Thomas H. Handy, Antique Collection 2025
This uncut, unfiltered rye honours Thomas H. Handy, who first used rye whiskey in the Sazerac cocktail. Traditionally made with cognac, today most bartenders who are knowledgeable about their history will offer drinkers three options: rye, cognac, or a mix of the two. This, however, is perfect for drinking straight. Aged over six years and bottled at 129.8 proof (64.9%), this is one of the strongest Thomas H. Handy expressions ever.
Nose
Black pepper, orchard fruit, cherry, fudge, menthol
Palate
White pepper, fudge, citrus, licorice, sea salt
Finish
Licorice, vanilla cream, dry spice
A huge pepper hit leads, followed by orchard fruit and fudge. The palate is bold with white pepper, creamy fudge and sea salt ahead of dark liquorice. It finishes dry, darker and richer, with vanilla creaminess rebalancing the weight.
The nose leans into baking spices, cracked cinnamon sticks and crème brûlée, all with a bit of peppery spice behind it. The palate hits harder, a surge of rye spice and peppery oak supported by golden raisins, cane sugar and a toffee sweetness. The finish brings the spices back with charred oak, vanilla custard and a lingering minty finish.
It opens with classic old-rye character: tobacco leaf, seasoned cedar and cigar wrapper, then pecan pie, vanilla cream and a fudge note that drifts into ginger biscuits, coriander seed and dry roasted peanuts. The palate brings black cherry jam on toasted rye with salty butter, more peanuts, a touch of white miso and a mix of allspice, fig, cherry and crème brûlée, almost begging to be stirred into a Manhattan. The finish is spicy and slightly oily, with vanilla toffee and dark fruits outlasting the herbal and nutty notes. It isn’t the most powerful of the group, but it’s excellent and surprisingly approachable for such an old rye.
