BOTM 12/21 Thomas H Handy Rye and friends

[flahute]

The holiday season is here and that's when we all like to break out the special bottles. Most of you know that I get a sweet tooth this time of year and find myself really wanting my wheaters, On the other hand, I recall many of you over the years saying that you really get in the mood for rye this time of year because of the baking spiced you get from the whiskey and how that goes so well with the season.

So with that in mind I'm switching it up and going with a rye for the first time in a while.

 

Now, one point to make. We generally like to limit BOTM selections to whiskies that are generally available so more people can participate. We do occasionally celebrate the special ones. Given how every year it somehow gets even harder to get these I'm going to take a liberty here and include any rye you want to talk about - especially if it's your holiday season pour. I'll talk about THH. You all can talk about it too if you have it. Otherwise the floor is open.

 

Though I like my wheaters this time of year, THH is always associated with Christmas to me because that's when I first had it. The bottle I have open right now is a 2013 and it's just a remarkable pour at only 6 yrs old. It is absolutely loaded with baking spices and not as rye forward as others. I'm not in the mood for rye very often but I can always drink this. It's little brother, Sazerac Rye on the other hand, is not one I'm in the mood for often. Something about the barrel selection and proof just put THH over the top so I will sneak it into the mix with all the wheaters I have open.

 

Let us know what rye whiskies are on your list this holiday season!

[TBoner]

Handy and Sazerac rye were the whiskeys that set me off on my American whiskey exploration way back in 2005.  A friend of mine offered me a pour of Sazerac, which in turn led to a quest for the BTAC bottlings for that year, particularly the Handy. I fell for it, hard. I wound up with three bottles of the 2005 and a bottle from every year thereafter through 2011, at which point a variety of factors prevented me from chasing it. While each bottling was unique, the character they shared was one I always associate with Christmas, too. The spice notes are varied and complex, with a depth and richness that goes far beyond most other whiskeys of any stripe that I've tried. I haven't had a sip of this stuff since ca. 2011, and I can still clearly remember the mouth-watering cinnamon, nutmeg, clove and allspice - along with a really nice brown sugar crust - like it was yesterday.

 

I'm sort of put off by the BTAC hype train at this point, and there are enough great rye whiskeys in the market now for me not to sweat it, but if I were to chase any allocated Sazerac/BT product down at this point, it'd be Handy.

 

As for other ryes, I'm about to open my first bottle of Pikesville; I will report back.

[flahute]

1 hour ago, TBoner said:

As for other ryes, I'm about to open my first bottle of Pikesville; I will report back.

I think you are going to like it.

[flahute]

Just had another pour of that '13 THH and this is Christmas in a glass. Just beautiful. 

[Mattk]

I don't currently have a handy, but sip one from a local bar pretty often. I was a huge fan of the 2016, which they pour at a reasonable price for happy hour. Other then that I purchased a midwinter's this year that is really good but probably won't last until Christmas. There certainly isn't enough left to share with the family. To be fair it was also the Thanksgiving pour, so I did already get to share it. I suppose I have yet to pick this year's Christmas bottle. I will post a picture in show us your stash and maybe I can get some help deciding. I like them all.

Edited December 9, 2021 by Mattk

[TBoner]

On 12/8/2021 at 9:27 PM, flahute said:

I think you are going to like it.

Can confirm.

 

It clearly doesn't hit as many notes as Handy, but the interplay of vanilla buttercream and autumn spice is really fantastic. I didn't test many new products over the last decade, so this and Rare Breed Rye and a few others had passed me by. Now that I've tried Pikesville and confirmed that it will become a regular buy for me, I guess I need to crack this Rare Breed Rye and see what's what.

[PhantomLamb]

I have a few sips of the 17' THH my buddy gifted me.  I made the mistake of not adding a few drops of water to this but may break it out again in the next few weeks to retest again.  Good call on the BOTM!

