Henry McKenna 10 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Henry McKenna Single-Barrel Bottled-In Bond They say you can’t choose your family, but you can choose your friends. And like seeing an old friend, I never tire of Henry McKenna. I’ve picked it for a reason: it’s multidimensional and comfortable at the same time. It’s complex. It’s not high-maintenance: it doesn’t need an ice cube, or bitters, or simple syrup, or a fancy glass. Certainly not a fussy umbrella. It carries a certain gravitas. It’s no wallflower, and has something to say, but not on the lunatic fringe. There are no hard edges, unless you hit it hard—in which case it will hit back and you’ll be unceremoniously shown the door. Reciprocal respect. Old friends are well-known. The bottle is the same. The color is the same (mahogany consistent with its time spent in barrel). The mannerisms are the same. Like a friend’s occasional new haircut, there are subtle differences in flavor profile from one year, or one barrel, to another. This bottle shows lots of bourbon typicity in a not-gentle way: vanilla wafer, pomander, Cocoa Puffs cereal, a little barbecue sauce funk, apple cider, and chocolate-covered cherries. Juicy on the palate with more apple cider, more vanilla, and a nice Kentucky hug. Long finish with more vanilla wafer and Cocoa Puffs, along with the oak that makes that happen. For some time in this neck of the woods, Henry McKenna became hard to find, and when you did find it, the prices were inflated. I now see it regularly in the $60-65 range, which is a relative value. Would I buy it again? I already have; there are a few bottles in inventory. 4.5 on the Distiller scale. Tasted in a Glencairn glass (old friends oblige benevolent critique). 100-proof. 10-year age statement. Barrel #15163; barreled on 6/6/2013.

Pours a very nice golden orange, coppery color, moderate legs. Smells fantastic, lots of oaky sawdust and a beautiful vanilla note, caramel and toffee with a distinct nuttiness and earthy leather, with a bit of the spice box. All of this screams classic, standard bourbon, but with distinct grace notes that separate it from the pack. Taste follows the nose, perhaps a bit less complex, but the pattern of typical bourbon character elevated by grace notes remains. Mouthfeel is rich and full bodied, but relatively dry in the finish. Overall, this is pretty fantastic, and I’m glad I bought the bottle (even if it’s not selling for bargain basement prices anymore - still pretty accessible for these days where double digit age statements are a rarity). Beer Nerd Musings - Lots of stuff aged in Henry McKenna barrels out there. I haven’t had much, and most of what I’ve had has been part of a blend- like Bruery Black Tuesday Blender’s Choice (2022). It’s a great beer, but the McKenna was one of six different barrels in the blend. I have a bottle of Evil Twin’s Great Northern series #44 coming my way shortly, and its a blend of stout aged 35 months in 11 year Henry McKenna barrel (with a barleywine aged in Lairds). Another blend, but I should be able to get good feel for McKenna influence. Regardless, I’d certainly be swayed by a beer aged in these barrels, they seem ideally suited.

Barrel 2996, bottled on 3.14.2006. Been holding on to this bottle for...more than a few years. Not my first rodeo with this 10 year old single barrel bourbon, but it's welcoming every time. Tasting neat. Light copper color and average coating legs in the glass. Nose is light, sweet floral, with hint of baking spice in the far back. Sweet soft grain in the mouth, caramel, toffee. Spicy rye and sweet grass coming on with vanilla oak. Light mouthfeel, little ethanol bloom, honeysuckle sweetness. Spice and mint tingle, cherry, char oak, and tannins in the finish, which is soft and lingers. Overall, this is a sweet and soft bourbon, balanced in that it's not dominated by any one or two flavors or off-taste. At 10 years, you'd expect prominent oak and vanilla char--it's there, but doesn't overwhelm the other component flavors. They develop and fade one after another. Easy to drink, complex enough to ponder, reliable as an old friend. Year after year. Pretty amazing given these are single barrel bottles. I've given this a 5 star back in 2018. My tastes have expanded since, but.. Call this a friendly 4.5 tonight.

It's been a little over a year since I've reviewed this bourbon (11/24/24), and I don't believe I've had any since. That's a shame. Sweet, with fruitcake, cocoa powder, orange oil, apple cider, a little leather, and oak, followed by some cool licorice. Nice viscosity on the palate. Oak, vanilla, and some caramelized sugar on the finish. I view Henry McKenna like I view Blanton's. It's not ostentatious or showy. It represents what good bourbon should be. It's classic. Timeless. It's not Pappy or William Larue Weller. Staying within the Heaven Hill family, it's not Parker's Heritage or Old Fitz. But it has age, it has proof, and it has bourbon typicity. And it's more available--and cheaper--than Blanton's. I think I need to do a Bottled-In-Bond Showdown. This one will be hard to beat. Henry McKenna can be found for a bit over $60, which is a solid value for a Bottled-In-Bond bourbon with a ten-year age statement. Would I buy it again? Unequivocally. 4.25 on the Distiller scale.

There is an alcohol kick on the nose with a subtle vanilla spiciness. On the palate the caramel and oaky flavors really give a heavy mouth feel,almost oily. There is a slight cocoa tart cherry note before the finish kicks in. The finish is very long spicy and citrusy. Its one that you feel the heat long after you have finished your sip. Its a perfect neat sipper if you can get your hands on it. I live in an area where this is still easy to find,but the price has crept up over the years. For what I paid its still reasonable,but this bourbon gets anymore hype or wins more awards it will go the way of Weller 12.

Nose: Brown sugar, browned butter, maple Palate: Hint of vanilla up top but quickly transitions to baking spices, tobacco, leather, rye Finish: Short I've found Henry McKenna 10-Year to vary from bottle to bottle- demonstrating how unique single barrels can be. At $55-65 it's a buy, however much higher than that and the value isn't there. It's 10-years old, bottled-in-bond, and a single barrel. I love the nose, the palate brings an oak and spice forward complexity, the only drawback is the finish is short and clean. But that just means this is a very crushable bottle.