whiskeyfortheages, Author at Whiskey for the Ages

National Bourbon Heritage Month 2022

Posted on 30-August-202230-August-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

National Bourbon Heritage Month 2022
^{30 Bourbons in 30 Days Challenge}

posted Tuesday, 30-August-2022

Welcome September – And as Bourbon Aficionados we should be partying! In fact, back in August 2007, the U.S. government thought we should all celebrate. You see, in the previous decades Kentucky citizens throughout the state had been enjoying Bourbon Festivals in downtown Bardstown. So Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning introduced a Simple Resolution to the 110th U.S. Congress …

^{… Now, therefore, be it …}
^{(1) That the Senate, designates September 2007 as “National Bourbon Heritage Month”,}
^{(2) recognizes bourbon as “America’s Native Spirit” and reinforces its heritage and tradition and its place in the history of the United States, and}
^{(3) recognizes the contributions of the Commonwealth of Kentucky to the culture of the United States.}
^{— S. Res. 294, 110th Congress¹}

RESOLUTION CONFIRMATION

The 110th Congress of the U.S. Senate passed S. Res. 294² by unanimous consent. Sadly, as a simple resolution, it was not law and non-binding and the legislation was never renewed. Still, the Commonwealth of Kentucky celebrates Bourbon Heritage Month every September.

Those of us who enjoy bourbon can still join in the party. We should make September our Bourbon Heritage Month. To which, Hannah, Elora and I are issuing our second 30 Bourbons in 30 Days WhiskeyfortheAges.com Challenge …

30 BOURBONS IN 30 DAYS CHALLENGE

Anyone can join along and the guidelines are simple:

National Bourbon Heritage Month 2022
30 Bourbons in 30 Days
Challenge – September 2021

No ryes, scotches or other whiskies … only bourbons.
Enjoy a different Bourbon every day. No duplicates … 30 different bourbons in 30 days.
Unique bourbon iterations are okay (I.e.: Maker’s Mark and Maker’s 46 or Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A121 and B521).
Open your bunker. Select your bourbons at random or develop a structured plan. (We are enjoying Idaho State Liquor Division Picks this year!) Make the challenge your own.
Keep track of and share your 30 Bourbons in 30 Days Calendar and bourbon treasures with the group.
Explore and Enjoy Bourbon Responsibly.

OUR WHISKEYFORTHEAGES.COM LIST

We’ve compiled our 30 Bourbons in 30 Days WhiskeyfortheAges.com Calendar like this …

This year we’ve chosen bourbons selected by the Idaho State Liquor Division (ISLD). These bourbons were exclusively available to Idaho residents and liquor store patrons (think Store Pick whiskies).

Mondays will be our review days … We will be selecting a more mainstream Bourbon from our bunker, prepare our reviews, then post them when ready later in the week. In addition, we will be sharing our thoughts on what we are drinking throughout the month in various Social Media platforms. It is our hope others will join in our conversations as well.

So how about it? Care to join in the fun?

Download your own 30 Bourbons in 30 days Challenge Calendar, fill it in and start sharing your bourbon picks today.

written and posted by

Brian Dawson
Editor, WhiskeyfortheAges.com

REFERENCES

¹Citation: S.Res. 294 — 110th Congress: A resolution designating September 2007 as “National Bourbon Heritage Month”. Retrieved from https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/110/sres294

²Click National Bourbon Heritage Month to read the entire resolution.

