Review by: The Muskox
My main method of accumulating bourbon seems to be having friends leave their mostly-empty bottles at my house after a tasting. This is one such bottle.
Distillery: Heaven Hill.
Region/Style: USA / Kentucky / Straight bourbon.
ABV: 47% (94 proof).
Mash Bill: 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley.
Age: No age statement.
Cask type: #3 char new oak barrels.
Price: $28 locally.
Nose: Earthy and spicy. Parched oak, dusty corn, and various nuts. Cherries and red apple. Cinnamon and ground ginger – carrot cake.
Palate: Medium-light body. Arrives mildly. Slow development to apples and ginger, with gentle oak and browned butter. Slightly nutty. Chocolate milk???
Finish: Medium-long. Lots of browned butter here. Apple, banana, orange zest. Lingering earthiness.
Conclusion: It does the job. There’s not a lot of complexity there, but it’s rich enough and the finish is tasty enough to satisfy. Among its peers, I don’t think this excites me as much as, say, Wild Turkey 101, but it’s got more oomph than, say, Maker’s Mark. I still need to try more bourbon to be sure, but I think that, for me, this could be the archetypical 5/10. I’m sure that’s on the low side compared to the average, but I’m a tough grader.
I’m about to pour most of the rest of this bottle into a pot of chili, but I don’t really want to.
Final Score: 76.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 