Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch B520

The smell features butter and caramel. A significant butter aroma is present, akin to toasted butter in a cast iron pan, buttered corn, and buttered bread. Additionally, there are notes of lavender, shaving soap, wood stain, strawberry, bacon infused with maple syrup, black licorice, and caramel-covered red fruit. While ethanol is noticeable, it doesn't quite seem to match the stated proof. Wood aromas emerge, including freshly cut lumber, sawdust, and a faint, distant campfire or burning wood scent. A delightful raspberry note develops as the spirit rests in the glass. This raspberry tends to blend with the butter and maple syrup, softening the profile and shifting it towards a raspberry vanilla cream. This, in turn, is punctuated by bursts of black licorice, an unexpected but pleasant pairing with the raspberry. The aroma is truly exceptional. It presents as slightly immature and mildly sharp at times, yet it consistently offers more and more. The initial taste is caramel and vanilla, followed by oak tannins, and then a burn from both wood and ethanol. Consumed neat, it's a bit too intense for my preference. It possesses a melt-in-your-mouth quality, similar to a certain other expression. In a rocks glass with two cubes, just enough whiskey to cover them, and allowing them to melt, the palate seems to perform best, though it unfortunately diminishes the aroma. With the cubes melted, caramel and vanilla persist. Honey is introduced. A raw cinnamon note appears, reminiscent of the scent of an unground cinnamon stick, full of potential. Raspberry reappears, now on its own. Black licorice, mint and menthol, and some herbal tea notes are detected. Oak flavor and bitter tannins remain prominent. Prolonged exposure on the tongue, allowing it to warm, introduces baking spices, baked goods notes, a generous amount of chocolate powder, and a hint of coffee. The finish is very extended, with cinnamon burn and tannin-induced puckering lingering on the sides of the tongue for several minutes after the last sip. A subtle hint of chocolate and honey is also present. Almond and peanut become noticeable as the spice subsides. The final impression is a hoppy, herbal bitterness. It was a significant choice for review number 99. The selection for number 100 is currently undecided. To be frank, I don't particularly enjoy this whiskey overall. The aroma is outstanding, but drinking it requires deliberate effort, planning, and contemplation. If chilled, as I did, much of the aroma is lost. Perhaps varying amounts of water might reveal better results for both the aroma and palate, but I have other spirits to sample and am not sufficiently invested in this particular one to explore all its subtleties. You likely feel the same. I appreciate uncut, cask strength, barrel proof, untouched, unadulterated spirits. However, this is one that might be improved with careful dilution by an in-house expert with ample time to experiment (at the company's expense, naturally) to find the precise point where the aroma and palate harmonize. Would that be at 55% ABV? 50%? 46%? I'm unsure, as I'm not fond of complex calculations and, as previously mentioned, lack the motivation to determine it for this bottle in my possession. Ultimately, the barrel proof nature of this spirit does not benefit it; it needs dilution, likely at a very specific ratio, and the distillery was somewhat remiss in not undertaking that task. Consider Russell's Reserve at 55% ABV – why not bottle it at barrel proof? Because someone invested the time to consider, taste, and test it, concluding it was superior when diluted to a precise degree. The same applies here, but the distillery opted to leave that task to the consumer (or not). I can understand some individuals appreciating that approach. I can also see how it might be perceived as an attempt to capitalize on the barrel proof trend. Whatever the intention, it was effective. Refer to Whisky Advocate, Winter 2020, page 61. In summary, I would refrain from purchasing this at the price I paid. At standard retail, perhaps two bottles would offer a good chance of achieving an excellent balance of water and whiskey, with enough remaining to be enjoyable. However, I would prefer to simply drink another whiskey rather than expend that effort.

