Larceny Barrel Proof, A122

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

My wife and I will be celebrating our 25th wedding anniversary this year. As you might have guessed over the years, date nights have gotten fewer and farther between as we developed busier schedules and became more comfortable in our relationship. Then of course the pandemic happened and they ended entirely. But as we now start to make the effort to reenter society something momentous has happened.

That’s right, two date nights in the span of five days. The first one was your typical “married people” date night. We went to the Container Store to pick up some home organization and went out for pizza. The only thing that really made it a date night was that we left the house together and that it took over an hour. But that happens rarely enough that I’ll take it. Tonight however is a real dinner and a movie date night.

I love going to the movies. I love the grandiose lobby decor, the popcorn smells, the giant screen. Everything. Well…I don’t care for the teenagers cracking jokes and talking throughout the movie, but that is why I tend to go on Tuesday nights. Fewer people around…especially kids.

That’s right, get off my lawn.

Anyway, I’m going to see The Batman tonight. Pretty excited about that. Though even though I just gushed about how much I love the theater-going process, I’d probably rather watch it at home if the option was available. At the theaters, I can get a beer to drink during the show. But at home, I can have a tasty whisky, which I prefer. Maybe one like the sample I was sent for tonight’s review.

Larceny Barrel Proof is a bourbon released three times per year, usually in January, May, and September. If you can find it, it is usually pretty affordable with a suggested retail price of $49.99. That if carries a lot of weight though as I’ve never seen it on a shelf before. Larceny Barrel Proof uses Heaven Hill’s wheated Bourbon mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. Every release so far has been super tasty, let’s see if that trend continues.

Larceny Barrel Proof, A122

Purchase info: This was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 62.2% ABV

Nose: Caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and oak.

Mouth: Caramel, oak, and red fruits.

Finish: Warm and sweet. Medium length. Notes of Cinnamon, caramel, and oak.

A smile because I like this and it makes me happy.

Thoughts: This is good, but not great. The oak notes are the main event here and I prefer oak notes to play more of a supporting role most of the time. If I saw it on the shelf for retail, I'd still grab it without hesitation, but it isn't as complex or as tasty as previous releases.

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Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: A122

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample to me with no strings attached.

Have you ever seen a photo of a pile of sleeping puppies and thought to yourself, “Boy I wish I was part of that pile of cuteness?” Well, I’ve had a taste of that the last few nights sleeping with two 7-month-old puppies and a 10-month-old puppy. And if these guys are anything to go off of, that image isn’t nearly as comfortable as it looks. There is a LOT of movement in that pile. Sure, they will go to sleep resting their head on your shoulder. Making you think that they are going to be still and sweet all night. But then BAM! It’s one am and they’ve decided that it is playtime again. And even once they settle back down? So much kicking! Those sweet little puppy dreams aren’t nearly as sweet when what they are “running” across is the small of your back.

Damn things are really cute though. I’m guessing that is how they keep their mommies from eating them…

Anyway, that’s been my week. I hope yours has been filled with as much cuteness and happiness and not nearly as many claws, teeth, or puddles of pee.

As for tonight’s bourbon? Well, there isn’t a lot to say. I mean Heaven Hill didn’t even include a press release with this one. It’s the most recent version of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. It’s delicious as always. But we had a pretty special one last time around. Let’s see how A122 compares.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, A122

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. I have found previous editions locally for as low as $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine.

Price per Drink (50mL): $4.67

Details: 60.4% ABV. 12 years old. Non-chill filtered.

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, oak and nutmeg.

Mouth: Very warm in the mouth. Notes of caramel, vanilla, oak, chocolate, and baking spice.

Finish: Warm and long with notes of cinnamon, nutmeg, and caramel.

Smiley Face = I Like This One

Thoughts: Very good as usual. thick, rich, creamy, and nice and spicy. Both in the heat and the baking spice usages of the word.

