theglobalguy Posted October 28, 2012 Share Posted October 28, 2012 So i'm brutally honest in that i'm no where near talented enough to give tasting notes, but given that i'm not usually a huge Rye fan....love the THH (watered down a bunch if it matters). I had read reviews and feedback on how THH is traditionally the weakest of the BTAC release, i've been pleasantly surprised. Anyone else cracked theirs open yet? Feedback?Cheers,Gord Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChainWhip Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Anybody cracked open their THH 2012 yet? Call me THH-curious ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 Not the 2012, but I've always been in disagreement with those who claim it is the weakest. I personally would take it over the Saz 18 every day of the week. It all goes back to personal taste. I figure if my palette isn't sophisticated enough to appreciate the Saz 18 over THH and I foolishly like the wrong one, knowing that saves me from buying the wrong one :-)And knowing, is half the battle. - GI Joe Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restaurant man Posted November 3, 2012 Share Posted November 3, 2012 [quote name=theglobalguy;I had read reviews and feedback on how THH is traditionally the weakest of the BTAC release' date=' i've been pleasantly surprised. Cheers,GordI thought eagle rare was officially the weakest of the BATC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trey Manthey Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 According to the product sheets:There is a tie between the weakest of the BTAC. Both E17 and Saz18 come in at 90 proof.If you are basing it on number of barrels selected, Saz18 is the weakest at just 23 this year. E17 is next at 28, and considering that Saz18 is in limited supply, maybe it is also the product BT has the least faith in.However, E17 is officially the OLDEST member of the BTAC this year, at 19 years and 1 month. Based on the age and evaporation rate, and the number of barrels selected, I would say it is officially the RAREST member of the BTAC this year. GTS had a whopping 118 barrels! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryT Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I thought eagle rare was officially the weakest of the BATC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skidfive Posted November 4, 2012 Share Posted November 4, 2012 I ordered a bottle of THH from an online store for $84 delivered (not bad for CA markup). It turns out it was a 2011 bottling. If anyone wants to know the site, pm me and ill let you know. I know its a little more expensive then the "normal" shelf price Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Restaurant man Posted November 5, 2012 Share Posted November 5, 2012 I'm going WLW, stagg, saz18, thh Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostBottle Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 If you are basing it on number of barrels selected, Saz18 is the weakest at just 23 this year. E17 is next at 28, and considering that Saz18 is in limited supply, maybe it is also the product BT has the least faith in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c2walker Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 The reason that Sazerac 18 is always the least amount of barrels has to do with the dwindling supply, not the quality. It has not been distilled since 1985 and the little remaining stock is sitting in stainless tanks; Buffalo Trace is trying to ration the supply of this dying gem until their new stock is ready.As for the Thomas H Handy, it is a decent whiskey, but nothing special. Try the Bowman barrel proof rye and you will see the potential Handy has. I tried these two whiskeys together and the few extra years on the Bowman blew away the Handy making it seem like rubbing alcohol in comparison.I am of the opinion that Thomas H Handy should not be part of the Antique Collection and should instead be a lower-priced regular release. At 6.5 years old, BT could very well have ramped up supply or added age to justify the price and hassle. Instead, the age has decreased and the price has increased... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HighInTheMtns Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 The reason that Sazerac 18 is always the least amount of barrels has to do with the dwindling supply, not the quality. It has not been distilled since 1985 and the little remaining stock is sitting in stainless tanks; Buffalo Trace is trying to ration the supply of this dying gem until their new stock is ready.As for the Thomas H Handy, it is a decent whiskey, but nothing special. Try the Bowman barrel proof rye and you will see the potential Handy has. I tried these two whiskeys together and the few extra years on the Bowman blew away the Handy making it seem like rubbing alcohol in comparison.I am of the opinion that Thomas H Handy should not be part of the Antique Collection and should instead be a lower-priced regular release. At 6.5 years old, BT could very well have ramped up supply or added age to justify the price and hassle. Instead, the age has decreased and the price has increased... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trey Manthey Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 · Hidden Hidden The reason that Sazerac 18 is always the least amount of barrels has to do with the dwindling supply, not the quality. Link to comment
