Old Heaven Hill Gold Label Bottled In Bond Bourbon

A friend who handles estate sales sometimes finds alcohol in the properties, occasionally including some old treasures. This was a quart bottle bottled in 1979, about one-third full. As a bottled-in-bond product with no age statement, it must be at least 4 years old. The liquid was quite dark, much darker than the 6-year-old spirit from a few years ago and the current 7-year-old offerings. Even before I knew my son had opened it, I could smell it across the room. They say bourbon doesn't age in the bottle, but I'm sure it changes. Fortunately, this has a plastic screw cap. So, what's actually in the bottle? An intense rickhouse aroma on the nose, with oak, caramel, vanilla, and lingering spice. The thick legs suggested significant chewiness. Surprisingly, it was quite hot on the first taste, more like a 120-130 proof spirit, though true to the nose. The finish was fleeting. If you can still find a dusty 6-year-old bottled-in-bond, it's a superior product. The current 6-year-old, 90 proof, is even better. I'm adding half a point for nostalgia. The $7 price tag still on the quart bottle brought back memories of when you could simply go to your local liquor store, choose from about twenty bottles always on the shelf, and then go home to enjoy. It wasn't my preferred brand back then, but there was more consistency across brands, and at a bar, you'd typically just ask for a bourbon. For the record, Ezra Brooks was my brand.

Very good Bottled-in-Bond... All Bottled-in-Bond spirits are at least 4 years old Bottled-in-Bond is likely to become the new age statement as many bourbons are moving to no age statements...

Enjoyable even when consumed neat. An excellent budget bourbon choice.

My go-to inexpensive Bourbon!