I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
Well folks, it’s officially Fall Bourbon Release Season. I’ve gotten press releases for some and I’ve seen shipment notifications for others. But this Larceny Barrel Proof is the first that has arrived for review. We’ve talked a lot over the years about both Elijah Craig and Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbons. So I’ll just jump right into it.
This is the third and final release of the barrel-proof version of Larceny, Heaven Hill’s flagship wheated Bourbon, for 2023. As always this is delicious and quite hot. This one clocks in at 126.4° proof. The bourbons used in this batch are between six and eight years old. The suggested retail price is $59.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Let’s dig in and see how it tastes.
Larceny Barrel Proof, B523
Purchase Info: This sample bottle was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $59.99.
Price per Drink (50 ml): $4.00
Details: 63.2% ABV
Nose: Dusty oak, almond, caramel and baking spice.
Mouth: Oak, caramel, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
Finish: Long and warm. Dry with notes of oak and nutmeg.
Thoughts: Very oak forward on this one. Sweet and spicy in the month but the finish is dry. Very tasty. Water amps up the sweetness and tames the spiciness a bit.
Comparison to B523: C923 is much sweeter on the nose. Though B523 is hot and spicy, C923 is even spicier. The spiciness is balanced by a sweetness that B523 is lacking by comparison. I like them both but if I had the option to choose, I'd choose C923 for the extra sweetness. And this is very strange since I said last time that I would have chosen B523 over A123 for the same reason. More sweetness. I guess this year started great and just got progressively sweeter. In any case, you can’t go wrong with any of this year’s releases.
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