Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey (2024 Antique Collection)

Name: Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey (2024 Antique Collection)
Brand: Buffalo Trace
SKU: 088004000035-24
Price: 499.95 USD
Availability: InStock

Price

$499.95

/

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 6 Years, 3 Months (2024 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 127.2

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Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

127.2

Proof

63.6%

ABV

750 mL

Format

6Y 3M

Age at Bottling

28.0%

Loss

Kentucky

Region

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey 2024 is Buffalo Trace Distillery's uncut, unfiltered rye in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. Filled in the spring of 2018 at 125 proof and bottled six years and three months later at 127.2 proof (63.6% ABV), it lost 28% of its volume to evaporation on floors Buffalo Trace described only as middle to top.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

01

The proof went up, not down: Filled at 125 and bottled at 127.2 — the batch gained strength in the wood, reversing what the 2023 release did when it came out a tenth under its fill.

02

The year the warehouse went unlisted: Buffalo Trace's 2024 release letters dropped the rickhouse identity; the record carries the floor band only, naming middle to top floors.

03

Uncut and unfiltered: Filtration is recorded as none, and 28% of the whiskey went to evaporation across six years and three months.

04

The only barrel-strength rye in the 2024 set: The collection's other rye, Sazerac 18-Year-Old, goes out at 90 proof.

05

London Spirits Challenge Gold: Awarded a Gold Medal at the 2025 London Spirits Challenge, confirming top international acclaim.

Nº 02

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Sazerac Heritage

Frankfort Cask-Strength Rye Legacy

Distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery (DSP-KY-113) in Frankfort, Kentucky, Thomas H. Handy honors the legendary 19th-century New Orleans saloon owner who first popularized rye whiskey in the classic Sazerac cocktail. Bottled at full barrel strength, this expression delivers the pure, uncompromised energy of Buffalo Trace's benchmark straight rye distillate.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

Minnesota Rye & Cumberland Cooperage Oak

Ancestral Mash Platform

Minnesota Rye Grain Core

Distilled from Kentucky corn, plump rye, and distillers malted barley for intense grain spice and pepper complexity.

Middle to Top Floors

Upper Deck Maturation

Aged on middle to top rickhouse decks over 6 years 3 months, driving rich wood spice while yielding an 86.0% / 28% evaporation loss.

127.2 Barrel Proof

Uncut & Unfiltered

Bottled straight from the cask at 127.2 proof (63.6% ABV) without chill filtration or dilution loops, preserving all natural grain oils.

Cumberland Cooperage Oak

#4 Heavy Char Cooperage

Entered the barrel at 125 proof in new 53-gallon American white oak barrels subjected to a 55-second #4 char fire treatment.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery Tasting Notes

I

Sensory Profile

Nose: Freshly cracked black pepper, ground cinnamon, citrus oils, and light rackhouse oak.
Palate: High viscosity and spice-forward; sweet crème brûlée meeting intense sour dill, dark chocolate shards, black pepper, and full barrel proof spice.
Finish: Elongated, punchy, and highly peppery, with structural oak wood oil and warming rye oils that linger for minutes.

† Official tasting notes provided directly by Buffalo Trace Distillery.

II

Strategic Position

Handy is the youngest whiskey in the Antique Collection and the one whose number moves most visibly from year to year. The 2024 batch went up, to 127.2 from the 124.9 of the 2023 Handy that bottled under its fill strength, while the 2024 Weller that fell to 125.8 proof moved the other way inside the same box. Compare it directly with the 129.8-proof 2025 Handy in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

London Spirits Challenge Gold Medal

Honored with a Gold Medal at the 2025 London Spirits Challenge, confirming top international acclaim.

→

Rye Whiskey Vault Context

Catalogued within the primary Whiskey Collection and The Vault at Midnight Whiskey.

Evaluated strictly on verified liquid specifications, physical inspects, and primary distillery disclosures.

Collector IndexTHH 2024 RELEASE

Distillery: Buffalo Trace (DSP-KY-113)
Series Position: 2024 BTAC Allocation
Category: Kentucky Straight Rye
Proof / ABV: 127.2 Proof (63.6% ABV)
Age Statement: 6 Years 3 Months (Distilled 2018)
Format: 750 mL

Explore the complete Whiskey collection in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

PRODUCER / DISTILLERY	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac Company)
COLLECTION	2024 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)
CATEGORY	Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey (Cask Strength)
AGE AT BOTTLING	6 Years 3 Months (Distilled Spring 2018, Bottled Fall 2024)
PROOF / ABV	127.2 Proof / 63.6% ABV (Uncut & Unfiltered)
GRAIN RECIPE	Minnesota Rye, Kentucky Corn, North Dakota Malted Barley
WAREHOUSE / FLOORS	Middle to Top Floors (28.0% Evaporation Loss)
ACCOLADES	Gold Medal · 2025 London Spirits Challenge
REGION	Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT	750 mL
SKU	088004000035-24

† Specifications and details verified directly from physical bottle inspects and producer disclosures.

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Buffalo Trace distils its straight rye recipe to 135 proof off the still and fills the barrel at 125. The barrels behind the 2024 release went into the wood in the spring of 2018 and were drawn six years and three months later. For 2024 the distillery's release letters gave a floor band — middle to top — but not the rickhouse, breaking with the warehouse-and-floor detail published in earlier years. Evaporation took 28% of the volume. Filtration is recorded as none, and the whiskey went into the bottle at 127.2 proof, above the strength it went into the wood at.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is the 2024 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac?

The 2024 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac is bottled uncut and unfiltered at 127.2 proof (63.6% ABV), up from 124.9 proof in 2023. Buffalo Trace distilled it in the spring of 2018 and bottled it six years and three months later, after 28% of the volume was lost to evaporation. Nothing is added and nothing is filtered out, so the proof is whatever the wood returned.

Why isn't a warehouse listed for the 2024 Thomas H. Handy?

Buffalo Trace stopped naming the rickhouse in its 2024 Antique Collection release letters. For the 2024 Thomas H. Handy Sazerac the record gives a floor band only — middle to top floors — where earlier years named both the warehouse and the floors. The 2023 release, for comparison, is on record as Warehouse S, floors 3 and 4.

Is Thomas H. Handy a rye or a bourbon?

Thomas H. Handy Sazerac is a Kentucky straight rye whiskey, made on Buffalo Trace's straight rye recipe and named for the New Orleans bar owner who built the Sazerac cocktail on rye rather than French brandy. In the 2024 Antique Collection it is the only rye bottled at barrel strength; the collection's other rye, Sazerac 18-Year-Old, goes out at 90 proof. Buffalo Trace does not publish the grain percentages.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace Distillery · Thomas H. Handy Sazerac (2024 Release)

Shipping information

Adult Signature Required: Federal law requires an adult (21+) with a valid government ID to sign for all deliveries. Carriers cannot leave alcohol unattended.

Processing Time: Most orders process within 1–8 business days. You will receive a tracking number via email as soon as your bottle ships.

Insured Shipping: We strongly recommend electing Shipping Protection at checkout. Midnight Whiskey is not liable for loss or damage once in the carrier's possession unless insurance is purchased.

Restrictions: We ship only within the permitted U.S. states and cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes or U.S. Territories.

All Sales Final: Due to alcohol regulations, we cannot accept returns for change of mind.

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Thomas H. Handy

The Elemental Distinction

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Sazerac Heritage