I got this on someone's recommendation because it's a wheated bourbon, and he knows I like Maker's Mark. I got a fifth for $28.99 at Kelly Liquors in Albuquerque. It's 92 proof, and comes from a mash bill of 68% corn, 20% wheat, and 12% malted barley. There's no age statement, but it had to age at least two years to be a straight bourbon. I first tasted it right after I'd had a bad cold, and it took a month for my palate to get back to normal; this is the third or fourth glass I've had from the bottle, and the first one which I liked without reservation.
The nose presents caramel, apple, and butterscotch notes. The taste begins with cereal, then moves on to oak, and then chocolate. The finish is short, and consists of chocolate and oak. I wonder how much of what I tasted previous was artifacts of my retreating cold, since on previous occasions I detected notes that I didn't tonight, including a hay or grass note that I've never liked no matter where I've found it.
Tonight I found Larceny to be a pretty simple bourbon, but a much better one than I'd previously experienced. I'd begun to think I'd just chuck the bottle, but if it's going to taste like this from now on, I'll keep it. It isn't complex and intense enough to rate four or five stars, but it's a lot better than some I've tried.
28.99
USD
per
Bottle