Larceny Barrel Proof Archives – Whiskey for the Ages

Larceny Barrel Proof B522 Review

Posted on 10-October-202210-October-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Larceny Barrel Proof B522 Review

Original review written September 28, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

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

For more information, visit heavenhill.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian. Sister, Elora also enjoyed this pour with us.

Check out Brian’s review for this bourbon here!

SETTING:

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.

Photo by Caught In Joy on Unsplash

NOSE:

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 B522 REVIEW RATING: 75/100

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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

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Larceny Barrel Proof Batch C921 Review

Posted on 03-April-202228-June-2022 by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Larceny Barrel Proof Batch C921 Review

Original review written March 29, 2022

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

Possibly the best of the best when it comes to Larceny Barrel Proofs, Batch C921 has the balance other bourbons can only dream of, with every flavor profile represented well. I’m already looking to secure myself another bottle… somehow. 96/100

VITALS:

– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
– Classification: Wheated Bourbon
– Age: nas (Heaven Hill website indicates batches contain six- to eight-year-old bourbon
– Mash Bill: Corn=68%; Wheat=20%; Malted Barley=12%
– Casks: Char #3
– Barrel Entry Proof: 125
– ABV: 61.3% (122.6 proof)
– Price: $59.95 USD in Idaho 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 is rich with dark fruit, and really well balanced, and I still manage to find myself craving a salty snack. I’d love to turn to an artisan pretzel, sprinkled with sea salt and let all of the flavors of this bourbon sink into the breadiness of the pretzel. I can imagine them going together and enhancing each other’s qualities to make for a delicious after-dinner treat.

Photo by Mark Zanzig on Unsplash

NOSE:

Dark fruit, vanilla, and barrel char are immediately prevalent, along with a bread component. It’s almost like a boiled bread, like an artisan pretzel. Combined with the initial dark fruit (currants, dates, cherries, prunes, berry jam) and vanilla, it makes for an overall sweet bread. There’s even a confectioner’s sugar essence that makes the salivary glands go into hyperdrive, along with ginger to amp them up even more. It’s the kind of nose that tricks the brain into thinking this bourbon really is a baked good, and you are absolutely ready for that first bite.

The wheat of the mash still makes the nose exceedingly gentle and soft, taking away any aggressive alcohol burn that could be here. Nevertheless, deep inhales do coax out some heat and evoke more of the barrel char into the mix. It’s a great nose with a lot of balance – managing not to be overwhelmingly sweet – and it definitely has me ready to take a sip.

PALATE:

– Mouth Feel: Syrupy. It’s glossy, rich, and oily. It matches the simple syrup flavor I detect below and makes the pour that much more uniform.
– Balance: Extremely well-balanced. Nothing sticks out awkwardly, and everything seems to be rooted together in the space of darker flavors.
– Visual: Terracotta in color, this falls in sheets down the glass. It drops heavy and in thick legs, leaving a clear, almost perfectly circular ring behind, in the glass.

– Taste: I can hold it on my palate for much longer than I would have anticipated, given the proof. Despite the lack of intense alcohol burn, fruits abound with more of all the same dark ones that I detected in the nose. Next to them all now, are an increase in spices, from allspice, to cinnamon, to nutmeg. There’s also more earthy richness found on the palate as well, with the oak being more prominent and a hint of leather.

The confectioner’s sugar is still present as well, melted down to make a rich syrup that hasn’t quite turned golden – but still so sweet. Somehow, it manages to not overtake the other flavors either, standing on its own while letting the other flavors shine. The bourbon is sweet enough that I want a salty snack to go with it. However, I think that could be because I’m simply shocked with the goodness of this, and I don’t know what to do with myself. The vanilla is richer too, adding to this baked element concoction I’m developing in my head.

Alcohol still isn’t too aggressive on this sip, surprisingly. It’s warming, but it’s not painful. A Kentucky chew does heighten the burn, but it also brings out a savory, perhaps briny component. It tastes fine, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessary to chew this bourbon, no matter how much the flavors tempt you.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Long. The warmth certainly lingers, and there are even flavors that stick around as well after the sip is gone.
– Between Sips: Cinnamon, simple syrup, figs, other assorted dark fruit… the flavors of the palate simply do not leave! It’s not often you find such complexity in the pauses between sips, and I’m very pleased.

– No More: The warmth continues to grow the longer I sit with this bourbon. I’m just impressed with it. The flavors remain consistent, no matter what aspect of the bourbon I’m enjoying, and I don’t think I’ve gotten to say that about a pour before. Great offering and only climbs higher and higher in my respect as I near the bottom of the glass.

The empty Glencairn is a spicy sawdust, like a white pepper spice. It’s warm all the same, and a fine way to finish off this solid pour.

WORTH THE PRICE?

This may be the best Larceny Barrel Proof I have had to date, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of their offerings immensely. This one has a balance found only in dreams. Warmth and proof that don’t burn intensely, and every flavor profile you’re looking for. This one is most certainly worth the price, and I hope you all get to try it. It’s truly delicious.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF BATCH C921 REVIEW RATING: 96/100

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