Larceny Barrel Proof

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Larceny Barrel Proof
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Batch A120

61.6% ABV
$50
Website
Larceny Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

What the Distillery Says

Larceny Barrel Proof offers a new opportunity to experience our acclaimed wheated Bourbon mashbill in its purest form: non-chill filtered and bottled at full barrel proof. Released three times per year in January, May, and September, each offering is a bold yet balanced special Small Batch Bourbon rich with depth and distinction. Much like Larceny Small Batch and Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Larceny Barrel Proof is a welcome reminder of just how good wheated Bourbons can be.
Proof: Varies by Release
Age: 6-8 Years Old
Mashbill: 68% Corn | 20% Wheat | 12% Malted Barley

Wheated Bourbon In Its Purest Form
Larceny Barrel Proof offers Bourbon fans an exciting opportunity to experience Heaven Hill’s Wheated Bourbon mashbill in much the same way as our Master Distiller and expert tasting team sample it in the rickhouse. Bottled at full barrel strength, it showcases a truly bold character, richness, and depth of flavor from the years of interaction with the barrel’s charred and caramelized oak sugars.

Wheated Bourbons have gained popularity among connoisseurs in recent years. Heaven Hill’s proprietary mashbill has twice as much wheat as other distilleries, producing even more of those soft
and round flavors beloved in the style. The higher percentage of wheat is apparent in Whisky Advocate’s “Whisky of the Year” review, which notes “it begins with a flurry of sweet bakery aromas: honey bun, angel food cake, and apple pie à la mode.”

Tasting Notes
Color: Dark sepia
Aroma: Toasted bread, with maple and cinnamon
Taste: Rich molasses coats the tongue, with notes of fig and hazelnut
Finish: Nuanced flavor fades into lingering warmth

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, caramel sauce, brown sugar, cinnamon, toffee, hint of butterscotch and oak.
Palate:  Rich and thick mouthfeel, warm chocolate, vanilla, walnuts, toffee, oak and pepper spice.
Finish:  Moderately long, thick but drying with oak, cinnamon, caramel and pepper.
Comments:  This was the inaugural batch of Larceny Barrel Proof, and the only one I’ve tried – but wow, really nice! I’ll admit – Larceny underwhelmed me (nothing wrong with it, just wasn’t right in my wheelhouse). I found this to be really intense and rich, and a bit of water brings more toffee and butterscotch out while tamping the pepper edge a bit. A really nice high proof wheater (which shouldn’t have surprised me since Heaven Hill does whiskey really well). And there aren’t a lot of these out there (although certainly hope that changes!)

Rating: Must Try

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Maker’s Mark 101 Proof

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Maker’s Mark 101 Proof
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

50.5% ABV
$50 (1 liter)
Website
Maker's Mark 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky

What the Distillery* Says

Maker’s Mark® 101 is a bolder interpretation of our classic wheated whisky, bottled at 50.5% abv. This unfiltered expression exhibits a rich and creamy mouthfeel, with a mellow, lingering midpalate finish that combines the smoothness of classic Maker’s Mark, with enhanced natural notes of caramel and spicy fruit. Maker’s Mark 101 will launch nationally this holiday season for a limited time.

Maker’s says, “It’s fully matured Maker’s Mark bottled at 101 proof, which is the way Bill Samuels, Sr. would serve his personal guests at the distillery, showing off his signature bourbon in a bit bolder presentation than the 90 proof of regular Maker’s Mark. Fans will notice a sweet spicy nose and a palate of spicy fruit and caramel, complimented by Maker’s Mark 101’s rich and creamy mouthfeel, and its mellow, lingering midpalate finish.”

* The above is from various press releases and other public statements from Beam-Suntory; this expression was originally released as a travel retail exclusive in 2018. There is no mention of the product on their website.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla bean, canned fruit salad, subtle oak, light caramel, grassy with a hint of anise.
Palate:  Caramel with vanilla, nutmeg, soft cinnamon, a bit of pepper over fruit, shortbread cookies and toffee.
Finish:  Moderately wet with caramel, fruit and cinnamon.
Comments:  This is a pretty nice proof for Maker’s Mark – although if you can find Maker’s Mark Cask Strength for $40 for a 750 mL, you can bring that down to 50.5% ABV for slightly less (or – don’t). That said, fans of Maker’s Mark I’m sure will find this to be a delicious bottle, and the extra 250 mL over the standard might at least delay a trip to the store a bit. No idea how it fares with water, as I didn’t add any – really nice right from the bottle.