Comparison to C921: A122 shows a lot more nutmeg on the nose whereas C921 is sweeter. C921 is sweeter compared to A122 and not as blindingly hot. The finishes are both long and warm. They are both very good, but if forced to pick I'd grab C921 over A122 because it just hits all the right notes for me. It has heat, but it isn't overpowering. There is sweetness but it isn't cloying. A122 by comparison feels extra hot in the mouth, which isn’t a problem since I’ll be adding water or ice to it when I drink it. And A122 really seems to focus on the baking spice notes, which is good too. I guess I just liked the last version better. I mean C921 won my 2021 Bourbon of the Year for a reason. It was hard to top.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

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Larceny Barrel Proof, C921

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

It’s been a very strange 24 hours here in Minnesota’s Twin Cities. Last night, a thunderstorm spawned Minnesota’s first recorded December tornado. Luckily I got the storm a but not the tornado at my house. This was caused by temps of about 50 degrees during the day. Now, temps about 50 degrees only five days after a foot of snow are not unheard of in this locale, but it usually happens in April. Due to that rapid swing in temperature, we were forecasted to have winds of about 80 miles an hour overnight last night. Luckily for us, and the trees growing in my now saturated ground, that also seems to have missed my house. However, I did wake up this morning to temps in the low teens and even more snow. As I said, it has been a strange 24 hours. And that’s the weather, here’s Bob with traffic…

Yeah, sorry. No traffic report tonight. Because we are having bourbon and shouldn’t be drinking and driving… ba dum tss.

I am so sorry. I don’t know what’s gotten into me, I swear I haven’t been drinking. Maybe that’s the problem. Anyway, let’s just hurriedly change the subject to tonight’s bourbon. Tonight we are looking at the last batch of Larceny Barrel Proof for 2021. We’ve covered this plenty of times already so instead of me opening my mouth and potentially letting more horrible jokes pour out, here is what Heaven Hill has to say:

“Like each batch, this Larceny Barrel Proof is an uncut Small Batch of Bourbon aged six to eight years Bourbon bottled straight from the barrel. Heaven Hill distiller’s wheated Bourbon mashbill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley continues to shine in this release.”

So let’s see how it tastes.

Larceny Barrel Proof, C921

Purchase info: This was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 61.3% ABV

Nose: Oak, brown sugar, almond, vanilla, and baking spice.

Mouth: Sweet and spicy. Honey, vanilla, oak, and baking spice.

Finish: Warm and medium to long in length. Cinnamon, almond, and mint.

A Smiley Face

Thoughts: Nice and sweet with strong honey and spice notes. Great mouthfeel with a decently long finish. I really like this one.

Comparison to B521: The nose on C921 is similar to B521, but is more herbal. C921 is much sweeter and much spicier, showing a strong honey note that B521 is lacking. If I saw either of these in a store, I'd grab whichever they had. Both are good. However, if I had the unlikely opportunity to choose, I'd grab C921 every time. It is very, very tasty. Use a little ice though. It’s a hot one.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof: C921

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample to me with no strings attached.

You know, I like Bourbon. I know that doesn’t come as a shock to most of you since, well, I do tend to write about it twice a week. But it is worth saying now and then when you are someone who acts as a critic. I love bourbon. Everything I write on this site stems from that. I won’t go so far as to say there is no bad bourbon, there is. (Cough…TerrePure…cough cough). But generally, I like bourbon. It’s one of the reasons the majority of products get a “like” rating. I just generally like the stuff. Occasionally there is one that I very much dislike. Like, it is bad. Or that really does nothing for me. It isn’t bad, but it isn’t for me. I don’t have this happen too often because I try really hard to only purchase things I’m pretty sure I’ll enjoy. I mean, I’m going to have the rest of the bottle left after the review and I can only use so much prop bourbon.

But every so often, something surprises me. I’ve been doing this long enough that when a sample of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof shows up, I know I’m going to really enjoy it. I expect that and have never been disappointed. It is just damn fine whiskey. But this time I was surprised. Read on to see why.

Eijah Craig Barrel Proof, C921

Purchase Info: This bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. I have found previous editions locally for as low as $69.99 for a 750 mL bottle at Total Wine.

Price per Drink (50mL): $4.67

Details: 60.1% ABV. 12-years-old.