Trey Manthey Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 The reason that Sazerac 18 is always the least amount of barrels has to do with the dwindling supply, not the quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisko Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 I am of the opinion that Thomas H Handy should not be part of the Antique Collection and should instead be a lower-priced regular release. At 6.5 years old, BT could very well have ramped up supply or added age to justify the price and hassle. Instead, the age has decreased and the price has increased... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
c2walker Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 As for the aforementioned Bowman Barrel Proof Rye, I would be delighted to try it, but apparently it quite limited or completely gone. I can't find a bottle online anywhere. On top of that, it seems that it's production would be something that would not be easily scalable to a wide release. It is "something special," whereas THH is not as special, put it's pretty damn good. On a side note, I'm very interested in tasting 2 to 4 oz of the Bowman rye for personal analysis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trey Manthey Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 I also agree. I figure that if Baby Saz is $30, Handy ought to be about $43 if you adjust for proof. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brisko Posted November 6, 2012 Share Posted November 6, 2012 Well, clearly there's more to it than just proof, but in my opinion it drinks like a <$50 whiskey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChainWhip Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 Is the THH 2012 any better/worse/same in your estimation or are you just projecting your tastebud memories from previous releases? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
B.B. Babington Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 ...As for the Thomas H Handy...Try the Bowman barrel proof rye and you will see the potential Handy has....and the lower octane Bowman rye also shows the depth age can give. but is Bowman rye still suffering progressively younger release dates? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LostBottle Posted November 7, 2012 Share Posted November 7, 2012 (edited) I'd really like to try it tooThe Bowman I tried was courtesey of another member at a SB get-together. If I had a bottle, I would gladly send you guys some samples. Hopefully, they release more of this instead of watering it down to 90 proof.Is the THH 2012 any better/worse/same in your estimation or are you just projecting your tastebud memories from previous releases?No, I have not yet tried the 2012, though I have tasted (a lot of) every other release. Handy seems to stay pretty consistent, unlike Eagle Rare. My guess for this is that they have all those barrels of Baby Saz from which they can easily cherry pick to keep the profile close. Edited November 7, 2012 by LostBottle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChainWhip Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Thanks LB. There seems to be quite a few THH left around here so I picked one up (along with a Saz18). Given my untrained Rye whiskey palate, I figured I'd try these in the interest of furthering my education. :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
p_elliott Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Thanks LB. There seems to be quite a few THH left around here so I picked one up (along with a Saz18). Given my untrained Rye whiskey palate, I figured I'd try these in the interest of furthering my education. :-)Report back which one you like better or if you like them both for different reasons. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timd Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Last night I was with a few buddies and we did an "epic rye" lineup:Handy 11Handy 12VWFRR ('12)Bowman TPS #1Bowman TPS #3Vintage Rye 21The 2012 Handy drew the short straw... but not by a ton, and it held up well. It's not as good as the '11, but that's in comparison.When you have the 2012 just by itself, it's an amazing pour and very tasty. I have no significant complaints - it's a THH through and through.That said, the Bowmans are just... magical. Some of the best juice ever bottled. Easily a top 5 whiskey for me. Love them.Vintage 21, while not high-proof, is also just a stunner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hectic1 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 (edited) Sorry...Duplicate post... Edited November 8, 2012 by hectic1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hectic1 Posted November 8, 2012 Share Posted November 8, 2012 Last night I was with a few buddies and we did an "epic rye" lineup:Handy 11Handy 12VWFRR ('12)Bowman TPS #1Bowman TPS #3Vintage Rye 21The 2012 Handy drew the short straw... but not by a ton, and it held up well. It's not as good as the '11, but that's in comparison.When you have the 2012 just by itself, it's an amazing pour and very tasty. I have no significant complaints - it's a THH through and through.That said, the Bowmans are just... magical. Some of the best juice ever bottled. Easily a top 5 whiskey for me. Love them.Vintage 21, while not high-proof, is also just a stunner.That was fun Tim...thanks for hosting! I was definitely over served by YOU and Winston!You forgot all the FR1B bottlings though...I think there were 4 of those plus the Balcones and Willett 11yr! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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