Larceny Barrel Proof – Single Barrel Store Pick!

LARCENY BARREL PROOF
SiB #7446976 “Wheat’s The Way” selected by K&L (2024)

MASH BILL – 68% corn, 20% wheat, 12% malted barley

PROOF – 115.4

AGE – 8 years

DISTILLERY – Heaven Hill

PRICE – $87

WORTH BUYING? – Yes, out of curiosity, though I don’t see these being a regular purchase for me

I’ve written before about how Larceny seems to be the unsung stalwart among wheated bourbons. The standard release is an affordable go-to, suitable for both sipping and mixing. Single barrel store picks of the standard release tend to be quite nice, and similarly priced. Yet the shadow of Weller, that poster child for over-hyped whiskey, persists its loom across Larceny’s due recognition.

The thrice-annual Larceny Barrel Proof releases do tend to receive uneven reviews, which makes the prospect of the brand’s new Barrel Proof single barrel program of interest. Will a carefully selected single barrel, as opposed to a blend, offer less or more consistency in terms of the overall satisfaction of the tasting experience? Time, trial, and error will tell.

And I’m perfectly glad to begin that question’s journey with this pick from K&L. I was quite delighted to see the proof point is right in my ABV sweet zone. When I first got into whiskey, I found 130+ proof whiskeys impressive, in that way a bombastic Hollywood blockbuster spectacle can sometimes be. But over time, the often sharp bite and searing burn of those whiskeys lost their shock-value appeal. I eventually found myself gravitating to the 90 to 115 proof range. So I was very pleased to pick up this “lower” proofed Larceny Barrel Proof over the tri-annual blends, which tend to hover around ~125 proof.

The price of the SiB is substantially higher than the tri-annual releases. That could hurt the brand if the SiBs don’t also offer something substantially better taste-wise, or if over time they prove to be undependable, like Heaven Hill’s wobbly Henry McKenna SiBs. But we shall see.

And so let’s do just that. Here we are, two months after uncorking and over a third of the way into the bottle. These brief notes were taken using a traditional Glencairn.

COLOR – dusty orange-ambers with brassy highlights

NOSE – dusty oak, cinnamon-laden baking spices, bright vanilla and caramel, sliced wheat bread crusts, apricot preserves

TASTE – dry but with a syrupy texture, with oak, caramel and vanilla fudge, subtle apricot, and a soothing peppery heat from the proof that nips at the sides of the tongue

FINISH – wheat bread crusts, chocolatey caramel, subtle dark apricot, the heat gently fading

OVERALL – a perfectly congenial and rustic wheated bourbon

So in answer to the consumer question—Are these private single barrels worth the price above the standard tri-annual barrel proof releases?—I would say no, they are not. Frankly I’d rather pick up one of the much cheaper 92-proof single barrel store picks, if those will still be on offer going forward.

But as a tasting experience, the current bottle on the table is perfectly good. The caramel and rustic wheat notes are lovely. The way the caramel shifts from vanilla to a more chocolatey note from the nose to the finish is very nice. If I had my druthers the fruit note would be stronger, but I enjoy even its subtle wafting in and out. And I think this bourbon would contribute well to a Brown Derby cocktail, with the substantial proof helping lift the flavors forward alongside the grapefruit juice and honey syrup.

I do hope these barrel proof store picks have not replaced the 92-proof picks altogether. I’ve not seen one of the latter come through my area in a while, so, that could be the case. I’ll certainly enjoy this bottle through to its end, whether neat or mixed. It will be very suited to the coming spring months and into summer. I’ll enjoy it in my backyard amidst the evolving seasonal grasses and flowers.

Cheers!