[LvR Mike]

I love me some rye. Look for unique ones every time I go into a store. But it seems that no matter how many stores I enter I will never run into a THH. Come to think about it, I don't think I've ever seen one in person. One day...

 

But I too have never had a Pikesville so I will add that to my list for December.

 

But something I would LOVE to find, though it may be almost as difficult to locate, is the Buffalo Trace Kosher Straight Rye. I love BT products and I've had the BT Kosher Rye Recipe Bourbon and I loved it so it seems fitting to look for the Straight Rye. Sticking with the family, to me, the CEHT Rye would be cool to try too.

[smokinjoe]

TH Handy is my favorite rye.  Ryes have a broad range of flavor profiles, and one of those is the warm baking spices and warmer flavors.  Handy owns this lane completely.  Like Steve describes above, it’s “Christmas in a glass”.  These warm flavors are power-boosted by the intensity of its healthy proofs.  TBoner mentioned “chewy” as a profile in another thread in describing a whiskey, and Handy has that feature in spades.  This is indeed, a great pick for BOTM!  

[tanstaafl2]

On 12/8/2021 at 9:27 PM, TBoner said:

I'm sort of put off by the BTAC hype train at this point, and there are enough great rye whiskeys in the market now for me not to sweat it, but if I were to chase any allocated Sazerac/BT product down at this point, it'd be Handy.

 

As for other ryes, I'm about to open my first bottle of Pikesville; I will report back.

With you about the nauseating hype machine on BTAC (and of course many other things.) Handy has always annoyed me even more than the others. Treated the same as other BTACs, especially with regard to price, but half (or less) the age.

 

And yes, Pikesville is a very good alternative!

[Skinsfan1311]

Can't go wrong with Pikesville or WT101 rye.

 

I enjoy most expressions of KC rye too.   I have a few KC barrel picks that are very good and very reasonably priced. 

 

I have a couple of Starlight picks and one from Staves and Grain, that are really good too.

 

 

[fosmith]

I've only had it twice at a bar and loved it but I'm of the opinion that Thomas H. Handy does not belong in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.  At six years of age, it can hardly be considered antique.  The other four expressions are 12 to 18 years old so THH is definitely an outlier.  IMO.  It's a great rye, though, and I hope to be able to obtain a bottle someday.  Besides Pikesville, good substitutes include Knob Creek Cask Strength, Willett 4yr, and Whistle Pig 10 yr cask strength store picks.  Relatively obtainable with some effort.  

[Clueby]

6 hours ago, fosmith said:

I've only had it twice at a bar and loved it but I'm of the opinion that Thomas H. Handy does not belong in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.  At six years of age, it can hardly be considered antique.  The other four expressions are 12 to 18 years old so THH is definitely an outlier.  IMO.  It's a great rye, though, and I hope to be able to obtain a bottle someday.  Besides Pikesville, good substitutes include Knob Creek Cask Strength, Willett 4yr, and Whistle Pig 10 yr cask strength store picks.  Relatively obtainable with some effort.  

Preach, brother, preach! I've said the same thing. They HAVE to have a ton of 6 year old rye that they could do a year round release of THH outside the BTAC.

[bayouredd]

On 12/8/2021 at 7:38 PM, flahute said:

The holiday season is here and that's when we all like to break out the special bottles. So with that in mind I'm switching it up and going with a rye for the first time in a while.

 

Now, one point to make. We generally like to limit BOTM selections to whiskies that are generally available so more people can participate.

I am participating; I'm shedding a tear! The BTAC is only myth in this area...

Oh well, moving on. It is interesting that ryes were brought up here for the Holiday Season. I only heard this last year & it has helped me to enjoy a pour now and again. I had been relegating my ryes to cocktails only, until this came up.

I've only had 4 or 5 different ones and of those, the Willet 4yr has the lead. It makes me wonder if my Mom added a bit to some of her Christmas cookies back in the day...

[flahute]

4 hours ago, bayouredd said:

It makes me wonder if my Mom added a bit to some of her Christmas cookies back in the day...

