Brian’s Larceny Barrel Proof C922 Review:
reviewed 19-September-2023
LARCENY BARREL PROOF C922 BOURBON REVIEW:
Larceny Barrel Proof C922 (Larceny C922) surprises with minimal alcohol presence despite its high ABV. I sense warm sherry notes in its balanced aroma and flavors of dark berries, vanilla, brown sugar, woody caramel, and Bit ‘o Honey candy. And while the spice car of cinnamon, ginger, black pepper lags behind, barrel tannins, weathered oak timbers, barrel spice, and burnt oak notes, affirm its earthy character. This interesting and broody pour would be welcome on a blustery winter’s evening, inside by a roaring fire.
LARCENY BARREL PROOF C922 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 contain six to eight year old bourbon)
Entry Barrel Proof: 125
ABV: 63.3% (126.6 Proof)
NABCA CSC #: 18860
Fair Price: $101.76 (BoozApp, September 2023)
Price: $64.95 USD (Idaho, 2022)
Distillery Release Date: September 2022
Availability: Limited, Tri-annual Batch Release
Batch: C922
▪”C” Third (last) release of the year
▪”9″ Released in September
▪”22″ of the year 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.
Learn more at Heaven Hill Distillery.
ENJOYMENT METHOD FOR THE REVIEW:
On Day 19 of the 2023 30 Bourbons in 30 Days Challenge, 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 a Glencairn and a Weck. After posting on social media, my daughter and I enjoyed the bourbon neat as I prepared this review. About 30 minutes had gone by before my first sip.
LARCENY BARREL PROOF C922 NOSE:
The initial sip of Larceny C922 surprises with its minimal alcohol presence, despite its 63+ ABV. Instead, it offers a gentle and warm sherry note, accompanied by an array of blossoms and herbs. With additional nosing, dark berries, caramel-dipped apple slices, pluots, and figs emerge, along with hints of allspice, nutmeg, and white pepper. As the aromas unfold, notes of crisp gingerbread, subtle vanilla, brown sugar, woody caramel, and a touch of Bit ‘o Honey candy introduce a rich sweetness. Crushed peanuts, weathered oak timbers, and burnt oak notes, coupled with a hint of freshly tooled leather, contribute to a charred and earthy complexity.
LARCENY BARREL PROOF C922 PALATE:
In the mouth, Larceny C922 reveals some similarities but introduces a new new elements as well. With the first sips, there’s a pronounced alcohol bite and a strong, hot burn. After the initial roughness subsides, I discern notes of herbal roasted corn and in the sips which follow, I taste a deep, plum and fig-like darkness. As I reflect on the flavor, it conjures a blend of red raisins, prune, cinnamon, ginger, and black pepper, accented by hints of bitter dark chocolate. Additional dark sweets, including Bit ‘o Honey candy, nearly burnt brown sugar, and chocolate-dipped bitter walnut toffee, reinforce my impressions. As I taste on, the presence of barrel tannins, weathered oak timbers, toasted wood, and char, which were detected on the nose, contribute to the C922’s overall earthy theme.
Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
As noted above, Larceny C922 is balanced in its dark fruit and sweet but dark sugary notes but C922 is a bit faint on the flora and heavy on woody notes. Each sip can be challenging to hold, being quite prickly on the gums and rough on the tongue, but I tend to like an aggressive bourbon. Once I become accustomed to the burn, the pour is buttery, then becomes viscous the longer it is held as saliva does its job. Between sips, a thin broken crown with a few clinging droplets forms and when tilting the glass for a drink, thin, fast falling legs drain the extra back to the mahogany colored pool.
LARCENY BARREL PROOF C922 FINISH
Larceny Barrel Proof C922 delivers an exceptionally long and lingering finish which warms the throat and esophagus. I detect the presence of dark berries, stone fruit, and fig, as well as the spices of cinnamon, ginger, and pepper previously noted on the nose and palate. Sensations of burnt brown sugar and toffee remain prominent, along with the distinct characteristics of barrel tannins, heavily seasoned oak, barrel spice, and char. In the empty Glencairn glass, the remnants of old leather and sawdust affirm the earthy nature of this pour.
MY RATING: 89/100
Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
Click 89/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To access other reviews from this brand, click Larceny.
WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
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