William Heavenhill 12 Year Barrel Proof (7th Edition)

Graciously received a sample bottle and able to share it with 2 buddies. This bottle is glorious and almost got a perfect score. I can't comment how far it was down the bottle. Poured in a GC and let it breathe for at least 15 minutes. High proof goodness needs time to get ready. N(4.5): Right when I poured it into the glass, I got a burst of creamy vanilla but on the initial sniff, it was a bit muted. Even diving my nose deep, I couldn't pull out much. I got small hints of sweetness, but that's about it. After a sip, the nose really came out. I guess my senses needed to wake up. Heavy cherry came out first then an amazing balance of vanilla and oakiness. P(5): Woo wee. First sip, fireworks of bold flavors of cherry, brown sugar, all velvety around the tongue. Second sip, I swooshed around and same boldness but my tongue definitely felt the proof. The vanilla train came in. Vanilla oak. Vanilla cherries. Vanilla whip cream. Vanilla bean. The amazing thing is with all the vanilla, you didn't lose any of the other flavors. F(5): This goes on and on. Hug comes in on the second sip and gets gentler. Just the right amount of hug that tells you it loves you. I love when oak is on the finish but it doesn't turn bitter. Vanilla of course. Got dark chocolate on the back top of my tongue that transitioned into milk chocolate. Like milk with a bit of nesquick mixed in. Overall: Bold amazing flavors throughout. Needed to break in my senses at first. The proooof does not bring the burn you would think. I think Knob Creek single barrel at 120 proof brings more heat to the party. It's not complex, but with the balance and boldness of flavors, its not required to categorize it as unique. $249 is hard for me to chew on. If I got a bonus or did a distillery tour I would probably pick it up. If it dropped to $200 I would buy. Just outside of my comfort price zone.

This is one of those expressions that'd be very hard to explain to an outsider unfamiliar with the extravagant, skyrocketing prices of the hobby and increasingly byzantine distinctions between different bourbons from the same distillery. This costs $250. It's 12 years old. Yesterday, I complained about Evan Williams 12 costing $129, but this takes it to the next level. Compare this expression to the distillery's own Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and it's really hard to convince yourself of the value proposition. Both have the same age statement, come from the same distillery stock, and they're sometimes separated by less than a single proof point (see, e.g., ECBP A119). And the ECBP costs $75-80. With all that being said . . . I have to give some credit to these guys because Heavenhill is a stunning dram. On the nose: fresh florals, heady perfumes, ripe plums, and blackberry pie. Each sip combines those Elijah Craig flavors of cherry and dry oak, but there's also so much hazelnut and chocolate in its profile that the lawyers at Nutella need to think about suing. The tannins are so powerful that this bourbon almost glues my teeth to my lips. That extra Nutella note is what distinguishes this from the lesser expressions in Heaven Hill's lineup. Is that worth a $170 premium? Not for us, but to each their own.

The nose is full of charred oak, balanced by a burst of earthy rye spice and dried flowers. There are smoother notes of vanilla, cooked brown sugar and bread, that takes the edge off the heat. There may be some fruity notes in the background, but all in all, this comes across as very full and very bold into the point. The palate is dry and chewy, greeting you with an intense peppery heat as charred oak and rye follow up. After the first sip, it becomes a bit more mellow, offering up smoke and ripe fruit along the dry and spicy oak. Not much changes with subsequent sips, it remains bold and intense. The finish is long and spicy, with a lingering chewy dryness. Most other flavors fall off pretty quickly, but if hot and oaky is desired - this is it and then some.

Potent, herbal, peanut and toast, raisins, strong spice, peppery, oats, caramel, slight grassy notes. Long spicy finish Mar 29, 2024 revisit Sweet nutty caramel, marshmellow, cherry? Palette: dry cola with dill up front. Peanut is strong Mid has more nutty flavor with rye spice. Back has a bite with baking spices and long graham cracker finish. Oak kicks in.

Booze and cinnamon bomb. Fills the mouth with a lush, oily spice the erupts into a soft heat. It doesn’t burn, but it lets you know it’s there. Lingers for quite awhile after it’s gone. This doesn’t drink like 135 proof. Reminds me of the high proof George T Staggs, but with a lot more spice. Wonderful and worth picking up.

Dad picked this up in 2019 on our bourbon trail trip. Nose is cherry, tons of vanilla and oak, maybe a little pie crust. At 134.4 proof it hits with a powerful and complex palette. Creamy and velvety. Vanilla, oak, chocolate pie. Long, long finish that’s sweet and full of baking spices.