Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A123

Larceny Barrel Proof Batch A123

Purchased for $74 at a local liquor store.

Small batch of 6 – 8 year barrels

125.8 proof

Reviewed neat in a glencairn.

Appearance: Mahogony. Fat, slow legs and leaves a pretty ring of beads on the side of the glass.

Nose: Cherry, apricot, tobacco and a dusting of cinnamon. There’s a very faint sting from the high proof of this one, but rather mild considering it’s a beefy 125.8 proof.

Palate: Cherry Coke and burnt caramel. Mild flavor of bakers chocolate giving it a bitterness. It’s pretty thin on the pallet and doesn’t coat the mouth well. Not nearly as thick as it looks in the glass. It’s got a “minty cool” feel on the palate but with some wood mixed in.

Finish: The finish might be the best part of this one (the nose was excellent too though). A sweet oak profile and mint linger while a nice hug develops in the chest and slowly grows for 5 seconds or so and then very slowly fades away. As the remaining 125.8 proof bourbon evaporates on the palate you’re left with a nice tingling sensation for up to a minute or so afterwards.

Rating: 6.8/10

Overall: This is bottle was best left to open up for a few months before it mellowed out. The first couple weeks after I opened it, it was very much “fire water.” After giving it a little time to open up though, it did so beautifully! I’m a big fan of the cherry notes on the nose and palate. The bouquet of sweet fruits, earthy tobacco, and spicy cinnamon on the nose is quite complex and lets you pick up something different each time you nose it. The palate was more bitter than I expected, especially for it being a wheater. There was still some sweetness, it was just…bittersweet… The finish was excellent though and lasted for quite a while. The finish was really the only part about this sip that let you know it was nearly 63% abv, but it didn’t “burn.” It was mostly the fact that the residual left on the palate easily evaporated leaving a cooling, tingling sensation on the palate. If it wasn’t for that, this would be a total fake out for the proof. The nose and palate definitely didn’t give it away.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.

2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.

3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.

4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but many things I’d rather have.

5 | Good | Good, just fine.

6 | Very Good | A cut above.

7 | Great | Well above average

8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.

9 | Incredible | An all time favorite

10 | Perfect | Perfect