Tastes

Nose offers musty rickhouse, peanut shell, toffee, barrel char, caramel, vanilla pudding, walnut, black licorice, and soft, sweet, oak. Ethanol is noticeable but in line given the proof. Palate matches the nose precisely, so as to not be repetitive see above. Dessert notes matched against bitter smoke/char/wood in equal parts offering a complimentary experience. Long finish brings cinnamon, pepper, some rye spice, mint, and a slight sourness almost like sourdough bread. Oak note from the palate turns slightly tannic, but pleasingly so. Mouthfeel is smooth and silky, which is a big plus. I had long since stopped buying these when the price went to $100+, but this particular release was available for a throwback price of $84.99, so I decided to take the plunge and I’m glad I did as this is superior whiskey. I may just pony up and buy other releases currently found on the shelf price be damned.

Nose is surprisingly fruity for this expression with strawberry cream, pineapple upside down cake, peanut shell, toffee, vanilla icing, and soft oak. Ethanol is pesky and takes a little off what otherwise might have been near perfect. Palate is nuttier and richer than nose would indicate with caramel, vanilla, hazelnut, fig, date, raisin, toffee, black cherry, chocolate and butterscotch. Complex. Finish is wildly long with a spice bloom of cinnamon, allspice, black pepper, clove, ginger, walnut, and oak. Spicy finish is a nice counterpoint, keeling things from getting too cloyingly sweet. Mouthfeel is vicious, but ends with a bit of dry prickliness. So I’ve seen some claim “best Larceny BP ever!” but not so fast; the profile matches my palate really well and props to Heaven Hill for taking the heat level down a notch but it’s far from perfect; a little boozy on the nose, a little prickly on the palate. So while I can’t in good conscience rank it higher than previous variations of this expression, that said its pretty good. Releases do seem to be getting more consistent and Larceny BP seems to be figuring it out, so I’m here for the ride. At 79.99, its a steal in today’s market.

Nose is pretty bright and brassy with peach, pine, citrus zest, cedar, white pepper, honey, vanilla icing, and gingerbread. Slight vitamin/mineral aroma. Unconventional. Ethanol continuously bothersome, showing some youth. Palate brings forth much from the nose, particularly the gingerbread, vanilla icing, and peach notes, along with toffee, cotton candy, rye spice, nutmeg, praline, and green apple. MGP-like in profile. The cedar/pine becomes a more pronounced oak. Quite well balanced but lacing in complexity. Finish turns spicy and dry with black peppercorn, leather, cinnamon, oak, clove, and tea leaf. Definitely has a bit of a bite to it. There’s a hint of a mineral note (I see you, Dickel!) but it’s actually enjoyable. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and walks the line between creamy and grainy, managing to be neither. Hard to rate as there is definite quality here, I favor a bit of a darker profile. At $50, this could certainly be someone’s mid-tier whiskey rebuy, just not mine.

OBSQ recipe, 56.9% ABV, aged 10 yr 9 mo. Aroma is pungent with vanilla, oak, fresh cut grass, earthy cellar, honey, allspice, mint, citrus, and apple chips. Ethanol is decently low. Palate is sweeter than the nose would indicate with caramel, plum, molasses, barrel char, vanilla, cinnamon, and apricot. Flavors are rich. Finish turns slightly funky with white pepper, tobacco, fresh leather, clove, nutmeg, tarragon, sandalwood, and musty/dusty rick house. Mouthfeel is an absolute delight; thick, smooth, and creamy. Long lasting pepper note after everything else fades away. Bold and unique. While not my absolute favorite recipe I have sampled, it is still a top shelf whiskey with great complexity and zero flaws. I paid $129 and at that price it’s buy all day every day for these releases. While not as economical as say an ECPB, this still offers solid bang for your buck in today’s market.

Total wine and more pick, 125.1 proof, 11 year age stated. Sweet and spicy nose with allspice, nutmeg, confectioners sugar, honey, ginger, nougat, vanilla cream, and Snickers bar. As I was writing this before taking my first sip, suddenly a berry note came out of nowhere. Ethanol nicely restrained. Whoa. Palate much woodier and more astringent than the nose would indicate. Sour cherries, oak, caramel, dark chocolate, sweet corn, buttered toast, and berry. Flavors are sharp and “tight” if that makes sense. Lingering finish brings more sourness (almost like gummy worms), furniture varnish, astringent oak, cherry NyQuil, black pepper, cinnamon, the dark chocolate from the palate, and barrel char. Mouthfeel is the thinnest and grainiest I have ever experienced in a ECBP product to the point of being watery, ultimately resulting in an unpleasant prickly feel where everything is felt solely on the sides of the tongue. This is…not good. All prickles and stings. Strangely sour and let me tell you, sour is NOT a note I appreciate in my whiskey. Someone actually selected this and said “this is the one”?!? I think I paid 79.99 for this and it’s a few steps above a drain pour. I’ll stick to the main three releases each year and leave these “barrel strength private barrel” offerings on the shelf from now on. Huge disappointment.

