November 1st, 2011

Review: Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2011 Edition

John Hansell

We still have no power at the Whisky Advocate offices in PA, thanks to the record-breaking snow storm. But, since tonight is WhiskyFest New York, we are in New York where there is power, Internet access, and WHISKEY! So, I am finally able to post a review.

The eagerly awaited annual release from Buffalo Trace distillery is out. Last year’s release was one of their best. This year is a repeat performance. Well done!

Sazerac Rye 18 year old, 45%, $70

Very similar to last year’s release. Well rounded, with a gently sweet foundation (toffee, vanilla taffy), pleasant spice (cinnamon, mocha, soft evergreen), date, glazed citrus, bramble, and a gentle finish for a rye. A classic ultra-aged rye whiskey.

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 96

William Larue Weller, 66.75%, $70

No age statement, but distilled in 1998. The only wheated recipe bourbon in the bunch, and a very good one at that. Higher in strength than last year’s offering (which was 63.3%), but very similar (and equally as impressive). The most elegant and smoothest of this collection, with layered sweetness (honey, caramel, marzipan, maple syrup), fig, blackberry preserve, hint of green tea, and just the right amount of spice for balance (nutmeg, cinnamon, cocoa).

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 95

George T. Stagg, 71.3%, $70

At this strength, it’s almost like getting two whiskeys for the price of one. A great value, considering its age. (It’s not identified on the label, but was distilled in 1993.) Try to find a great 18 year old, cask-strength single malt scotch for this price. Very mature — with a good dose of oak — but not excessively so. Notes of toffee, tobacco, dark molasses, roasted nuts, dried vanilla, leather, and a hint of dusty corn. Dry on the finish, with lingering leather and tobacco.

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 95

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac, 64.3%, $70

The youngster in the family. One taste and its relative youth is confirmed. (But no worries; it’s mature enough to enjoy neat or with some water (and would be a killer in cocktails). This is rye whiskey in its most vibrant, masculine, and purest form. Bold spice (fresh evergreen, warming cinnamon), honey-coated orchard fruit, golden raisin, caramel, and brandy with a crisp, clean finish. The American equivalent to a young, cask-strength, smoky Islay whisky.

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

Eagle Rare 17 year old, 45%, $70

The most underrated of the five in the collection, but this year’s release (like last year’s) is very lovely bourbon. Perhaps just a bit softer than last year, but with a similar profile: very even keeled and nicely balanced, with sweet notes (vanilla, toffee, añejo rum) peppered with soft orchard fruit and spice (cocoa, cinnamon, nutmeg, hint of mint), polished oak, and subtle tobacco.

Advanced Whisky Advocate magazine rating: 93

Category: Bourbon,New Releases,Reviews,Rye whiskey Tags: , 16 Comments

February 18th, 2011

Malt Advocate Whisky Awards “American Whiskey of the Year”: Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (2010 Release)

John Hansell

Roll these names off your tongue: Stagg. Handy. Weller. Sazerac. Eagle Rare. Now wrap it all up with Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Collectively, these are the bottles that American whiskey lovers go nuts for every year, tracking them down on shelves three or four states away, swapping and trading for them.

They drink them, they don’t just collect them, because these are really good whiskeys. Any one of them — three bourbons, two ryes — has the potential to snag this award in any given year, and some years they have. But one’s usually a lot better, and sometimes one is under par that year, and that’s kind of good: you don’t have to buy all of them.

This year, though…the stars are aligned, and you’d better get out your checkbook. This is probably the strongest Antique Collection as a collection since Buffalo Trace started sending out allocations of these five excellent spirits. Weller: layers of lusciousness. Stagg: finely-carved power. Eagle Rare: beautifully balanced corn and oak. Handy: barely-restrained youth. Sazerac: smoothly spicy. (See full tasting notes here.)

Can we pick five whiskeys as “best”? Of course we can. When they’re all this good, when the Collection comes together like this, how can we do anything else?

photo courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery

The “Canadian Whisky of the Year” will be announced tomorrow. Stay tuned!

Category: Awards,Bourbon,Rye whiskey Tags: , 36 Comments

October 15th, 2010

New Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is a winner!

John Hansell

Several of you have already been emailing me for my thoughts on the new release. Yesterday I tasted the entire (soon to be released) Buffalo Trace Antique Collection 2010 release side-by-side with the entire 2009 release to see how they changed.

I don’t have formal tasting notes written up yet, but I can tell you my general thoughts on the new release. In short: wonderful!

The only true setback last year was with Eagle Rare 17 yr. old (which I rated an 84), because it was showing too much wood (especially compared to the 2007-2008 releases). I’m happy to report that the 2010 is back on track and will score somewhere in the mid 90s.

