Sipp’n Corn Tasting Notes: Heaven Hill Trifecta of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Batch C919; Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A120; and Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond 15-year.

Here’s the last batch of 2019 for one of my favorite bourbons—Elijah Craig 12-year Barrel Proof.  And the first batch ever for what is bound to be another of my favorite bourbons—Larceny Barrel Proof.  Plus, the oldest Old Fitzgerald in the decanter series, the fall release of a 15-year old Bottled in Bond beauty.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C919 Tasting Notes

Bourbon:        Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery:       Heaven Hill
Age:                12 years
ABV:              68.4% (136.8 proof)
Cost:               $60.00

Appearance:
Nice glint of red under the brown and amber.

Nose:
Whoa that’s hot and peppery, but give it a minute and you’ll find caramel and vanilla sweetness and lingering oak.  The aromas give every indication that this will be a robust bourbon.

Taste:
As predicted by the aromas, yes this is a hot one—extremely hot.  Try it neat but then add a splash of water so that you can experience sweet flavors of caramel and vanilla.  There’s a great shift to cinnamon both with and without water, but this overall this is definitely a bourbon to drink with water.

Finish:
Medium length with lingering oak and lingering heat.

Larceny Barrel Proof A120 Tasting Notes

Bourbon:        Larceny Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Distillery:       Heaven Hill
Age:                NAS, but 6-8 years
ABV:              61.62% (123.2 proof)
Cost:               $49.99

Appearance:
Darker than I would have expected, even for being uncut.

Nose:
Brown sugar, nougat, and the sweet aromas that I expect from Larceny hit right away with baking spice emerging.

Taste:
Flavors of vanilla and caramel, as should be expected from a wheated bourbon, along with honey and more nougat for additional sweetness, balanced with oak and tobacco.  The flavor are very rich, which sometimes I find lacking in wheated bourbons.  Slow-melting ice amps up the creaminess.  (I didn’t try it with water because I didn’t want to create regular Larceny.)

Finish:
The medium-length finish has a nice oak and cinnamon element.  Faint warmth extended beyond what I really considered to be the finish for a fantastic way of easing into the next sip.

Old Fitzgerald 15-year Bottled in Bond Tasting Notes

Bourbon:        Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond decanter series, fall 2019
Distillery:       Heaven Hill
Age:                15 years
ABV:              50.0% (100 proof)
Cost:               $150.00

Appearance:
Golden brown consistent with its age.

Nose:
Dark caramel and oak but pretty subdued.

Taste:
I immediately knew that this was special.  It’s full of caramel, dried dark fruit, cinnamon apples and great oak.  Elegant.  Creamy.  It reminds me bourbon from decades ago.

Finish:
Long with lingering oak and swells of warmth.

Bottom Line

The final batch of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof for 2019—which is the highest proof since batch A116—is more one-dimensional than other ECBP batches and just too hot for my taste.  But in a way it’s two-dimensional:  heat plus sweet, which is actually a difficult combination to pull off.  Definitely try this one with a splash of water and experience how it opens up.

The inaugural release of the Larceny Barrel Proof fired on all cylinders for me.  Barrel proof does wonders for Larceny.  Barrel-proof wheated bourbon can be phenomenal and with a couple more years (can Heaven Hill build its stock so that it can be 8-10+ years instead of 6-8?) Larceny could easily be the market leader.  Be sure to find it in January 2020.

And then there’s the Old Fitzgerald.  It’s phenomenal.  I can’t hardly say anything more than that.  You need to try this bourbon.

Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly sent me samples
for this review, without any strings attached.
Thank you.