Nose: Caramel, mint, red fruits, chocolate, and vanilla.

Mouth: Warm, but not as hot as the proof would lead you to expect. Sweet with notes of caramel, vanilla, allspice, red fruits, and chocolate.

Finish: Medium-long and sweet. Notes of floral vanilla, chocolate and baking spices.

Thoughts: This is delicious. Even at 120 proof it is drinkable neat. Sweet caramel, vanilla, and chocolate throughout. Nice baking spice notes. It isn’t enough to say that I'm a big fan of this one. I love it.

Comparison to B521: In my opinion, there is no question that C921 is better in every way. It is richer in the mouth and on the nose. Sweeter, spicier, better mouthfeel. It's so good. Don't get me wrong, I really liked B521, but I love C921! If you run across it, do yourself a favor and buy it. This might be the best bourbon I've had this year.

In fact, I’m going to pull out a very seldom used award. I’m going to say that Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C921 is only the second recipient of the BourbonGuy.com Bourbon of the Year Award. I only give this to bourbons that are by far the best thing I’ve had all year. The last one was awarded way back in 2017. I haven’t had a bourbon that was that much better than every other bourbon since. But this one qualifies. Nice job Heaven Hill!

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more.

Parker's Heritage Collection 2021: Heavy Char Wheat Whiskey

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample to me with no strings attached.

I’m not going to lie. I’ve been slacking a bit on reporting on samples that companies have sent to me. Between vacation, a covid scare, the worst allergies I’ve had in years, and then a booster shot, I haven’t had many opportunities for tasting whiskey. But that seems to be changing. I feel great so let’s start taking a look at the backlog.

Tonight’s whiskey was provided by Heaven Hill. It is the 2021 Edition of the Parker’s Heritage Collection. the 15th Edition if you can believe that. My, how time flies. This edition is an 11-year-old wheat whiskey, using the same mashbill as their Bernheim product. It comes in at a whopping 122° proof.

I’ll let Heaven Hill tell you what makes this special:

This edition continues the award-winning series of heavy char releases, exploring how a more intense char allows the liquid to penetrate deeper into each barrel stave and the effects on the resulting flavor. Comprised of 75 barrels charred for one minute and 30 seconds (Level 5), as opposed to the traditional 40 second char (Level 3) for Heaven Hill, the Wheat Whiskey reached peak maturation after 11 years on the sixth floor of Rickhouse Y. The heavy char allowed Heaven Hill’s traditional Wheat Whiskey mashbill of 51% wheat, 37% corn, and 12% malted barley to interact more with the oak, extracting a mix of sweetness, filled with hints of molasses and butterscotch. This release is only the second time the Wheat Whiskey mashbill has been featured in the Parker’s Heritage Collection, with the first released in 2014 as an Original Batch Cask Strength.

And as with previous versions of the Parker’s Heritage Collection, a portion of the proceeds of each bottle will go to support ALS research and patient care.

Parker's Heritage Collection: Heavy Char Rye Whiskey

Purchase Info: This review sample was graciously provided to me by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $139.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $9.33

Details: 11 years old, 61% ABV.

Nose: Very hot, very spicy. Notes of cinnamon, mint, almond, and oak.

Mouth: Cinnamon spice, mint leaves, vanilla, almond.

Finish: Long and warm with notes of dusty oak, red fruits, chocolate, mint, and a nice nuttiness.

Thoughts: Hot and spicy as might be expected from the high proof. The flavor seems most heavily influenced by the barrel, rather than the mash bill which is expected from both a double-digit age and a majority wheat mash bill. Overall, this is pretty close to what I would have expected. Which is to say that it is very, very good.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Fall 2021 edition

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

RAIN!

We finally got rain last night. As you may know, much of the country is experiencing drought conditions and, well, my house is no exception. To give you just one example of how dry it has been here, I’d like to point to the fact that I haven’t mowed my lawn since the middle of June. It’s been too dry for it to grow. So I was pretty happy when I woke up to the sound of a sustained downpour this morning. I was even happier when I saw that the rain gauge showed over 2 inches had fallen overnight and into the morning. My lawn is already greening up. Which means mowing probably isn’t far behind. But heck, at least I won’t have to water the garden this week. That’ll help the ol’ water bill.

