In this, the third episode of Series 3, Hannah, Elora and Brian discuss how they go about placing value on the whiskies they pour. They also discuss some great values product, and when (if ever) they might pay a little bit more for something special. And of course there will be some Whiskey News, and a brief overview of the rest of this series.
Unfortunately, my least favorite of the Larceny Barrel Proof bunch. It’s on the simpler side with traditional bourbon warmth being the only major offering here. 75/100
VITALS:
– Made In: Kentucky, USA – Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery – Classification: Wheated Bourbon – Age: nas – Mash Bill: Corn=68%; Wheat=20%; Barley=12% – Casks: Char #3 – Barrel Entry Proof: 125 – ABV: 61.9% (123.8 proof) – Price: $64.95 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.” of Old Fitzgerald Distillate.” – Heaven Hill Distillery
This is bourbon to have when you’re preoccupied. I imagine sitting perhaps in a music studio, surrounded by sound and ultimate focus is being channeled. This bourbon will keep the fire alive in the gut while not distracting you from the task at hand. It’s a coal powered locomotive machine of determination.
Classic Heaven Hill pepper greets the nose first, followed by a dark molasses, chocolate, and seasoned fig. Along with them is a dark maple syrup, drizzled over the top of a sweet, fluffy waffle. They all meld together well and even though this is high proof, I can really dig into the glass with an inhale, not feeling too afraid about the burn. I can find oak as well, but I think a fresh evergreen pine really lies at the heart of the wood foundation for this bourbon. There’s a bite of freshness all while being consistently soft and unaggressive. Despite the initial inhale of Heaven Hill pepper, this nose really stands out from its distillery peers, carrying dark sweet notes with it. It’s refreshing and original, and I’m looking forward to the sip of this one.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Perhaps my favorite aspect of this bourbon, it’s raspy and settles nicely across the palate. – Balance: Uniform in the way that there isn’t a hero here. – Visual: Mahogany in color, this left small droplets in a haphazard crown.
– Taste: I can hold this impossibly long on the palate without feeling the burn nearly at all. And while the nose had offered many complex aromas, I’m finding initial impressions of the flavor to be a little lackluster. There’s a yeasty essence and certainly grain, but beyond this, it feels a bit plain. The alcohol grows from the chest – well beyond the ability to taste anything new, but present enough to give a hug. I keep searching and searching but all I am really met with is traditional bourbon heat. These are not flavors I am accustomed to finding in a Larceny Barrel Proof, and I find myself disappointed. If I want a deep and warm pour, I’ll reach for this, but it does not offer the complexity I have come to expect of these BP’s.
A Kentucky chew unfortunately doesn’t evoke any other flavors beyond a deeper oak. The alcohol penetrates the tongue like needles – tightly compacted to make the burn more akin to a limb falling asleep than alcohol burn.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Medium. The warmth is there, and it grows in intensity the longer I sit with this. – Between Sips: Empty of extra flavors. Really only left with bourbon warmth.
– No More: This, regretfully, didn’t change the further I get into the glass. I wanted to find more flavors, and I traditionally love Larceny Barrel Proof’s for their complex, fruity flavors. They just never appeared in this bourbon.
The empty Glencairn is a beautiful oak sawdust – full of warmth and the Heaven Hill stamp I’ve been hunting for in this bourbon. Why couldn’t this be here earlier?
WORTH THE PRICE?
For $65, I’ll just say it – I’d rather buy Old Forester 1920. The bourbon warmth is the highlight of this Barrel Proof, but beyond that, I’m hitting a wall of simplicity. For $65, even in a growing price market in bourbon, I need a bit more complexity in my pour. This batch isn’t quite worth it for me.
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
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.
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.
