Review #205 - Larceny Small Batch Bourbon
Heaven Hill's wheated mashbill bourbon, Larceny - this is their standard offering. A typical small batch bourbon with a strength of 46% ABV (92 proof) - there's no age statement here, and not a lot of other detail on the bottle.
The rights to the brand were acquired with the Old Fitzgerald brand by Heaven Hill in the 1990s; this product didn't come to market until the 2010s, though. The distillery doesn't disclose the mashbill, but based on the fact that wheat is the second largest grain ingredient, we're expecting a softer, more mellow bourbon experience.
Larceny Small Batch Bourbon
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 26 (2024)
Age Statement: NAS
Strength: 46% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 6 months; bottles at 100%, 80%, and 40% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Soft, light, and a little bit oaky - slightly herbal or floral, grainy, and a nice balance between sweetness and dryness. We found straw, dusty grain, freeze-dried strawberries, and a little bit of a salted almond taste; later, more spice like clove, nutmeg, and wood spice.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thin; decent sweet notes like caramel, vanilla, and a hint of cherry, but stronger spice notes of clove, nutmeg, salted pretzel, and dusty oak. Tart apple and licorice candies add a slightly bitter dimension; the oak influence is pretty dry.
Finish: Medium-short, with simple, standard bourbon flavors: brown sugar, mild oak, vanilla, a bit of nutmeg. It's all a bit easy, bordering on bland.
Final Note: Never unpleasant, but maybe a little too safe - it's typical to the point of being a bit boring. There's not much of a spice element, and while it isn't overly sweet, the drying character isn't enough to keep it interesting. Some pretty standard entry-level wheater flavors; still, at such a reasonable price, it isn't a bad value pick. We might use this one for a casual sip or some cocktails.
Our Average Rating: 5.2 / 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: 7.14
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