Ahh A124. The youngest ECBP to date. Is this truly worthy of all the hate? Let’s find out. Nose is definitely subdued with candied orange, minerals, cinnamon, berry, sweet corn, and…not much else. Really pesky ethanol keeps coming in and making things worse. Not a good start. (Ok after a while the mineral note vanished and ethanol decreased. Weird.) Thank goodness things improve massively on the palate; butterscotch, black cherry, soft mature oak, nutmeg, tobacco, and brown sugar. Flavors are less punchy than I am used to from this expression, but also well integrated and rounded. Finish gets even better with caramel, vanilla creme, cinnamon sugar, creme brûlée burnt sugar, white pepper, chocolate, oak, mint, leather, and barrel char. Honestly, a great blend of sweet and spicy notes here. On the longer side of medium. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a hint of effervescence which actually serves this pretty well. Let’s get something straight; this is NOT an inferior release. Just…different. Where as often times ECBP bludgeons you, this one is a gentleman. Comes across a little more like a “daily drinker” type whiskey vs a “special occasion” bottle and while that is a departure for the line it’s not a bad thing if you ask me. Anyone who says this is shitty because it doesn’t have a 12+ year age statement is smoking crack. At $89.99, there’s nothing to find sweious fault with here as I’ve paid a lot more for a lot less. Bring on B524.

Nose is fruitier than many from the series with caramel dipped green apple, berry compote, vanilla, cashew, milk chocolate, and cinnamon sugar. Ethanol is nicely subdued. Palate matches the nose very well so as to not be redundant all the above mentioned notes are there along with soft oak, cola, and toffee. Flavors are rich and punchy but there’s some sharpness there. Exceptionally long finish offers a nice “sweet and spicy” vibe with red hots candy, black sweet and sour sauce, black pepper, peanut butter, and oak which is a little more bitter than the oak initially found in the palate. Mouthfeel is very thick and chewy, but manages to be slightly grainy as well. Minor flaw. One of the better releases. I found myself wishing the flavors were a little rounder and the mouthfeel a little silkier, but hey we can’t have everything. At 79.99, nothing here that would stop me from continuing to buy the three releases per year unless things take a major downturn.

Total Wine store pick. 65.3% ABV Oh wow, this nose is great with brown sugar, vanilla cream, stone fruit, fig, tobacco, leather, oak, smoke sausage, and caramel. Ethanol is noticeable, but it IS 130+ proof after all, so slightly lower than expected given that. Palate offers rich caramel, vanilla, marshmallow, pancake batter, a hint of maple, date, molasses, raisin, nougat, smoke, and cinnamon sugar. Wildly decadent. Finish is ridiculously long and complex with notes of creme brûlée, caramelized sugar, dark chocolate, flan, plum wine, charcoal, nutmeg, pomegranate, and date supported by an undertone of black pepper and toasted wood providing welcome balance. Mouthfeel is full bodied and oily, but with a hint of effervescence/airiness that really accentuates things. Thank goodness, because a sandpaper/graininess here might have really spoiled things. Very intense and challenging and not for the faint of heart but those willing to brave it are rewarded with something truly exceptional. Not something I would reach for every day; more like a “have to be in the mood” whiskey but it’s an experience. Loads of sweetness, spice, and heat here but it all integrates very well. At $104, it is pricey but in no way out of whack given the quality and uniqueness of the experience. Definite rebuy status.

Nose opens with stewed fruits in the form of pear and apple, tobacco, leather, vanilla cake frosting, orange marmalade, caramel chew, old cedar furniture, allspice, clove, Honestly, there is so much depth and complexity here you get a new element with every sniff. A truly great aroma. Ethanol is well controlled. Palate brings more “dark” elements than the nose would indicate; tons of gooey caramel, Black Forest cake, ripe date, toffee, black cherry, fig newton, and dark chocolate. Saying flavors are rich and robust is a massive understatement. Finish is insanely good with…remember one of those crazy ice cream sundaes you would get from a place like Swenson’s where it was three scoops of vanilla ice cream and then you had one fudge, butterscotch, and strawberry topping on each scoop? That’s totally there in this finish. Even a hint of the chopped nuts. Just enough cinnamon, black pepper, and toasted oak to add balance and keep things from becoming cloying. Very long, but wanted it to be longer because it’s so damned good. Mouthfeel is full bodied and creamy. A delight. So some ECBP releases are spicy, some earthy, and some sweet, and this is definitely the latter and it really hit the spot for me. Right up there with the best of the best of the expression. Can’t remember if I paid $79.99 or $99.99 for this but it doesn’t matter because the rating is 5 out of 5 either way.

Nose is full of brown sugar, molasses, caramel, waffle, mesquite, burnt sugars, nutmeg, and barrel char. Ethanol nice and low. Palate matches the nose quite well with additions of creme brûlée, raisin, dark chocolate, tea leaf, burnt marshmallow, and butterscotch. Flavors are dense and rich, almost “gooey” if you will. Finish brings heat and spice in the form of jalapeño pepper, ginger, rye, astringent oak, and unattenuated alcohol but after that it magically turns sweet again with caramel drizzled vanilla ice cream, which I found to be absolutely divine. And that note LASTS. Mouthfeel is full bodied and slick with a hint of effervescence which also worked for me. Very much a densely sweet and sharply spicy affair, there is a lot to like here if that’s your jam. A wild ride for sure, but a rewarding one if you’re willing to strap in. The finish absolutely slayed me. At around $70, it meets rebuy status easily, although I will say that like many Balcones products, I have to be “in the mood” because they are a little more challenging than the average dram, but overall one of the better expressions from this distillery.