2020 William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy

 

2020 William Larue Weller 134.5°

 

Nose:  Potent with a sweet, sugary cane with a spicy heat nose that seems to swirl as you sniff more and more. A second sniff reminds me of the air of soft mist and fog in the morning amid the middle of marsh. 

 

Palate:  Potent with extensive heat that immediately captivates the cavities of the mouth...  The heat seems to skyrocket immediately upon first taste.  There is an intriguing sourness that accompanies the sweetness… The depth of mid-palate familiar to WLW arrives afterward. There is a flavor associated with viscous items of old that reminds me of the 2019 King of Kentucky in the mid-palate. This year’s expression seems to deviate from the familiar depths of sweetness reminiscent of other WLW expression.   

 

Verdict:  If I tasted this independently, I would not have been unable to guess it is a Larue. Intriguing. I look forward to revisiting it again in a week.   

 

2020 Thomas H. Handy 129.0°

 

Nose: A welcoming sweetness with an ethereal feeling… There is a warmth to it that reminds me of the kiss of the sunshine while one looks at the hues of blue water splash upon the sands of the beat at Trunk’s Bay on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands. A slight spiciness intermingled with a little bit of grassiness accompanies the sweetness. As more air is drawn, the heat seems to rise a little more.  

 

Palate:  The grassiness hits the tip with the sweetness to follow. Much depths in flavor follows with just enough heat to keep it interesting. After a drop of water, a dark chocolate note comes that intermingle with the rest. The heat balances out and seems to dance while seeming to possess more layers of flavor. Slight bitterness comes at the end. 

 

Verdict:  I’m excited that this year’s expression brings back the traditional characteristic of THH compared to last year’s… There is the complex sweet rye that seems to surprise people – making them forget that they are tasting a rye. Very pleasant.

 

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