LARCENY BP B520 *Aroma: Pours a pleasing dark mahogany into the Glencairn. Maple. Caramel Praline Peanuts. Dusty Oak. Dry Toast. Hay. Just a hint of orange peel. A touch of stinging heat. *Neat: I find standard Larceny drinks hotter than its stated proof. I wouldn't say this drinks hotter, but it certainly delivers at its 122.2 proof. It has a thick, clinging mouthfeel. I detect that characteristic Larceny vegetal sweet potato note I always find. Brown Sugar. Cinnamon. Dry Roasted Peanuts. The oak is overly astringent. The finish is quite long with a pleasant Kentucky hug. An iced tea sweetness coats the palate alongside some bitter tannins. *With a Splash: Brings the vegetal note to the aroma and intensifies the peanut flavor on the palate. I believe this would be good with a large ice cube or mixed into an Old Fashioned with Angostura bitters. *Conclusion: This has some flaws (excessive heat/tannins) but is generally a decent bourbon. My main issue is that I don't find it any better or worse than the standard version, unlike Maker's Mark Cask Strength, WT Rare Breed, ECBP, Booker's, etc., which are significant upgrades to their lower-proof counterparts. For a cask strength wheated bourbon at the same $50 price point, I'd always choose MMCS over this.

During a trip to Florida, four of us sampled four high-proof wheated bourbons. About halfway through, I was reminded of how high-proof spirits can sometimes overwhelm my taste buds and nose. The Larceny bottles were tasted first, but I returned to re-sample the MM and BC. The rankings remained the same, though I still believe the BC will improve. The tastings: Larceny barrel proof batches A120 and B520, both in the bottom third. Makers Mark barrel stave program with 6 French mocha staves at 109 proof, in the top third. Boone County 7yr SiB at 122 proof, in the top third. This was stiff competition with very close scores. We all enjoyed sharing our thoughts, with responses ranging from "Yeah, now that you mention it" to "No not at all." No one was offended by any opinion. A great way to spend the afternoon with ribs on the smoker. The nose is mildly hot but reveals sugar wafers and maple with aeration. The palate is heavy on vanilla, with maple, brown sugar, and little alcohol. The finish is moderately long with maple and oak. Our group unanimously favored this expression. It had an excellent nose and palate, was well-balanced with a good finish, and drank below its stated proof.

Larceny BP 520 has a fantastic nose. It has several different scents all the way from vanilla to worn out leather and tobacco leaf. There is caramel, sweet butterscotch, apple peel and cherry on the nose as well. The palate is quite complex and somewhat spicy for a wheated bourbon. The palate starts with nutmeg and cinnamon which I normally get in the finish on most bourbons so it’s interesting. Then caramel, toffee, salted peanuts and maple syrup take over before a finish of leather and vanilla with some slight barrel spice and a warming Kentucky hug appear. The experience is enjoyable and unique in that it’s not nearly as sweet as I thought and gives off a great nose. The finish is pleasant and strong like you would expect but the mouthfeel is excellent! The oak tannins on the back end are present but held in check to my preference.

Larceny Barrel Proof is a wheated bourbon released three times annually (A-January, B-May, C-September) by Heaven Hill Distillery. It's bottled at full barrel proof without chill filtration. This B520 bottling was 122.2 proof/61.1% ABV. The tasting was hot throughout, but the sweetness from the wheat mashbill balanced it out. It's not the greatest wheated bourbon, but a solid alternative to the hard-to-find Weller selections. Color: Dark sepia Nose: The alcohol aromas are evident from the start, but with some aeration, notes of maple, honey, butterscotch, caramel, and brown butter emerge. The palate is very spicy but features pleasant notes of caramel, brown sugar, cinnamon, and charred oak. The finish is long and warm with some fading sweetness and toasted oakiness.

It's certainly potent. It bears some resemblance to the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof that greatly impressed me, though not quite as powerful. The aroma is very lively and fresh, with floral notes, hints of copper and cherry, and a consistent stream of ethanol. The palate offers a lot. Ethanol arrives first, followed by cherry and oak spice, some mint, a subtle bready quality, more of that freshness from the aroma with herbal notes, and more ethanol. Then, from the middle of the palate to the end, it becomes dryingly cinnamon (similar to Hot Tamales intensity), with slight chocolate notes, and then a lingering ethanol sensation. I'd be curious to taste it after some oxidation.