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Thomas H. Handy 2018

Thomas H. Handy 2018

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye is a barrel proof rye and part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Regarded as a benchmark of barrel proof American rye, it is always a barely legal (51%) rye and six years old.

This is one of our favorite rye whiskeys each year. The Thomas H. Handy 2018 release was bottled at 128.8 proof, which is a slight increase from the last two years. The 2016 Thomas H. Handy was 126.2 proof. The 2017 Thomas H. Handy was 127.2 proof.

For the 2016 and 2017 releases, there was a noticeable switch between the taste. The 2016 release tasted just as much like bourbon as it did rye. The 2017 release was a much more distinctly rye whiskey.

So, how about the 2018 release?

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December 2018: George Dickel

Our December tasting event explored a menagerie of George Dickel bourbon released in the 1970s, 1990s, and modern day. Products are aged from 9 to 17 years, but all contain the same classic 84% corn, 8% rye, 8% malted barley mash bill from the George A. Dickel & Co. Distillery in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

George Dickel

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Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye Selected by Flight Club “Tom’s Handey Rye” Review

Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye store picks are the next novelty in the Knob Creek lineup. Similar to Knob Creek Single Barrel Bourbon store picks, each of the Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye store picks are bottled from a single barrel selected by a particular retailer.

Knob Creek Single Barrel Rye

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Scotch Malt Whiskey Society 133.1 – Speakeasy Sneaky Peeky Review

The Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) is a well-known independent bottler of single cask, single malt whiskies from around the world. Owned by Glenmorangie and based in Edinburgh, Scotland, the SMSW purchases casks from distilleries and then releases the bottles with a distinctive code on the front (the first number states which distillery and then the number after the decimal point tells you which cask). This adds to the mystery and sets up a sort of blind tasting by ideally eradicating preconceived notions about particular distilleries.

Recently, SMWS has ventured into the world of American whiskey and they present us with SMSW 133.1. An interesting note about this release is that the people at SMSW have not really tried to hide the origin of this bottle. It comes from Washington State and the release party was held at the Westland Distillery in Seattle hosted by SMWS and by the good people at Westland. For obvious reasons, distillery 133 is thought to be Westland Distillery which is known for its varieties of American single malts.

SMSW 133.1 is a 5-year-old single malt whiskey sitting at approximately 114 proof. It is aged in heavy char virgin oak barrels.

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