Larceny Barrel Proof A122 Bourbon

Posted on 04-July-202204-July-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Brian’s Larceny Barrel Proof A122 Bourbon Review:

reviewed 29-June-2022

LARCENY BARREL PROOF A122 BOURBON REVIEW:

Larceny Barrel Proof A122 Bourbon (Larceny BP A122) has quite a lot of ethanol on the nose. There is earthy roasted corn, dry hay, and musty tobacco leaves and the aroma of apple, cherry, and apricot compote flexes on the palate. The flavors are nearly masked by dark spices of black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. This bourbon is not sweet, but there is a hint of burnt dark chocolate, some brown sugar, and dark molasses as well. Overall, it is the earthiness which dominates. Hazy barrel char, tobacco ash, and musty leather fade in and out of every sip.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF A122 BOURBON VITAL STATS:

Category: Barrel Proof Wheated Bourbon
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distillery: Heaven Hill
Mashbill: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Barley
Barrel Char: #3
Age: nas (Heaven Hill states batches will contain six to eight year old bourbon)
Entry Barrel Proof: 125
ABV: 62.2% (124.4 Proof)
Availability: Tri-annual Limited Release
Batch: A122
▪”A” First release of the year
▪”1″ Released in January
▪”22″ Released in 2022
NABCA CSC #: 18860
Price: $59.95 USD (in Idaho, 2022)

^{The Larceny line of Bourbon is the modern heir of our historic wheated mashbill, known behind-the-scenes at our distillery as “O.F.D.” or Old Fitzgerald Distillate.
_{— Heaven Hill}}

Learn more at Heaven Hill Distillery.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

Taken out of the newly opened bottle, the first one and a half ounces mixed with the bourbon in our Infinity Bottle Project. Then, by alternating the pours, four once review amounts went into three Glencairns. My daughters and I enjoyed the bourbon neat as we prepared this review.

Check out Hannah’s review here!

LARCENY BARREL PROOF A122 NOSE:

At first draw, Larceny BP A122 greets with quite a lot of ethanol. Once I acclimate, roasted corn, dry hay, and musty tobacco blend with a lightly caramel coated fruit leather mixture of apple, cherry, and apricot. I smell baking spices of ginger, black pepper, bittersweet chocolate and faint vanilla. The sweets are few but come to the nose as woody brown sugar. But most noticeable are the earthy aromas of toasted almonds, fresh-cut pine, and musty leather.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF A122 PALATE:

Each sip of Larceny BP A122 is full of warming ethanol as dusty grain, green vegetables, and tobacco play tag on the tongue. This drinks more like a ryed bourbon than one from a wheated pedigree. The apple, cherry, and apricot compote sensed on the nose flexes a bit more, but the fruity flavors are nearly overshadowed by the warm dark spices of black pepper, cinnamon, and ginger. While this bourbon is not one I would call sweet, I do taste a hint of burnt dark chocolate, some brown sugar, and dark molasses. The earthiness sensed on the nose builds on the palate, as hazelnuts, dry oak, some barrel char and musty damp leather dominate.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
The aromas and flavors of Larceny BP A122 are well blended but for me, a bit heavy on the dirty side. In my mouth the liquid is viscous but aggressive, rough and gritty and at times, challenging to hold at length. As I tilt the glass then set it down, long clinging legs break from the curtain and fall quickly. When I swirl the glass, small droplets fall away, leaving a thin crown ring which hangs above the red-toned terracotta colored pool.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF A122 FINISH:

Larceny Barrel Proof A122 Bourbon offers a medium long throat warming and mild ethanol finish. In the aftertaste I get green vegetables, black pepper and burnt brown sugar caramel, a combination I am not sure I like. The earthy theme continues as hazy barrel char, tobacco ash, and musty leather fade in and out. As I finish the last drops, the empty Glencairn smells of ethanol, drying grain and oak sawdust.

