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Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Barrel Proof 2010 Release 126.9 Proof (63.45%) Straight Rye Whiskey (750ml)

Kentucky, UNITED STATES
$999. 00
Bottle
$11988.00 Dozen
ABV: 63.45%

If the whiskey world has anything that comes close to the kind of hysteria certain wines generate in mature adults, this is it: Five limited-release whiskeys of various ages, recipes and proofs simply known as 'The Antique Collection'. Introduced more than a decade ago these whiskeys have become a cult favourite and since 2000 have garnered a swathe of awards from such notable publications as Whisky Advocate Magazine, Spirit Journal and Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.

It is rare to find these outside the U.S., but we make an effort to secure some every year for those Australian enthusiasts looking for the most incendinary whisky sensations on the planet. For those new to them, tasting the latest collection will be an achingly intense, over the top, high octane experience some whiskey lovers may never repeat. To others they will be a revelation - a compelling combination of heady aroma, extraordinary weight and overwhelming complexity that puts these American distillates into a category of their own.

Understandably, $300 / bottle will be beyond the pail for many. Yet on a world scale they remain relative bargains for spirits that have been universally acclaimed as some of the world's best, year in year out. If you need reassuring, we suggest you invest in a bottle of Eagle Rare 10 YO to find out just what Buffalo Trace are capable of at the entry level. Get together with a friend if need be, share a bottle (these are exceptionally high proof), take the plunge from there but be warned - these whiskies will be destroyers of complacency for regular American devotees - but then, life is like that.

“Every year the excitement and anticipation of these whiskeys grows,” says Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “We’re excited as well to finally be able to share them, and look forward to seeing what critics and consumers alike think about them.”

Other Reviews: (95.5 Points) - (n24) angular,crystal,cut-glass molasses, sharpened further by a glint of muscovado; but really this is the clovesl show. As the nose opens, the cloves intensify dramatically and alluringly, sweetened along the way by kumquat; (t23.5)grips the palate like a lion clings to a wildebeast by the throat: big vanilla trail and natural toffees. Takes little time for the fruitier sharper rye aspects to surface which are as salivating as they are delicious; (f24) a long, luxurious fade with a seemingly endless supply of oils and cocao; (b24) ...just a little short of the complexity of its twin (2009 release) for sure, but offering more than enought to dazzle and seduce. - Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2012