Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch A123

LARCENY BARREL PROOF SHOWDOWN: 2023 Larceny Barrel Proof A123 Larceny Barrel Proof B523 Larceny Barrel Proof C923 Continuing to work through whiskies in my collection that I’ve yet to review. Getting closer! Larceny Barrel Proof is a wheated bourbon distilled by Heaven Hill and was first launched in January 2020. It is the Barrel Proof version of HH’s already-extant Larceny, which was launched in 2012 and is bottled at 92 proof. LBP is released three times per year and uses the same naming convention as HH’s Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (i.e., A123, etc.; A, B, C for each release; 1, 5, 9 for Jan., May, Sep.; 23 for 2023). According to the company’s website, the mashbill is consistent at 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. LBP is essentially a wheated complement to ECBP, which uses a more traditional bourbon mashbill that employs rye in place of the wheat. Larceny Barrel Proof A123 Color is a clear and dark mahogany, near to either Pantone 153 and 160 (Pantone has an odd system of increments; there are numerous far lighter shades between 153 and 160). Intense and fruity nose shows brown sugar, stewed cinnamon apples, buttered scones with raspberry jam, café Cubano, and noticeable alcohol. Very rich and sweet on the palate, with a lightly creamy viscosity that envelops your tongue with its warm brown-sugar sweetness. After tasting the C923, I get a distinct peanut brittle as well. The café Cubano reappears on the finish with a touch of its espresso bitterness, as well as some char and vanilla. There is some lingering heat, but this is barrel-proof bourbon—not a cocktail with a little pink umbrella in it. The A123 is very good; but I’m taking my foot off the pedal a bit from my review of it on 10/5/23 (comparing it to ECBP A123). Tasting it now against the LBP B523 and C923, my position is somewhat lower than it was, but still above the community’s 4.05 rating. It has a complex nose, but the heat is just a little out of balance. Still, it’s a great value: each release of Larceny Barrel Proof can typically be found for about $70. Would I buy it again? Yes. 4.25 on the Distiller scale. 125.8 proof. NAS on bottle, but 6-8 years according to the Heaven Hill website. Larceny Barrel Proof B523 Clear mahogany color is indistinguishable from the A123, aligning with 153 or 160 on the Pantone chart. The initial impression is cocoa powder, oiled leather, pancakes and maple syrup, sweet pipe tobacco, Luxardo cherries, and a sweetness that reminds me of the pudin de pan that I had recently at a Colombian restaurant, which had raisins and flan-like caramelized sugar. There’s also a little barbecue-sauce tang. Like the A123, there is a mouthcoating creaminess with corn-pudding sweetness and cinnamon, and just the right combination of woody oak and vanilla on the finish, with a little residual heat. The B523’s nose is more reticent than the January release; it’s not as flamboyant and has a sense of sophistication and smoothness that is suggestive of a little more aging. The proof is virtually identical to the A123, but the heat is better integrated. At a price of around $70, it’s a great value. Would I buy it again? Yes. 4.5 on the Distiller scale. 124.4 proof. NAS on bottle, but 6-8 years according to the Heaven Hill website. Larceny Barrel Proof C923 Same clear mahogany Pantone 153/160 color as the A123 and B523. This nose is different: there’s almost an umami richness with buttered English muffins with strawberry jam, warm banana bread, pomander, chocolate fudge, toffee, vanilla, and even a touch of saline. The same light glycerin mouthfeel as the A123 and B523 appears on the palate, with bananas flambé and its accompanying caramelized -sugar bitterness. There are some drying leathery notes on the finish, and the vanilla lingers. The C923 is exceptional. I could nose it all night. And it’s the smoothest drinking of the bunch. Strangely, the community rating of 3.88 is the lowest of the 2023 releases (yet only 6 ratings prior to this one). As with each of these LBP releases, the $70 retail price is fantastic value in today’s market. Would I buy the C923 again? Yes. I’ll be looking for more. 4.75 on the Distiller scale. 126.4 proof. NAS on bottle, but 6-8 years according to the Heaven Hill website. Full disclosure: I have a sweet tooth, and “sweet” is the word that captures the essence of these 2023 releases. They have more similarities than differences, and have a comforting blanket-like warmth along with that amazing (but not cloying) sweetness and intensity. Each is very similar in terms of proof, ranging from 124.4 to 126.4. The A123 displays youthful intensity; the B523 comes across as having more age; and the C923 combines the best of both, marrying the robust and the sophisticated, and further differentiates itself with its savory aspects. The scuttlebutt seems to be that the Larceny Barrel Proof series is getting better. I’m not nearly as familiar with them as I am with their Elijah Craig Barrel Proof siblings, but surely the “getting better” can’t keep going much longer, because each of these is already very good. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

