Review #: 390
Description: Old Heaven Hill Bottled-In-Bond (1970s)
Spirit: Bourbon
Background: Some real dusty, Heaven Hill, this dram was shared with me by a friend, but under the guise of a mystery sample labeled “dusty.” It was revealed to me after submitting my notes
Distillery – Heaven Hill
Bottler – Heaven Hill
Brand – Heaven Hill
Selection – N/A
ABV – 50%
Age – NAS
Nose – Smells like bourbon. Heavy brown sugar, peach rings, fudge, dark oak, raisin
Taste – Ok, maybe not bourbon as it is very fruity. Mostly dark with some bright. Vanilla, grape soda, dark chocolate, oaky
Finish – Toasty and spicy. A bit dry and bitter but not too bad and there is a lingering butteriness that coats your mouth and combats the tannins
Guess: 15-20 Year Armagnac, 50-53% ABV?
Score: 6
Would I buy a bottle? Don’t think I could afford one if I found one at auction. Don’t think it would be really worth it outside of the cool history that old bottles have
Thoughts:
The use of “dusty” on the label is messing with my head. Just from the nose I thought maybe bourbon. Then tasting, I’m pretty sure it’s brandy. But the oak strength and heat of it makes me think it might be something like a dusty Lairds? Whatever it is, it’s pretty tasty. Lovely nose, oak is strong but not overwhelming but a touch warm on the finish.
After Reveal: Dang, I should have trusted my nose. This had a lot of fruit character on it