Black Maple Hill Premium Small Batch Bourbon Aged Sixteen Years
47.5% ABV
$125-$150
Website
What the Distillery Says:
Nothing really. If you want some great background on Black Maple Hill check out this by Chuck Cowdery.
What Richard Says:
Nose: Fresh out of the bottle this is a raw hairy beast breaking out of the cage. Very rough. Let it sit in the glass a bit and breath and you get toffee, vanilla, broken cigarette tobacco, and old broken finished pine. Think of a old pine dresser that split in a move.
Palate: Heavy on the wood and then a big smack of black pepper and rye. This did not age like a Buffalo Trace (George T. Stagg) or Stitzel Weller (Pappy Van Winkle) bourbon. The wood clearly dominates. It’s not bad but there’s not balance here.
Finish: Very tannic and dry. It’s like the driest Cabernet Sauvignon you’ve ever tried.
Comments: I saw, I coveted, I bought. It cost me $130 plus tax. Don’t make the same mistake. It’s not awful but at or below the price point there are SO MANY better tasting bourbons out there. I know there are devoted followers at the pantheon of Black Maple Hill but the bourbons I drank ten years ago are not the ones being bottled now. Some folks like Dave Driscoll over at K&L still sing the praise. I don’t really see what they see in it but that’s one of the great things about taste. It’s personal so drink what you like. However, at $130 a bottle I would suggest you try before you buy. This is not a white whale you need to hunt.