Larceny Barrel Proof

I’d like to thank Heaven Hill for providing this review sample with no strings attached.

ohmygoshohmygoshohmygosh! TheExpanseisback!TheExpanseisback! Ahem. I mean… The Expanse is back and I couldn’t be more excited!

Now you might be wondering just what the Expanse is and why I am so excited. Well it is possibly the best science-fiction tv show. Period. Possibly ever. And I am a sci-fi nut from way back. So much so that my seventh-grade English teacher felt the need to tell my mother during parent-teacher conferences that I should be encouraged to branch out from the genre. You know because it wasn't “serious” enough for someone that was as smart as I was.

I still think that’s a pretty weird way to give a parent a compliment.

Now the books that the TV show is based on are phenomenal. Some of my favorites ever. And yet, I can see why maybe people wouldn’t have heard of it. The Expanse had the misfortune of starting on SyFy, which is not exactly known for high-quality programming these days. Luckily, for some reason, the network decided to pour enough money into this show to make the show look really good. And then they canceled it after three seasons because it was too expensive. Luckily Rich Uncle Pennybags…err…Bezos of Amazon fame liked it as well and decided to save it and bring it over to Amazon Prime.

I don’t have a lot of nice things to say about Amazon, but I am thankful for this.

And even though I have about 10 shows that I am currently bingeing, I am totally starting over to rewatch the Expanse from the beginning. Some people say that too much of a good thing is actually a bad thing. Whether it is amazing tv shows, college football Bowl games, or good food. But one thing that almost no one says is a bad thing is more proof on your whiskey.

Knowing that, Heaven Hill has recently decided to put out a barrel proof version of their flagship wheated bourbon, Larceny. I’ve been a fan of Larceny since it was first released way back in 2012. In fact, Larceny is one of two wheated bourbons that I’ve consistently had on my shelf over the years. So when I heard that Heaven Hill was releasing a barrel-proof version, I was super excited. I was even more excited when a generously large sample landed on my doorstep.

Much like Heaven Hill’s other barrel-proof offering, Elijah Craig, Larceny Barrel Proof will be released in batches throughout the year. It will feature the same naming scheme with a letter denoting which release it is, a number indicating which month is was released and the year. So this release, A120, means it is the first release of the year in January of 2020. And yes, you will have to wait until January to get your hands on this. And at a suggested retail price of about $50 or so, I’d keep an eye out for it.

Larceny Barrel Proof

Purchase info: This was graciously provided by Heaven Hill for review purposes. Suggested retail price is $49.99.

Price Per Drink (50 mL): $3.33

Details: Batch number: A 120. 61.6% ABV

Nose: Brown Sugar, cinnamon, clove, oak

Mouth: Mint, ripe berries, tobacco, honey

Finish: Long and hot. Mint and honey notes initially which are replaced by a long-lasting cinnamon candy note.

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Thoughts: This is delicious! It is a warm one though, luckily it takes water or ice very well. Compared to Larceny, this is similar on the nose. Obviously this is hotter than the standard Larceny but has a lot of the same notes on the mouth. Basically, it is just richer and the flavors are more concentrated. As you would expect.

Much like the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, this is one I will pick up every time I see it on the shelf.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Jack Daniel's Sinatra Select (Travel Retail Gift Pack 2019)

I’d like to thank the folks at Jack Daniel’s PR for providing this sample to me with no strings attached.

Holy shit am I feeling my age lately. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not OLD. But I am solidly into middle age. The gut that started to show up a few years ago is getting harder and harder to keep in check. Yearly physicals now come with the phrase: “well, you are getting older” somewhere in them. And to top it off, I had to converse with my optometrist about bifocals. Bifocals! And the worst part is, I think she may have been right.

So yeah, I feel old this week. Luckily for me, I got a little something to cheer me up. Though because of the fasting/no alcohol requirements of preparing for bloodwork this week, I didn’t get a chance to try it until last night. Yeah. Paying close attention to your bloodwork is a cool part of getting older too. Of course, it is just going to get worse, soon there will be routine colonoscopies too. And those are no fun at all.

But for now, the worrying about bloodwork and unpleasant camera intrusions are done for the year. Now is the time to turn to more pleasant thoughts. Things like the upcoming holidays, delicious food and drink, and the previously mentioned package that was dropped off last week.

You’ve probably seen Sinatra Select sitting on a high shelf or behind glass at your local liquor store. It was introduced in 2012 in order to celebrate Frank Sinatra’s famous love of Jack Daniel’s. According to the initial press release, a portion of the whiskey is aged in grooved barrels to allow more contact with the wood and greater extraction of the wood flavors. That portion is then blended with the standard Jack Daniel’s before being bottled at 90° proof.

On December 12th, Frank Sinatra would have celebrated his 104th birthday. (And I thought I felt old.) To commemorate this, for a limited time, Jack Daniel’s is doing something a little special with their Sinatra Select product. Recently Tina Sinatra, Frank’s daughter, found an old flask that her dad used to carry his Jack around in. It was engraved with the phrase “Ole Jack,” a reference to his nickname of Ole Blue Eyes, I’m guessing.