MY RATING: 85/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Since its inception and release in January 2020, Larceny Barrel Proof bottles have become much sought after … I will seek out future releases regardless of rating.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 85/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Larceny.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:

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Larceny Barrel Proof A122 Review

Posted on 04-July-202204-July-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Larceny Barrel Proof A122 Review

Original review written June 29, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Maybe heavier on the earth and wood than other Larceny Barrel Proof’s, this one is still worth the buy – just treat it entirely as a new experience. 91/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Wheated Bourbon
– Age: nas (Heaven Hill states batches will contain six- to eight-year-old bourbon)
– Mash Bill: Corn=68%; Wheat=20%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 62.2% (124.4 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho in May 2022

For more information, visit heavenhill.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

This bourbon screams autumn to me – with the leaves found on the nose to the simply rich and earthy darkness of the overall palate. It’s something I imagine enjoying when the weather turns, and it’s misty outside with the raked leaves soaking in the moisture. The bourbon exacerbates the clean that comes from a changing season, while digging deep into the earth to reflect the fall season. Being almost 125 proof, this keeps you warm in that crisp air all the while.

Photo by Daniel Frank on Unsplash

NOSE:

Roasted grain, caramel, and cinnamon cross the nose first, hitting all sorts of flavor profiles. There’re also sweet marshmallows just on the verge of burning to a bitterness. Strangely, there’s a musty, earthy quality here as well, like a soaked pile of leaves in the fall. It’s a bit dirty, but it’s simultaneously fresh. Oak sawdust and a warm alcohol tingle, act as a solid foundation, but otherwise, this nose isn’t particularly complex. It’s dark with sweet, earthy tones – unlike other Larceny Barrel Proof’s I’ve had, but this one is still intriguing all the same.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Viscous. There’s texture here, but it swirls around on the palate pleasantly.
– Balance: Unexpected. Not necessarily bad, but this is heavy on the earth and wood tones, with only a little fruit and sugar to brighten it. I don’t mind it, though I am used to better balances coming from Larceny BP’s.
– Visual: Terracotta pot in color, this falls from a faint crown in long, evenly spaced legs. Once gone, that faint crown lingers and lingers.

– Taste: Grain and straw offer something to chew on the first sip with soaked wood chips and apricots following behind. The apricot is pureed into almost a jam consistency with sugar included. It makes for a sweeter, yet more diluted apricot flavor overall. Mixed with the stone fruit is honey, sweetening it further while also providing a different, yet equally appropriate kind of base, to the traditional oak. Despite these sugary flavors, this bourbon is actually quite musty and earthy. It’s dark in the way that I can taste the influence of the char on not just the barrel, but also the wheat. It has age on it, which imparts a richness and dare I say – a self-awareness. This bourbon just has character.

The alcohol is present, but I don’t find it overly aggressive. The heat sits primarily at the back of the palate and doesn’t seem inclined to hug – just hang out. When I partake in a Kentucky chew, the alcohol remains mild, poking a bit more. It allows me to find some darker fruits here like cherries, but they are fleeting. Overall, the chew is a fun exercise to this bourbon.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long. It’s been several minutes since I’ve had a sip, yet the warmth continues to sit at the back of my throat, and I do have some aftertaste lingering for a while as well.
– Between Sips: The wheat grain is the most distinguishable between sips, being musty like the rest of the palate while also acting as a grounding point overall for the bourbon.

– No More: This stays consistent throughout the glass, with the finish growing longer and longer after each sip. It’s decent, but it is unlike any of the other Larceny Barrel Proof’s we have had to date. I’m excited for the newness and simultaneously missing the characteristics I’ve come to define Larceny BP’s with.

The empty Glencairn is the warmest aspect of this nose, with the oak being fresh and punchy. And I can even find the grain here as well, proving this bourbon to be consistent all through to the end.

WORTH THE PRICE?

When it comes to anything barrel proof, I’ll always step up to buy and try. If you like the other Larceny’s and still want to hunt for this one, I think it’s worth the price of $60, but don’t expect the fruits that you may have tasted in the other offerings. A122 has its own story, and it’s best to let it stretch its legs without putting expectations on it, beyond having a richer, deeper “How-is-this-Larceny” profile. I’d buy again, but I’d sooner buy another batch of Larceny BP if available. (Remember – I like my fruits.)

LARCENY BARREL PROOF A122 REVIEW RATING: 91/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 91/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.
To access other whiskies from this brand, click Larceny.

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