Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C923

You know, I've never actually tried a Larceny Barrel Proof release before and have always heard good things. I had the chance to snag up a bottle at MSRP while I was buying a bottle of Stagg 23b and decided to jump on it. Wow... it this stuff really 126 proof? The nose certainly doesn't smell like it. Throughout the nose is a underlying spicy hit of cinnamon. Tickles the nose ever so slightly. But on top of that cinnamon is brown sugar, lemon peels some leather and slightly charred, damp wood ( think: campfire the morning after ). The taste opens with salted caramel. There's a really interesting thick mouthfeel with some saltiness mixed in with the sweet. The spicy cinnamon carries a theme throughout but there's definitely some yummy honey roasted nuts and brown sugar in there too. The more you drink, the more that spice opens up and devours your palate so enjoy that first sip ever so carefully. At the start of the finish an odd fruity tartness lies in waiting. Tastes like under ripened cherries, but its hardly noticeable past the spicy cinnamon, dry leather and oak tannins. The proof makes itself known on the finish, as the tummy warming drink fills you with fiery proof heat. Yeah this one is a solid sipper full stop, not just for its proof. If you can find a bottle at MSRP, I'd swoop it up because it is quite the bargain.

Easy drinker straight up. Palate buttery, toasty spice, vanilla and rich. Definitely understand why Fred Minnick rated it a top 5 bourbon in 2023