And while I wait for the grass to grow, I might as well go ahead and preview the newest bourbon that Heaven Hill has sent over. This is the Fall 2021 edition of Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond. It was distilled in the Spring of 2010 and bottled in the Spring of 2021, making this an eleven-year-old release. According to the press release, it spent those eleven years resting in rickhouse EE. As with all Bottled-in-Bond products, this was bottled at 100° proof and is the product of one distilling season.

Let’s see how it tastes.

Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond, Fall 2021

Purchase Info: This sample was sent to me by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $110 for a 750 mL bottle.

Price per Drink (50 mL): $7.33

Details: 11 years old. 50% ABV. Aged in Rickhouse EE.

Nose: Vanilla, caramel, oak, red fruit.

Mouth: Spicy with notes of baking spice, caramel, vanilla, and almond.

Finish: On the longer side of medium with notes of almond, caramel, and cooling mint.

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Thoughts: Baking spice and almond are the notes that stand out to me for this one. I tried it next to the Spring 2021 edition and I think I like Spring better, even though it was only 8 years old compared to this edition’s 11 years. I much prefer Spring 2021’s caramel notes to Fall 2021’s almond, and Spring 2021 had more spice to it. But, don’t get me wrong, this is a very good bourbon. I'm just not sure I'd be willing to drop $110 on it, I am a freelancer after all. That said, I would happily accept a glass if you were pouring.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, posters, and more.

Larceny Barrel Proof, B521

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

I am smoking a couple Waygu Ribeye steaks tonight so you better believe that I’m going to be making this quick. They are on the smoker right now and I am keeping one eye on the probe temp as I type this. I got them online, the company had sponsored a barbecue YouTube channel I enjoy watching and I wanted to support him and I wanted to try these crazy expensive steaks.

I’ve found over the last couple years, that while I don’t mind splurging on the occasional overpriced whiskey (because they are almost always overpriced compared to how they taste), i’d much rather splurge on a novel food experience.

This may have contributed to my expanding waistline…

But in any case, I’d much rather sit down to a nice meal than I would sit down to a nice bourbon these days. Some of that is because I’m a pretty good cook so even a nice meal is usually cheaper because I’m making it at home. But most of the switch is my growing disillusionment with high-priced Limited Edition bourbons. If I ever give up this site, I’ll probably be hard pressed to justify the expense. Especially when there are things like Maker’s Mark 101, Knob Creek 12-year-old, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and Larceny Barrel Proof that are available in my market from $35-$65. Even Booker’s is pushing the price limit of what I’d like to spend on bourbon these days.

And good for the companies that can get that kind of cash for their products. I wish them the best. But eventually I’ll give this up and will be voting with my dollar like the rest of you and I won’t feel like I need to buy these overpriced bottles to help others decide whether they should pass or splurge on them. I’ll be splurging on the best sub-$60/$70 bottles I can find, with most purchases coming in the $20 to $40 range.

Luckily, I’ll still be happy to buy bottles of tonight’s whiskey. At a suggested retail price of about $50, it has a pretty good price on it if you can find it.

Larceny Barrel Proof, B521

Purchase info: This was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: 60.5%

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, mint/eucalyptus, and a dusty cocoa note.

Mouth: Thick and rich with caramel, cinnamon, nutmeg, and chocolate.

Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Lingering notes of nutmeg, vanilla, and oak.

Comparison to A121: Very similar on the nose. These are both fairly spice forward, but A121 is a bit sweeter and hotter in the mouth. But, honestly, there are only minor differences between these two batches.

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Thoughts: I really liked batch A121, so I'm pretty happy with this batch as well. There is a bit more caramel and a bit less chocolate, but I really like both of those flavor notes so I'd be hard-pressed to pick one over the other. In fact, when tasting notes were done, I just mixed them together. Spoiler alert: it was still really good.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.