Thomas H. Handy Rye 2007, the new . . .

Joined Sep 2003
9K Posts | 0+
Puerto Rico/NYC
No. 4 on my Top Ten Rye list. There's only one shot left in my one and only bottle of this very fine rye. It is not nearly as special as Nos. 1 and 2, but compares favorably with No. 3, and after careful consideration, was definitely worthy of the No. 4 spot.

This rye is 134.8 very smooth proof, and like the greatest ryes I've had, along with certain bourbons, tastes a lot like drinking rock candy. It reminds me of the days visiting my grandfather in Atlantic City, before the casinos hit, when The Boardwalk was still The Boardwalk. I would always bug my mother to get rock candy.

This rye is fine, extremely well balanced, somewhat light bodied, but with essences of pear and apricot nectar, and on occasions a LOT, and I mean a LOT, of wood gum. The wood gum can be fun but annoying at times, and the finish is very long on this rye, at which point the nectar notes dance pleasantly on the palate.

The Thomas H. Handy Rye is a new addition to the annual release of The Antique Collection, and was first released in 2006, which I did not have. The Thomas H. Handy Rye is identified by the proof, like the George T. Stagg line of bourbons, since the year does not appear on the bottle.

See the Top 25 Bourbon list thread for the new Top 10 Rye list.