Veteran Bourbon Review: Larceny Barrel Proof B522

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History – 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. The recipe bears the name of Bourbon legend John E. Fitzgerald and his vaunted Old Fitzgerald brand, which was sold to famous whiskey man Pappy Van Winkle before being produced by Heaven Hill. Today the Fitzgerald name—and its reputation—endures.

Larceny Barrel Proof offers a new opportunity to experience our acclaimed wheated Bourbon mashbill in its purest form: non-chill filtered and bottled at full barrel proof. Released three times per year in January, May, and September, each offering is a bold yet balanced special Small Batch Bourbon rich with depth and distinction. Much like Larceny Small Batch and Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond, Larceny Barrel Proof is a welcome reminder of just how good wheated Bourbons can be. – Heaven Hill Distillery

Larceny Barrel Proof has won multiple awards for its batches in 2020 including Whiskey of the Year. It has also been awarded 98 points at the International Wine and Spirits Competition in 2022 and 94 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge in 2022.

Value – I purchased this bourbon at $60 dollars. I believe it’s priced a little high. It has a lot of character and you can tell it is a well developed product, but I think popularity is playing a factor in the price. You do have to keep in mind that you are getting a bourbon uncut and straight from the barrel, so youre gonna pay more for that. I’ll continue to buy different batches as they come out.

Appearance – This bottle really stands out with its keyhole design and the various key markings as a tribute to John. E Fitzgeralds keys that were used to access the rickhouses and steal bourbon. It’s filled with a deep copper with reddish hue colored bourbon with a corked top.

Nose – Maple Syrup / Cinnamon / Light Cherry / Light Oak This bourbon has a well blended aroma to it. It has a stronger sweet smell which comes out as maple syrup mixed with an obvious cinnamon smell. It’s very nice. It also has a light amount of ethanol, nothing too overpowering considering its 123.8 proof. I also get some very light cherry and oak notes. It smells wonderful with just that perfect amount of ethanol to remind you of its high proof.

Palate – Oak / Brown Sugar This one really hits you on the ethanol. I know its high proof and I was expecting it, but this bourbon is pretty hot. It’s hard to pick out anything significant because of the heat level. I get some light oak notes and a slight sweetness to it that I’m wanting to label as brown sugar. The consistency is medium. This is a bourbon you’ll want to have on the rocks or add some water to. Larceny actually has a recipe on their website for this bourbon called “Bourbon and Branch”. Branch is iron-less water that is typically used in the bourbon making process. The recipe calls for 2oz of Larceny and 4oz of branch or plain water over ice. That’s 2 parts water to 1 part bourbon! That’s pretty crazy to me. They know watering this one down might be a key to some people enjoying it. Overall, I do enjoy the flavor. It’s just hard getting past how hot it is. But, at least the flavor is still there compared to other high proof bourbons.   

Finish – Oak / Hot That’s right, you guessed it, the heat is still there. You can still taste the slight oak, but the burn takes over and stays with you. I will say this, there is no lingering flavor, only the lingering burn. That is interesting to me and I like that trait about it. It’s like starting over after every sip. It does leave your mouth slightly dry, but not too bad.

Summary –  I really enjoyed the smell of this bourbon. It has a great cinnamon note that really warms you up for what is to come. The heat is really there and present all the way to the end. Unfortunately it’s so hot the flavors that you can barely notice get wiped out by the high heat. This bourbon will definitely numb your tongue and destroy your taste buds. Be sure to have it on ice or add some drops of water to calm it down and fully enjoy it.

6.6

Uniqueness – 1-10 – 7

Appearance- 1-10 – 7

Nose- 1-20 – 19

Palate- 1-20 – 10

Finish- 1-20 – 10

Value- 1-20 – 13