For a limited time, Jack Daniel’s is offering a special Commemorative Flask Set when you purchase Sinatra Select at travel retail. They will also have the flask set available at the distillery bottle shop. Jack Daniel’s sent me a bottle of Sinatra Select as well as the flask set and let me tell you, this is a lovely set. So lovely that my wife immediately stole it from me. The set comes in a leather case and contains the flask shown above and four metal jiggers. My mother-in-law tells me that her father had one very similar to it while he was alive.

Of course, if you are not going to make it down to Lynchburg, Tennessee and you have no plans to travel internationally, you still have a chance to get your hands on one of these sets. Quoting the press release now:

From November 29 through December 11, friends of Jack will also have a chance to win a commemorative “OLE JACK” flask. Visitors to the Jack Daniel’s Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages can submit to win one of the collector’s items, with seven winners to be announced on Frank’s birthday, December 12.

Jack Daniel's Sinatra select

Purchase info: This product was graciously provided by Jack Daniel’s PR for review purposes. Suggested retail price for Sinatra Select with the flask set is $179.99.

Price per Drink (50 ml): $9.00

Details: 45% ABV

Nose: Almond, cinnamon candy, delicate mint,

Mouth: Nice spice, almond, mint and a touch of banana.

Finish: Medium length and heat. Lingering banana bread notes.

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Thoughts: This is a delicious whiskey. Initially minty and cool in the mouth, as it moves back the spice and the viscosity increase until upon swallowing it feels almost syrupy. If you are a Jack Daniel's fan you owe it to yourself to try a pour of this somehow. And if a loved one (who you really like) is a Jack fan, this would be a great gift.

Did you enjoy this post? If so, maybe you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee in return. Go to ko-fi.com/bourbonguy to support. And thank you, BourbonGuy.com is solely supported via your generosity.

Of course, if you want to support BourbonGuy.com and get a little something back in return, you can always head over to BourbonGuyGifts.com and purchase some merch. I’ve made tasting journals, stickers, pins, and more.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Heritage Barrel 2019

I’d like to thank the folks at Jack Daniel’s PR for providing this sample to me with no strings attached.

I grew up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin in the 1980s. Looking back on it from a distance of 35 years or more, I am struck by a few of the things that stick out in my memories. I remember a lot of signs above the doors of stores, restaurants, and bars that had the name or logo of a beverage company covering most of the sign and the name of the establishment running across the top or bottom in much smaller letters. The stores were mostly 7-UP or Pepsi and the bars were usually Old Style or Pabst.

I remember a single phone booth in the town I grew up in. And I remember a single pop machine. The phone booth was on a corner across the street from the cafe and the pop machine was outside the grocery store. Both of those are gone now. The phone booth was lost to cellphones and the soda machine was killed by convenience stores that stay open 24 hours.

I remember going to the local bar with my mom to watch the Packer games on a Sunday afternoon. I would get a soda for during the game and another for playing video games on the arcade cabinets in the corner for after. I usually got one that was new or unable to be found in the town’s lone pop machine. things like New Coke, and Mandarin Orange or Apple Slice.

I remember a bottle of Jack Daniel’s that lived on top of our refrigerator. It was my Step-Dad’s favorite drink. That square-shouldered, black-labeled bottle was always just sort of there at the edge of my consciousness. And I always had a bit of a soft spot for it even though I never tried it until I was in college.

And because Jack Daniel’s was (and is) my Step-Dad’s favorite drink, I always keep an eye out for new products in their line. Initially, it was because I was buying it as a present. But as I became more of a whiskey fan, I started trying them too. Some of them I have really liked. Others less so. So when the PR folks for Jack Daniel’s offered me a sample of this year’s Heritage Barrel, I eagerly accepted.

This is the same whiskey as last year’s version just with an extra year of age on it. And just like last year, this whiskey was:

aged at the highest altitude of the Jack Daniel Distillery’s warmest barrelhouse, this year’s iteration of Heritage Barrel will have a greater depth of color and character for fans of the original run to enjoy. The rich vanilla, oak spice and sweet caramel flavors are derived from a unique barrel toasting you won’t find in any other Single Barrel expression. Each heritage barrel is slowly heated to achieve a deeper, richer toasted layer before being charred, evoking the barrels of the distillery’s earliest coopers.

Jack Daniel's Single Barrel Heritage Barrel 2019

Purchase Info: This was graciously provided by Jack Daniel’s PR for review purposes. Suggested retail price is $64.99.

Price Per Drink (50mL): $4.33

Details: 50% ABV

Nose: Cinnamon, toffee, buckwheat honey, oak, green apple

Mouth: Sweet, tingly and warm on the mouth with brown sugar, caramel, and baking spice

Finish: Medium length and warmth. Lingering green apple, cinnamon, brown sugar.

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Thoughts: I really like this one. Very sweet and rich. I love the green apple notes that play alongside the sweet caramel and brown sugar notes. Add in the accessible price point and this will make a lovely gift for yourself or a loved one.

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