My second lowest rated whiskey from 2009 was Sazerac 18 yr. old rye whiskey, which came in with a 91 rating. A very nice whiskey, but lost a lot of its zing from earlier years. The 2010 does show more character. Surprisingly, I’m tasting more wood notes in this year’s release. I say surprisingly, because it was my impression that this whiskey over the past few years has been aged in Stainless Steel tanks. This year’s release still doesn’t have the vibrancy of some earlier releases, but it’s a very nice whiskey, which I will rate somewhere in the low to mid 90s.

The William Larue Weller, put simply, is wonderful, just like last year (which I rated a 96). And very similar in profile. (Perhaps just a bit less spicy?) Once again, I will score this somewhere in the mid 90s.

The same goes for George T. Stagg. I loved last year’s release, giving it a 95. This year’s release is very similar–perhaps just a bit less complex, but I am splitting hairs here. I’ll be rating this somewhere in the 93-95 range.

Finally, the Thomas H. Handy rye whiskey, which I gave a 92 to last year, is also very similar this year–perhaps even a little better overall in complexity. I’ll be scoring this at least a 92 and most likely a couple of points higher than that when my formal reviews are done.

So, the bottom line here: we’re looking at five great whiskeys–all classics, or pretty close to classic.

Category: Bourbon,New Releases,Opinions,Reviews,Rye whiskey Tags: 22 Comments

October 13th, 2009

Review: Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (2009 release)

John Hansell

Once again, the Antique Collection is really impressive. Compared to last year’s release, I’m seeing improvements across the board, with the exception of Eagle Rare.

(I previously reviewed the Eagle Rare and Sazerac Rye live on Twitter over the past two weeks and also posted up those reviews on WDJK. I’m including them here again, along with the three new reviews, so you have my reviews of the entire collection in one location.)

96 William Larue Weller, 67.4%, $65
This whiskey has improved greatly over the past two years. (I thought that the 2007 release was almost too easy-going, as some wheated bourbons can be.) A little more oak spice has added balance, complexity and depth. Very clean on the palate. Layered sweetness (toffee, caramel, maples syrup, elegant rum) provide a foundation for warming cinnamon, bramble, blueberry tart, sultana, light candy corn, herbal tea and subtle marzipan. A soft, dry, polished oak finish ropes in all the sweetness, keeping me wanting more. Excellent!

95 George T. Stagg, 70.7%, $65
Like the William Larue Weller releases a couple years back, I felt like the Stagg releases (after you brought them down in strength) were almost too easy-going. And like the new Weller release, this bourbon is had improved greatly to classic status. Clean, balanced notes of toffee, molasses, nougat, polished leather, dates, roasted nuts, cinnamon, subtle summer fruits, teasing mint, ground coffee, nutmeg, and a hint of tobacco. Long, balanced finish. An outstanding bourbon!

92 Thomas H. Handy, 64.5%, $65
Distilled in 2002, this is the youngest of the Antique collection, allowing the vibrancy and boldness of the rye grain to shine through (and an interesting comparison to the Sazerac 18 year old). Lush fruit, Seville orange, gin botanicals, fresh mint, golden raisin, dried pineapple, coconut, and honeydew melon, tamed by soothing caramel and vanilla. Lingering dried fruit and spice finish. Not excessively aggressive like some young ryes I’ve tasted. I really like the dark sugar notes and lushness in this year’s release that provide balance. One of the best Handys.

91 Sazerac Rye 18 year old, 45%, $65
This whisky has been getting intermittently softer, less vibrant since the 2005 release. Additionally, this new release is slightly sweeter on the palate too, when compared to last year’s release. Is this good or bad? That depends on how you like your rye whiskeys. Personally, I’d like to see more rye zing, but the pleasing, soothing nature (for a rye) in this new release makes up for it. Notes of toffee, cinnamon, creamy vanilla, date, mocha, bramble, glazed citrus and soft mint, and dusty spice (nutmeg, cocoa), with a dry, polished leather finish.  I like it slightly better than last year’s release, which I rated an “87.” That was my least favorite vintage over the past five years. This new vintage is still not in the class of those classic Sazerac 18’s bottled in the first half of this decade (which I consistently rated 95 and higher).

84 Eagle Rare 17 year old, 45%, $65
Dry, spicy, and leathery on the nose, with candied fruit and toffee. Similar on the palate, but the dryness takes a more demonstrable role, especially towards the finish—leather, dried vanilla, warming cinnamon, brittle mint, with some candied fruit, toffee and molasses struggling to prop it all up. Bottom line here: this year’s offering has less of the richness, fullness, lush fruitiness and sweetness that balanced all the dried spice and leather notes the past two years (which I rated both a 94). Still a nice bourbon, but a slight setback for Eagle Rare 17 yr. old.

Category: Bourbon,New Releases,Reviews,Rye whiskey Tags: 24 Comments



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