Review #17 Larceny Barrel Proof: Bourbon

Score: 8.7 / 10

Distillery: Heaven Hill

Type: Kentucky Straight Wheated

Pro-tip: Don’t leave your newly cracked bottle at an impromptu Valentine’s Day party that inadvertently turns into a rager. Quick story time – when Heaven Hill announced that they would be releasing a Larceny Barrel Proof in early 2020 it was immediately on my radar. Fast forward to February 14th and I stopped by my favorite local store – I talked to the owner for a bit and we chatted about whiskies. In passing I mentioned I was interested in Larceny Barrel Proof with the recent announcement, of course he said he had a bottle and sold it to me for $49. I went over to my GF’s house with some roses and the whiskey. Starting to take a few nice pictures of the bottle while sampling a pour.

I liked it a whole lot and left it on the counter while we ran out the door to get to our dinner reservation. We knew that there were going to be some people over for a small party, but when we returned from dinner the few people turned into a lot of people and a full blown party. Of course we continued to party with our friends and eventually passed out in a drunken stupor. I awoke the next morning hungover and with roughly 3oz of the Larceny left (which is what I am drinking as I write this review). I wasn’t expecting the party to gobble up the Larceny, but I’m glad our friends enjoyed it – the best whiskey is always enjoyed with friends!

Whiskey Review:

Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A120 - 61.6% (123.2 proof)

Nose: wheat is evident immediately, taking long sniffs results in fresh baked wheat bread shining through with toasted sugar and vanilla.

Palate: creamy, oily and viscous with citrus emanating from the center of the tongue, surround by big fruit flavors that include cherry, watermelon and plum. A prick of cinnamon, brown sugar, spice and oak finishes off the drinking experience.

Finish: long lingering caramel, vanilla, cinnamon with a perfectly balanced ‘whiskey hug’. Very tannic and dries out the mouth immediately, however the dryness is juxtaposed by any remnants of the pour that leave a craveable juiciness on the tongue and lips.

Score 8.7

Scale:

S+ Sensational - The Pinnacle (9.5+)

A - AXEceptional (astounding) (9-9.5)

B - bravo (step aBove average) (8-8.9)

C - competent (7-7.9)

D - disappointing (6-6.9)

F - flush it down the toilet (fail) (5.9 below)

Notes: Availability? Uncommon. This bourbon is really gaining traction, so it might not be un-common for long.... However as of this date you can find it and store picks on a semi-regular basis.