Thomas Handy Sazarac Rye Vs. Sazarac Rye

This insane Vs was a request submitted by an Instagram user in response to him hearing people saying that Sazarac is basically the same as THSR in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. It is true that THSR is only a 6.5yr product, and Sazarac is a similar 4-6yr product, but Sazarac is 90 proof, and my bottle of THSR is 129 proof. These are both “barely” ryes at 51% rye in the mashbill. So let’s see how they compare!

Sazarac Rye) ($25) This bottle from Buffalo Trace is named after the Sazarac Coffee House in New Orleans, and became the basis for the Sazarac cocktail. The nose starts out fairly light, with peppermint, herbs, and light oak. The palate has slight mint, but more vanilla fruit, cloves, cinnamon, and charred oak. The finish is medium and has lots of cinnamon, some black pepper, and some leather. This is a balanced, but fairly delicate pour that really isn’t very memorable for me after it’s gone.

Thomas Handy) ($95) This bottle honers the founder of the Sazarac company that owns Buffalo Trace. The nose is surprisingly light considering the proof, but does have very pleasant notes of oak, cedar, dark fruits, vanilla, and mint. It doesn’t smell like most ryes, and actually reminds me a little of Stagg Jr. The palate is definitely NOT light, but instead explodes with very sweet and spicy flavors. There is caramel, dark cherry, oak, cinnamon, and some anise. The finish is long and good, with sweetness and spice. The end of the finish brings out more mint and anise, and as you breathe out there are some sweet citrus notes. Overall, this is one of my favorite ryes on my shelf.

Verdict) This comparison was difficult due to the wildly different proofs of these bottles. I couldn’t really go back to the Sazarac after tasting THSR because it just tasted like watered-down whiskey at that point. I did add significant water to the TH at the end to proof it down, and I was surprised that they did taste more similar. In the end though, there is absolutely no way that Sazarac is anywhere near the same league as THSR. I hope no one convinces you otherwise ;)