A123 BARREL PROOF SHOWDOWN Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A123 Larceny Barrel Proof A123 Continuing to work through bottles in my collection that I’ve yet to review. I’m a huge fan of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof (ECBP), and have most of their triannual releases going back a few years. The brand itself has been around for just over ten years. Larceny Barrel Proof (LBP) is also a triannual release, though it has only been around for about three years. The “A123” designation refers to which of the three annual releases (January, May, September) the bottle is. The “A” signifies the first release of the year; the “1” stands for the month of January. The “23” means the offering is in 2023. Following these A123 guidelines, “B523” for example would be the second release of 2023: “B” is the second, “5” is May, and “23” is 2023. This methodology can be applied to any release. Both ECBP and LBP are products of the Heaven Hill distillery; hence the same release designation. Both are bourbon, but the ECBP has rye in its mashbill, whereas the LBP employs wheat rather than rye. With both barrel proofs coming from the same distiller and release periods—not to mention the fact that the two differ in proof by only 0.2—I thought it would be an interesting exercise to compare them side-by-side. That being said, a 125-proof bourbon is not something to jump straight into; so I had a good splash of Henry McKenna, also a Heaven Hill product, as a 100-proof warmup. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof A123 Quite dark in color; Pantone 160. Wonderfully complex nose evokes dark chocolate covered cherries, both candy and caramel apples, root beer, pomander, Golden Grahams cereal, vanilla, and a whiff of dust. Alcohol more noticeable than the LBP, despite the proofs being nearly identical. Palate has some viscosity, as well as more dark chocolate cherries and some espresso bitterness. The alcohol is noticeable, transitioning to a spicy cinnamon burn with juicy apples, and a touch of woody tannins; long vanilla finish. I’ve never met an ECBP that I didn’t like. This one is very good, but it’s not my favorite release. That’s not a damning statement; rather, it speaks to the high bar that this brand has set. I try to buy each and every ECBP release, but I sometimes don’t see them in my neck of the woods. When I do see them, they’re typically about $80. Would I buy this again? Every single release, if I could. 4.25 stars on the Distiller scale. 125.6 proof. Non-chill filtered. 12-year age statement. Mashbill: 78% corn, 12% malted barley, 10% rye. Larceny Barrel Proof A123 Dark, but just a shade lighter than the ECBP; Pantone 159. Cracker Jack, warm apple pie with a pat of butter, Chinese five-spice, warm cola concentrate, and some caramel. Pervasive mouthfeel shows viscosity similar to the ECBP; alcohol on both nose and palate is more hidden, though certainly present. Long finish with a smooth cappuccino element, along with some vanilla. As Keith Jackson used to say during a college football broadcast: “Whoaaaaaah, Nellie!” This LBP A123 is fantastic, like a satisfying home-cooked meal in front of a warm fire. I bought this in a store that is off the beaten path for me, but I’m heading there again soon! I don’t recall exactly what I paid, but LBP can typically be found for $60-70. More, please! Would I buy it again? I’m breaking out my wallet right now. Not to be missed. 4.5 stars on the Distiller scale. 125.8 proof. Non-chill filtered. 6- to 8-year age statement. Mashbill: 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley. Barrel-proof bourbons are my favorite: there is no water adulteration. Both of these are non-chill filtered, so you’re getting the esters and fatty acids that are largely captured (and removed) in a normal filtration process. It’s more natural. It’s pure—straight from the barrel. Both of these A123 releases command your attention, as a barrel-proof bourbon should. They are beautiful and sensual and voluptuous and will ruin you if you’re not careful—and they know it. But you keep coming back for more. The LBP A123 is really, really good. It’s effusive in your nostrils, saturates your palate, and wraps around your tongue, snuggling it like a big, warm blanket. It is smoother than the ECBP (though the ECBP certainly isn’t unsmooth; this could be a function of the rye vs wheat component of the ECBP). The LBP finish goes on and on and on. Same distiller, nearly identical barrel proof, different ages, different mashbill: despite the fact that I’m an unabashed ECBP fanboy, I prefer the LBP here. N.B.: All spirits tasted neat in a Glencairn glass.

