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Named for John E. Fitzgerald, an excise man who loved to sneak tastes of some of the best bourbon right out of the rickhouse, Larceny is Heaven Hill's main wheated brand. With both a 92-proof flagship line and batched barrel proof edition, Heaven Hill also allows private barrel picks. Larceny has traditionally competed with Rebel and moved at a few dollars less than Maker's Mark, and the brand underwent a bit of a transformation in 2020 with the launch of the barrel proof line, the B batch of which won Whiskey Advocate's #1 Whiskey of the Year. Picks are typically selected on-site or via correspondence from a lineup of 3-4 barrel samples pulled from specific aging locations. Disclaimer: while most producers select interesting or high-quality barrels for their pick programs, profiles can vary widely and may sometimes be "off-brand".
🛒Sourced: $39.99 for 750ml from Tower Beer, Wine, and Spirits, GA - A bargain even before the $20 rebate from Heaven Hill. Probably the best deal in whiskey I'll ever see. With Maker's Cask Strength sitting in the low 40s, I suspect the Hill may have to come down from the ~$70 SRP.
🧪Proof: 121.1 proof, 60.55% ABV - This is around the midpoint as I see picks from 114 to 126 commonly.
🎨Color: R3 - a honey orange yellow.
🥔Mash Bill & Production: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, and 12% Malted Barley. Larceny and the Old Fitzgerald line share the same mash bill, but can end up tasting quite different.
- Age - Stated as 7-Years on the front label
- Distillation Proof - 140
- Barrel Entry Proof - 125
- Barrel # 7558482
- Storage Location - Rickhouse W2 Floor 3
- Char - #3
- Batch Size - Single Barrel, yields vary widely and are usually between 130-180 bottles
- Chill Filtered - No
👃Nose: A bit boozy which fits with my expectation for Larceny; they always smell appropriate to the proof. Rum, biscuit, and dry leaves.
😜Palate: Full bodied and creamy but hot, hot, hot! Crème brûlée and fresh pastry sit under a wash of dusty corn heat. Towards the finish there is a brief moment of black currant and dark berry.
💦Finish: Medium, mostly corn and nuts, perhaps walnut for a slight bittering note.
🏆 Overall: 5.5/10 - Good - I find that I have a hard time with Larceny, especially at barrel proof, even if one of their batched releases. With dilution, they're usually much more approachable and have a bit more room for the interesting bits to shine. For me, I'd rather see a 107 or 101 proof offering and pocket the difference. This particularly barrel does have some of the nice dark fruit, but it's a battle to find it each sip.
💵Would buy again? For $20 after rebate, sure. Normally, no.
⚖️Rating Scale:
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume it by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws | Struggle to get through the bottle
4 | Serviceable | Mixing or ice recommended.
5 | Good | Drinkable Neat | An agreeable dram indeed.
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
🙈Blind Tastings:
- Not Yet Bind Tested