Now that would be incredible.

[Jazzhead]

Here in Pennsy this fall the rye news is twofold,  and both are presently open on my bar.

 

First, WT 101 Rye has returned to the shelves for the first time in many years.   Second,  the State Stores are seemingly awash with the truly superb Alberta Premium Cask Strength Rye,  which packs a wallop inside a velvet glove.

[Kepler]

Great choice Steve.  Went to see the Nutcracker tonight with the wife and afterwards we drove around and looked at Christmas lights.  Back home and this sounded appropriate.  Merry Christmas to all.

 

 

[flahute]

2 minutes ago, Kepler said:

Great choice Steve.  Went to see the Nutcracker tonight with the wife and afterwards we drove around and looked at Christmas lights.  Back home and this sounded appropriate.  Merry Christmas to all.

 

 

And Merry Christmas to you!

[HoustonNit]

Very fitting Christmas bottle.  I think a lot of get this in the late fall and end up opening around the holidays. The one bottle I got I put under the tree and told the kid Santa brought it.  One of my favorite bottles ever.  Yes tons of baking spices, I remember a German rye bread smell and taste I really enjoyed.  

[Adam777]

I have a GTS (2020) WLW (2019) and a THH (2018) open at my bar and all my good bourbon drinking friends actually pick the THH as their favorite. It is probably my favorite bottle besides a GTS (2017) which had more sentimental value than anything bc it was my first BTAC. Cheers! 

[Jazzhead]

I'd love to try a THH some day.  Cask strength Kentucky-style rye at the ideal age - sounds delicious.  

 

Thankfully,  there are at least two iterations of this style that aren't (yet) monopolized by the flippers - Rare Breed Rye and Knob Creek rye at 120 proof.   How does the THH compare to these?

 

And of course, there's Pikesville.  Ominously,  I have thus far been unsuccessful in replacing my recently-deceased bottle.  

[PaulO]

I just don't worry about the unicorn stuff for myself anymore.  I am entertained and enjoy the posts from those with access.

The bottle of Pikesville I opened for holidays didn't last long.  So I am in the general spirit of things - do enjoy a nice rye whiskey now and then.

There's some MGP rye in my future, when I make time to do some hunting.

 

[fosmith]

On 12/27/2021 at 8:07 AM, Jazzhead said:

Knob Creek rye at 120 proof.

What is this 120 proof Knob Creek rye that you speak of?  I'm only aware of the standard 100 proof, the 115 proof single barrel, and the cask strength limited release, which varies in proof according to the release. 

[Jazzhead]

4 hours ago, fosmith said:

What is this 120 proof Knob Creek rye that you speak of?  I'm only aware of the standard 100 proof, the 115 proof single barrel, and the cask strength limited release, which varies in proof according to the release. 

Perhaps it is the 115 single barrel I am speaking of.  I know I've got one in the bunker,  but I've been outa town all week.   I'll check when I get back -  my plane just arrived at the Las Vegas airport so no cancelled flight! 

 

My open cask strength ryes at the moment are all MGP 95 - Turley Mill and Templeton straight - and an Alberta Premium which is 100 percent rye.    As I sit here in the airport, a Kentucky-style rye sure would hit the spot.

[smokinjoe]

59 minutes ago, Jazzhead said:

Perhaps it is the 115 single barrel I am speaking of.  I know I've got one in the bunker,  but I've been outa town all week.   I'll check when I get back -  my plane just arrived at the Las Vegas airport so no cancelled flight! 

 

My open cask strength ryes at the moment are all MGP 95 - Turley Mill and Templeton straight - and an Alberta Premium which is 100 percent rye.    As I sit here in the airport, a Kentucky-style rye sure would hit the spot.

There’s nothing quite like sitting at a bar at LV airport for a few snorts before heading to the cab line for a trip to the hotel before a couple days of good times.  Which reminds me, it’s been too long since I’ve been there.  Used to go at least 4 times per year with buddies, work, or Mrssmokinjoe.