Heavy baking spices | Sharp cinnamon stick | Golden raisin | Crème brûlée | Some heat

Surge of rye spice | Peppery oak | Raisin | Cane sugar | Bold & rich

Baking spices | Charred oak | Vanilla custard | Seared mint | Lingering heat

Thomas H. Handy is one of only two ryes within the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. It’s also the youngest in the Collection by a wide margin, typically aged around 6 years. At one time, a barrel proof rye was rare, but now that rye production and barrel proof releases have undergone major expansion, Thomas H. Handy’s stats are much less impressive than they were at one time.  

Known for a bold flavor profile that’s characterized by baking spices, cinnamon, and often raisin, Thomas H. Handy tends to be the most consistent release within the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The aroma of this year’s release starts with heavy baking spices up front, with sharp cinnamon stick being the most apparent. The spice is met with golden raisin and crème brûlée sweetness, all of which is wrapped in an ever-present heat. A surge of rye spice on the palate gives way to peppery oak, raisin, and cane sugar, which are underscored by rye spice and delivered in a bold, rich format. The finish brings tapering baking spices as expected, with charred oak, vanilla custard, and seared mint emerging on the backend. It concludes with a long lasting heat.

Overall, Thomas H. Handy is a great pour, but doesn’t break the barrier to move beyond its straightforward delivery and reach the heights other bottles in the Antique Collection are capable of attaining. If this were instead an ongoing release such as Elijah Craig or Larceny Barrel Proof, it would feel more in line with its unwavering consistency and level of quality, and more importantly, drinkability as a high proof rye that is meant to be poured, not collected.