Review #175 - Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
Many bourbons have experienced a huge change in perception in the last 10 years, often changing from shelf regulars to more 'allocated' products with inflated prices and a lack of availability. Few experienced the change quite like Henry McKenna's 10 Year Single Barrel bourbon.
After winning 'best in show' in 2019 at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, this $30 bourbon's popularity exploded, and on top of its price rising, it became almost impossible to find in many places. It's starting to become a bit more available again, and prices are more reasonable now, especially if you avoid the secondary market.
Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel is made at the Heaven Hill, where it rests for 'forty seasons' in federally bonded warehouses before being bottled with the 10 year age statement. As it is bottled-in-bond, it comes with a 100 proof, or 50% ABV, strength; each barrel is distillate made in a single distilling season.
Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel
USA - Bourbon
Price Paid: USD 60 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 60 (2023)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 50% ABV
Details: Bottled in bond
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 18 months; bottles at 50% (Barrel 11019), 30% (Barrel 13331), and 100% (unknown barrel) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Rich, rounded, and somewhat subtle - a decent amount of oak, along with baking spices of brown sugar and vanilla bean. There are definitely some older, or more mature, scents here: dusty old wood and some tobacco leaf, along with a peppery spice. Becomes slightly sweeter later, with hints of cherries.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium or so; both sweet and dry, with a decent oak spice, as well as sugary baking flavors. Nut butter, caramel, unsmoked tobacco, and wood smoke all combine for a relatively complex backbone; softer notes of cherry, cinnamon, and orange are present with more time.
Finish: Medium length or a bit more, and sweeter again in the finish: dark fruits of cherry or prune, candied orange slices, and brown sugar are balanced by dry wood, tobacco smoke, and musty unsmoked cigars.
Final Note: Like all single barrel bourbons, the product and quality is going to vary at least slightly from bottle to bottle. We've tried to review across a selection of barrels to get a more general idea of the flavor profile and quality, and in our personal experience, we've enjoyed each example of this McKenna 10 Year that we've tasted during the review process.
The topic of the deserved price of this bottle comes up frequently in the whisky community - what's really fair for this 10 Year, especially taking into consideration the potentially artificial price increases in recent years over the previous $30 asking price? Inflation is a real thing, but we're looking at double that old price in a lot of markets. Is it really worth that? Our opinion - if you see this sub-$60, we would give it a shot, but there's always potential to find a sub-par barrel.
Our Average Rating: 7.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.81
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