, representing the top end of the conventional, premium range.ī and B-: Good and above average. Above five stars.Ī: An outstanding bottle of whiskey, but lacking that special something which makes for a true masterpiece. A+: A masterpiece and one of the ten best whiskeys of its type. Some "premium" whiskeys really are quite terrible, while some mass market products are good enough to pour into a decanter and serve to the Duke of Edinburgh. The following indicators should be taken as only a guide and not a set of hard and fast rules. The Whiskey Reviewer uses a letter-based rating system, instead of the numerical 100-grade rating system. If the 2012 edition doesn’t win again, I’ll be surprised. Handy Sazerac Rye was named “Rye Whiskey of the Year” in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible. The suggested retail value is $70.00 – a search of prices for the 2011 expression suggests the cost will only get higher the longer you wait! Taylor Straight Rye, it’s another example of American Rye done right It will also require you to dip into your pocket, but don’t feel too sorry about it. Handy Rye is worth seeking out upon its release in late September 2012. Handy Rye for the benefit of this review, but just couldn’t bring myself to damage this rare find. I was tempted to do the same with the Thomas H. With whiskeys of 120 proof or higher, I usually add a splash of water. For a high-proof whiskey, this is surprisingly smooth, elegant, and delightful. It reverses the order of the tasted flavors: vanilla, Virginia tobacco, and pepper in an evening rondo that fades into a warm, breezy sunset of spice. After taking a second sip, I thought I detected a trace of Macintosh apple, too. The full body is revealed with a dash of split peppercorns that recedes into a hearty, vanilla-infused pipe tobacco. The allspice jumps out right away, but only for a few seconds. Take advantage of that, and let it linger. For a 132.4 proof whiskey (66.2% AbV), it’s surprisingly smooth. You’ll be pardoned if you can’t resist sipping it sooner. Almost 30 minutes passed before I took my first sip. There’s no need to feel guilty if you savor this performance for hours without sip. Rich tobacco and well-kept leather joust with allspice and vanilla, as a subtle but rich 72% cocoa chocolate pirouettes around the edges. But raise it to your nose, and it comes alive. The color is traditional and unassuming: a pleasant singed orange in the glass, it suggests nothing less nor more than a typical Rye. But this is a completely different 6-year old Rye. ![]() Handy Sazerac Rye is technically a 6-year old whiskey, like the Trace’s standard Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey. In short, you can expect an uncut, unfiltered whiskey to retain the best characteristics the spirit has to offer.ĭistilled in Spring 2006, the Thomas H. Hardy Sazerac Rye “is an uncut and unfiltered straight rye whiskey.” That means no water was added prior to bottling, nor was the whiskey chill filtered – a process that prevents whiskey from going hazy when stored at low temperatures, but also tampers with the whiskey’s character. Taylor Straight Rye Whiskey, which garnered an “A.” How does this latest Rye compare? Without further ado, let’s get straight to the tasting….Īs described in the Buffalo Trace press release, Thomas H. We’ve reviewed several Buffalo Trace whiskeys, most recently the Col. Handy Sazerac Rye is one of two American Rye whiskeys available in limited quantities as part of the Buffalo Trace 2012 Antique Collection, released in September 2012. Named for the man who “improved” the Sazerac cocktail, Thomas H. Today, the Sazerac is probably the best known rye-based cocktail.īut the best ryes don’t need a cocktail to make them enjoyable. It may have been the only positive outcome of the period’s phylloxeria outbreak that caused a shortage in the supply of cognac. Thomas Handy, one-time proprietor of the Sazerac House in New Orleans, was the man who altered the Sazerac cocktail in 1870 by replacing cognac with rye whiskey.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |