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Not to be confused with the sub-$20 and now discontinued 6-year old iteration of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, the current 7-year-old bottling, introduced in 2019, is a mid-market offering known to many as a reliably good pour. In 1939, four years after its opening, Heaven Hill put out their first namesake Bottled-in-Bond which at the time quickly became the best selling bourbon in the state of Kentucky. The distillery has one of the largest portfolios of Bottled-in-Bond whiskeys in the world, joined by brands like Mellow Corn, Rittenhouse, Henry Mckenna, and Evan Williams in offering a bonded version. Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond is well awarded, having won Double Gold (ISC 2024), Double Platinum (ASCOT 2024), and World Whisky of the year (Bartender Spirits Awards), and is routinely offered up by some whiskey influencers as a recurring favorite.
🛒Sourced: $45.99 - 750ml - Costco Perimeter, GA - I sometimes see it for a few dollars cheaper. The 6-year version was perhaps too good of a deal, but one extra year for 3x the price was quite a step up. I remember being surprised when Heaven Hill 7-Year released as at that time some stores were asking $50-$60. That's McKenna 10 money!
🧪Proof: 100 proof, 50% ABV
🎨Color: R4 - Fairly yellow for a bourbon, it packs just enough of a ruddy orange to say on the red side of the bracket.
🥔Mash Bill: 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barely, 10% Rye - This is the traditional Heaven Hill mash bill that appears in Evan Williams, Henry McKenna, Elijah Craig, and J.W. Dant branded offerings. A #3 barrel char is used. In accordance with the Bottled-in-Bond Act, this whiskey is the product of a single location and distillation season. Barrel Entry proof is 125.
👃Nose: Approachable. Very woody with stout oak braced by splints of vanilla. Maybe a hint of orange and furniture stain.
😜Palate: Medium-Thin on the palate with some heat. Oak and Caramel. There is a hint of milk chocolate as it starts to transition to the finish.
💦Finish: HHBiB delivers on a longer throat heat that surprised me given the understated nose and palate. Flavor is short lived and wood dominant with a subtle twist of clementine.
🏆 Overall: 5.75/10 - Good - Hello Evan, is that you? This tastes exactly like what you'd expect a seven-year-old Evan Williams to. I like it but am not blown away by any stretch. There was quite a bit of hype around this bottle when it first dropped, but perhaps it was due to scarcity excitement from the gradual nature by which it rolled out? If you like Evan Williams as a daily driver and want a more mellow version, Heaven Hill's 7-year Bottled-in-Bond delivers very well on that pedigree. I was hoping it would tend towards some of the more minty / piney flavors I get from some McKenna BiBs or older Evan Vintages, but this seems to be more the customary bourbon flavored bourbon notes. We'll see if it opens up more with time, but I'm having a hard type squaring what I just drank with the litany of awards.
Bottom-of-the-Bottle update: There is some definite flavor shift over a 3-6 month period. I did get some citrus and apricot joining the mix, more confusing than enhancing. Though I continue to see some level of praise for this bottle, it's still one of the lower options on my list from Heaven Hill.
💵Would buy again? No. Economics are the stumbling block for this bottle. Considering that some batches of the normal white label have historically drifted towards six years during glut times, this is a good bit more money vs the age. The much lamented Heaven-Hill Bottled-in-Bond 6-year was a Kentucky exclusive for $15 (reflecting the same economics as the Evan Bonded). Heck, you can even step down to the excellent Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage series and save $10. It's lower proof, but you'll typically get more age and some of those barrels are downright phenomenal. With Mckenna 10 Bottled-in-Bond showing up reliably on shelves again, I would much rather take a chance on one of those. Even the worst McKenna 10 I've had was much more interesting.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Serviceable | Fine | Mixing or ice recommended.
6 | Very Good | Any flaws offset by interesting flavors | A cut above.
7 | Great | You find yourself reaching for this one often | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Serve to Impress Guests | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite | You guard this bottle jealously.
10 | Perfect | You didn't think anything could be this good | A clear champion.