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Barrell Bourbon Batch 030

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Barrell Bourbon Batch 030

58.66% ABV
$90
Website
Barrell Batch 030
We would like to thank Barrell Craft Spirits and Ro-Bro Marketing & PR for sending us a sample to review.

What the Blender Says

Barrell Bourbon Batch 030 began with a group of tropical fruit forward 5-year-old Indiana barrels, a group of stone fruit forward 10-year-old high-rye Tennessee barrels, and a group of nutty 6, 9, 11, and 15-year-old barrels. After mingling separately for a month, they were carefully blended together. Finally, wheated bourbon from Kentucky and Wyoming was added to enhance the complexity of the blend.

  • A blend of straight Bourbon Whiskeys
  • Distilled and aged in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, and Wyoming
  • Selection of 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 15-year-old barrels
  • Aged in American white oak barrels
  • Bottled in Kentucky
  • 117.32 proof cask strength bottling

FLAVOR NOTES
An old-school bourbon that deftly balances the individuality of its many sources, incorporating notes of bright French cider with an array of subtle herbs, florals, and the richness of pumpkin pie. The oak is restrained, suggesting coconut and baking spices without overshadowing the spirit’s innate complexity.

​Neat
Appearance: Rich and golden with a bright hue and a striking viscosity.
Nose: Bright and perfumed notes of French cider, inflected with quince and a touch of apple cider vinegar. As your nose adjusts, peach cobbler, pumpkin and fig take over. There’s an earthy side, displaying radishes and butter, tahini, and damp wool. The oak brings coconut macaroon, coriander, and peppermint, without smelling woodsy.
Palate: A sweet and tightly focused entry, tasting of coffee ice cream in an oatmeal raisin cookie sandwich. Basil, fennel seed, and a whole mug of chai round out the herb & spice register. Fruits are subtle but delightfully tropical, around orange curacao, pawpaw, and toasted coconut.
Finish: A burst of caramel and milk chocolate overwhelms the palate. As it fades, the tongue is left with rich, almost fatty notes of orgeat, chestnut honey, and beeswax. An exhale through the nose carries quite opulent aromas of molasses and fig..

With a few drops of spring water
While water usually subdues the oak, here it dials up, introducing crushed walnut, new leather, and a wisp of bonfire smoke. The palate, too, hews darker, with milk chocolate dominating the profile through the finish until only a lingering note of candied rose petal remains.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Caramel apples, fall leaves, toffee, oak, pumpkin spice with a hint of tarragon.
Palate:  Rich with chocolate, caramel, hazelnuts, cinnamon, bit of clove, coffee cake, hints of orange zest and anise.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with oak, caramel and chocolate.
Comments:  This batch absolutely has a ‘fall vibe’ going on. No, this isn’t “Pumpkin Spiced Bourbon” – it’s subtle (I mean, the main spices in a typical ‘Pumpkin Pie Spice’ blend are cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, clove, and allspice; ginger doesn’t pop up as often as the rest, but hopefully you get the point). It goes even further with some water bringing out notes of cranberries (as well as leather and toasted walnuts). As I love fall, I’m really digging this blend – and continue to be impressed with their tasting notes (the best, most consistently reliable that I’ve seen).  .

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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Yellowstone 2021 Limited Edition

/ / Bourbon, Review /

Yellowstone 2021 Limited Edition
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Finished in Amarone Casks

50.5% ABV
$100
Website
Yellowstone 2021 Limited Edition
We would like to thank Limestone Branch and BYRNE PR for sending us samples to review.

What the Producer Says

Limestone Branch Distillery is releasing 2021 Yellowstone Limited Edition Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Featuring the most mature and flavorful 7-year-old and 15-year-old bourbons hand-selected by Limestone Branch Master Distiller Stephen Beam – including select 7-year-old barrels finished in Amarone casks – the latest expression of Yellowstone Limited Edition will be available at retail starting in July 2021 at a suggested retail price of $99.99 per bottle.

Each year since 2015, Beam has produced a unique, limited-edition bourbon under the Yellowstone brand, which was established in 1872 by Beam’s great-great-grandfather and early bourbon pioneer, J.W. Dant. For this year’s Yellowstone Limited Edition, Beam selected Amarone casks to finish select barrels of 7-year-old-bourbon to complement the tasting notes of the extra-aged bourbons that make up this year’s Limited Edition.

