Larceny Barrel Proof Bourbon Batch C921

Clear, burnished saddle leather color. Sweet, resonant nose of maple syrup, apples, a little molasses, chocolate, a touch of cigar wrapper, fresh coconut rind. Full-throttle, mouth-coating palate with lots of dried cherries. Long maple syrup finish with vanilla, cocoa powder, and a lingering tobacco element. Noticeable but expected and nice burn at 122.6 proof, but comes across not unbalanced with the robust aromatics and flavor profile.

Solid pour! Definitely get the heat, but overpowering peanuts at the back of palate….in a good way. Going to enjoy this bottle, interested to see how it compares to future drops.

Rating: 12/23 N: Some sweetness like peanut brittle, then some light minerality, a dry-tart grain, a hint of licorice, and some ethanol. I get more alcohol here than I did in Larceny C920, but I also get less of that sour mash character. I'm not sure which I prefer. P: Kind of a toasty flavor with hints of dry grain and peanut shells before a wave of sour mash comes out, and then rich vanilla with a little salted black licorice. Of course, there is also a big alcohol burn throughout. There isn't so much spice as there is alcohol burn here. A couple drops of water do bring out more of the toasty grain and a bit of that peanut brittle from the nose though. There's still a bitter sour mash flavor though. And it burns a lot, but not as much as that painful burn without the water. F: Bitter and tart, with a lingering burn. A little bit of light caramel sweetness, but not much. - Conclusion - I like this better than Larceny C920 (/23) because there's less of that grain whisky tartness and burn here. This at least has that nice bit of peanut brittle. Still, this is a very challenging dram that I don't really enjoy. It does still give me some of those Booker's vibes that the C920 did, but this is fuller and more tasty, despite not quite having the same degree of Beam profile. Considering the burn, this definitely isn't as good as Elijah Craig Small Batch (15/23). The Elijah Craig is sweeter and more approachable while still having a variety of flavors, despite tasting a bit muddy. The alcohol here really burns in comparison. and takes over the profile. This is a frustratingly harsh dram. And the harshness quickly wipes out the nuance here. That's one thing that the C921 has going for it over this: its flavors do stand out better in the midst of its (even stronger) burn. Unlike the C920, this seems like solid competition for Signatory's Caledonian 29 (1987). The two burn similarly in this case, though I'd probably say that this burns a little bit more. On the other hand, this has a slightly more interesting and decadent profile. It's a tough call. I think that this burns and shows its alcohol a bit more, but it also tastes a bit better. I'm inclined to call it a wash and give them both a 12. That makes this the better of the two Larceny Barrel Proofs I've tried, but wow does that say a lot about the quality of these. I can imagine going up to a 13 for this, but that's the limit of what I'd consider. This isn't on the same level as Elijah Craig Small Batch, unfortunately. The Elijsha Craig tastes a bit better (though not a lot better), but it has so much less burn. I have a sip left and I might go up to a 13 here, but for now this is unfortunately a 12. I can taste some real potential with a lot of water added to this, but it's still hot and with this sample I can't really identify the exact amount of water needed. Even when I try to perfect the amount of water though, this struggles to surpass the Caledonian. It might by a hair, but I think that a 12 is the most appropriate score here. Thank you for the sample of this, @soonershrink ! It seems that Larceny Barrel Proof may just not be my jam.

Smells milder than it tastes. Sharp and hits hard. Can feel the alcohol, and it dominates. I’ll give it extra rating because it does stand out as different - it’s hot and you know when you’re sipping on it.

As someone who loves barrel proof bourbons, this is over the top. Smells only like ethanol and the taste is as hot as the nose is strong.

Straight spice on this one, other batches are way better

I don't get much from the nose. Oak and peanuts for the taste. Peppery finish

Hot!