Heaven Hill

Review: Elijah Craig Rye Whiskey

Recently, Heaven Hill Distillery added a new whiskey to its Elijah Craig lineup – a straight rye whiskey. Like its small batch bourbon sibling, the new rye whiskey is bottled at 94 proof. The mash bill used here is 51% rye, 35% corn, and 14% malted barley.

My excitement for news of a brand extension is always met with a bit of anxiousness. That’s especially true here. After all, Elijah Craig bourbon, in both its small batch and barrel proof forms, is some of the highest caliber whiskey consumers can easily obtain, especially given its value for money. By the way, this new rye whiskey has a suggested retail price of $29.99. It fits right in price-wise, but how does it taste?

The nose features hints of toasted rye grain, maple syrup, vanilla, and spice. Taste-wise, the new rye whiskey offers a wonderfully delightful exhibition of sweet and spicy. Sharp rye notes complement vanilla cake. Layers of baking spice quickly develop, leading to honey and dried fruit. The finish turns a touch dry with a lingering sweet oak note.

Like the other Elijah Craig expressions, this new rye whiskey offers tons of flavor for a reasonable price. But put the cost aside for a moment. This is delicious. It drinks as easily as Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon, but doesn’t carry over the big oaky notes. That’s the good news.

The not-so-good news is that this fantastic rye whiskey is only launching in four markets – North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Oregon. It’ll take some time to spread to the rest of the country. Patience is a virtue, unless you can find a mule from one of the aforementioned markets to snag a bottle for you.

Elijahcraig.com

Thanks to Heaven Hill for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Larceny Barrel Proof (Batch A120)

Starting in January 2020, Heaven Hill will release the new Larceny Barrel Proof three times a year, with other batches also arriving every May and September. Just like the standard Larceny release, this barrel proof edition is aged six to eight years. The barrel proof edition of Heaven Hill’s wheated mash bill bourbon is also non-chill filtered. It joins a small market of high-proof wheated bourbons competing against Maker’s Mark Cask Strength and W. L. Weller Full Proof.

Batches will utilize the same naming convention as Elijah Craig Barrel Proof. The first letter represents the batch release number for the year, followed by the month and year. In this case, A120 means this is the first batch, released in January 2020.

Batch A120 is bottled at 123.2 proof, or 61.62% abv. It starts rolling out to markets in January for a suggested retail price of $49.99.

There are hints of brown sugar, kettle corn, nutmeg, and cola on the nose. The soft, sweet approach of Larceny is apparent here, though presented in a much richer iteration. The palate first sees hints of spiced caramel, brioche, and vanilla. A bit of oak spice and slight astringency lead us to the short finish, which features a lingering barrel char and toffee note.

Larceny Barrel Proof does a nice job of transforming its approachable lower-proofed sibling into a much richer experience. The added proof points amplify the caramelized sugar quality of the whiskey. If you’re a fan of easy-drinking wheaters but are looking for a bit more oomph, place Larceny Barrel Proof in your sights. It’s an easy recommendation, especially for the $50 price tag. Just don’t expect a deep, complex bourbon.

Thanks to Heaven Hill for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review: Heaven Hill 7-Year-Old Bottled-In-Bond

Saying goodbye to an old friend is hard. Heaven Hill 6-year-old bottled-in-bond was discontinued months ago. At it’s $15ish price tag, it was considered by many bourbon enthusiasts to be not only a steal, but THE steal.

Its replacement was to be a new $40 7-year-old bottled-in-bond. Judging by a lot of social media reaction, the new expression was the equivalent of Yoko breaking up the band (I’m listening to Abbey Road as I write this review)

The truth of the matter is that 6-year-old BIB bourbon was a Kentucky-only release, which put it out of the reach of many folks. Second, it was underpriced by today’s standards. The $39.99 asking price of the new expression isn’t nuts. It’s actually more in line with the 2019 bourbon market.

Additionally, the new expression is available in more states than its predecessor, first launching in California, Texas, New York, Georgia, Florida, Illinois, South Carolina, and Colorado. Notably missing is Kentucky. But, those large markets put the whiskey in the hands of more thirsty customers. A lot more.

So, how is it? In the words of Mr. Harrison, “Here comes the sun.”

The nose carries hints of grilled sweet corn, vanilla, caramel, and some spice. Taste-wise, initial notes of toffee and peanut brittle meet baking spice, stewed orchard fruit, and baking spice. The long finish features lingering notes of salted caramel, freshly baked brioche, and a touch of oak spice.

Heaven Hill 7-year-old bottled-in-bond is a bourbon you’ll want to add to your collection. It’s big and bold and full of flavor. Heaven Hill knows its bonded whiskey – it makes more than any other distillery. Final verdict: I Want You (She’s So Heavy). Well said, Mr. Lennon. 8.5/10

Heavenhilldistillery.com

Thanks to Heaven Hill for the sample. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.