“Amarone is a rich, red wine that – much like bourbon – takes time and patience to craft and requires at least two years in oak casks to age. Finishing select barrels in these Amarone casks brings notes of fresh cracked pepper and tobacco, as well as hints of black cherry, fig and dark chocolate to the classic bourbon notes of caramel, vanilla and hints of citrus,” explained Beam. “With a finish of oxidized fruit, cherry and black currant, this bourbon is reminiscent of pre-Prohibition whiskeys.”

2021 Limited Edition will be bottled at 101 proof (50.5% ABV) and sold in custom-designed bottles featuring embossing, a high-end natural cork and a label featuring the 2021 Yellowstone Limited Edition emblem. Beginning in July, 7,500 cases (3 bottles per case) will be available at retail locations nationwide – a 50% increase in production over 2020.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Caramel and vanilla complimented by dried fruit and chocolate
Palate: Vanilla and caramel with hints of citrus followed by black cherry, dark chocolate, and fig
Finish: Reminiscent of pre-prohibition bourbons, with a sweet cherry and black currant finish

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich salted caramel, honey, vanilla, oak tannins, rickhouse mustiness, hints of red wine and dried fruit with dark chocolate.
Palate:  Caramel, vanilla, subtle orange bitters with black cherry, cinnamon, black pepper and nutmeg.
Finish:  Moderate in length, wet with vanilla and cherry cola.
Comments:  I really appreciate the restraint and balance that the folks at Limestone Branch employ with these Yellowstone Limited Editions that are cask finished. It has been consistently well done in my opinion, in that the finishing is subtle – adding without distracting from the core bourbon. In fact, had I not known this was finished, not sure that would have jumped out – as the bourbon is the star. A bit of water brings out more cherry notes while tamping the spice edginess, although it drinks nicely neat.

Rating: Stands Out

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Compass Box Magic Cask

/ / Review, Scottish Whisky /

Compass Box Magic Cask
Blended Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$175-$185
Website
Compass Box Magic Cask Blended Scotch Whisky

What the Blender Says

A precocious whisky from a magic cask.
When we began a maturation trial in 2016, we hadn’t expected the whiskies to develop such deliciousness in so short a period of time. One-year-old malt spirit, made at a Speyside distillery famous for the robust character of its whiskies, was re-racked into first fill Oloroso-seasoned butts. Sampling them three years later, one particular cask – #2 – proved so compelling that we began to experiment.

A parcel of first fill Bourbon barrels containing whisky from the now closed Imperial Distillery had sat in our sample library for some years. Though delicious in its own right, as whiskymakers we couldn’t hit on the ideal match. The much younger malt whisky from the Oloroso-seasoned cask proved the ideal means to deepen the fruity and creamy profile of this rare parcel.

Magic Cask is perfect for those who appreciate lush fruitiness and fullness of body in their malt whiskies. Pour Magic Cask after dinner and savour its medley of autumn fruits and dark chocolate.

The ten Oloroso butts from which the “magic cask” emerged were sourced from Bodega José y Miguel Martín (J&MM). We requested a grade of American oak that would deliver moderate tannin and – for this parcel – a gentle seasoning process with Oloroso wine. Masters of their art, J&MM could dial up just the right levels of sweetness, tartness and spiciness, ensuring that cask #2 in particular delivered everything we desired from a Sherry cask.

TECHNICAL DETAILS: Natural colour | Not chill-filtered | Bottled March 2020 | A limited edition of 5,538 bottles

LEAD WHISKYMAKERS: John Glaser and James Saxon.

FLAVOUR PROFILE: Aromas of marmalade and chai tea spices, with hints of plum. Ripe, golden dessert apples dominate the luscious palate, supported by an oaky richness. Flavours of toffee and cocoa powder are also conjured up.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich, bright fruit notes of apple and kiwi, orange marmalade, honey, vanilla, a note of cedar.
Palate:  Rich and creamy with apples, pears, peaches, toasted oak, milk chocolate, hint of raisins, toffee and light caramel.
Finish:  Moderately long, damp with apples, honey and toffee.
Comments:  Classic Compass Box. Elegant, rich and well balanced. When I first tried, I thought it was a bit light but it unveiled more nuance in each subsequent sitting. I’m unfamiliar with the now closed Imperial distillery’s single malt, but this is fairly nuanced and gentle. A bit of water (not too much) coaxes out the fruit and caramel notes, as well as letting sit in the glass. I’m pretty impatient, so I hate to admit that letting a pour like this sit for 10-15 minutes BEFORE nosing it makes a difference – but it does.

Rating: Must Try

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