Color: Deep bronze/amber. Nose: Strong nose... familiar to other high proof offerings I have had. Molasses, sweet burnt oak. Palate: (Drank with large ice ball) This is a hot one, folks!.... Initial sweet crisp apples, followed by a hefty chest hug and tongue tingle. Yup... apples! Apples soaked in, well... booze! LOL. The ice slowly mellows things down a bit, but this stuff will definitely warm you up on a cold Winters night. I'm enjoying this maiden voyage very much. The expert review here listed, "maple" as a primary flavor. I'm not getting that, unfortunately. Maybe in future pours...? Finish is long with what I will attribute to oak and the char. I managed to find this bottle at my trusty grocery store... the very last one they had — and they didn't even know they had it until I asked them to look. I'd buy again if I can find it again. Added 12/8/23: Having this tonight. Got blasted with both vanilla and caramel on this pour! As such, I am bumping up my original rating from 3.75 to 4.

Nose is fruitier than many from the series with caramel dipped green apple, berry compote, vanilla, cashew, milk chocolate, and cinnamon sugar. Ethanol is nicely subdued. Palate matches the nose very well so as to not be redundant all the above mentioned notes are there along with soft oak, cola, and toffee. Flavors are rich and punchy but there’s some sharpness there. Exceptionally long finish offers a nice “sweet and spicy” vibe with red hots candy, black sweet and sour sauce, black pepper, peanut butter, and oak which is a little more bitter than the oak initially found in the palate. Mouthfeel is very thick and chewy, but manages to be slightly grainy as well. Minor flaw. One of the better releases. I found myself wishing the flavors were a little rounder and the mouthfeel a little silkier, but hey we can’t have everything. At 79.99, nothing here that would stop me from continuing to buy the three releases per year unless things take a major downturn.

LARCENY BARREL PROOF A123 *NOSE: Clings to the sides of the Glencairn like glue. Dry Brown Sugar, Maple, Baked Sweet Potato, Barrel Spice, Fresh Hay, Fall Spices (Allspice, Cinnamon, Nutmeg), and Orange Peel. *NEAT: Thick, Coating Mouthfeel. Big Sweetness up front with Brown Sugar, Molasses, Sweet Potato, Sweet Oak. Mid-Palate gets a little Tannic Bite, Drying Oak, and Orange Peel. Backend gets Cinnamon and more Bitter Tannins. Long Finish with a Big KYHug but doesn’t drink higher than its proof the way most Larceny does to me. Great Thick Clingy Coating of Cinnamon, Orange Peel, and Oak that layers with each sip. * SPLASH: A few drops of water and the Orange Oil really takes over. A few drops more and you get Root Beer Barrels, Sawdust, and Peanut Shell. *VERDICT: This is definitely better than the B520 that I have. Not the hugest fan of HH’s Wheated Mashbill, but this is worth a pickup at retail. I do wish at the price point it was age stated.

Dark copper in color and quite sticky for a barrel proof product. Legs show up late and move slowly. Naturally, the wheat is all over the nose, with baking spices, toast, light caramel, fresh hay, and fresh oak. Thin mouth feel, but sticks on the palate and the back of the tongue. It's spicy and warm, with undertones of vanilla and caramel. Finish is long: chocolate, dark caramel, clove, and exits with a hint of ripe fruit and a rich sweetness that emerges through the oaky dryness and baking spice. Naturally, it opens up a bit with some water. Not the best release I've had, but it's still excellent and an order of magnitude more complex and exciting than it's "regular" offering.