William Heavenhill 12 Year Barrel Proof (7th Edition)

This is one of those expressions that'd be very hard to explain to an outsider unfamiliar with the extravagant, skyrocketing prices of the hobby and increasingly byzantine distinctions between different bourbons from the same distillery. This costs $250. It's 12 years old. Yesterday, I complained about Evan Williams 12 costing $129, but this takes it to the next level. Compare this expression to the distillery's own Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, and it's really hard to convince yourself of the value proposition. Both have the same age statement, come from the same distillery stock, and they're sometimes separated by less than a single proof point (see, e.g., ECBP A119). And the ECBP costs $75-80. With all that being said . . . I have to give some credit to these guys because Heavenhill is a stunning dram. On the nose: fresh florals, heady perfumes, ripe plums, and blackberry pie. Each sip combines those Elijah Craig flavors of cherry and dry oak, but there's also so much hazelnut and chocolate in its profile that the lawyers at Nutella need to think about suing. The tannins are so powerful that this bourbon almost glues my teeth to my lips. That extra Nutella note is what distinguishes this from the lesser expressions in Heaven Hill's lineup. Is that worth a $170 premium? Not for us, but to each their own.

Booze and cinnamon bomb. Fills the mouth with a lush, oily spice the erupts into a soft heat. It doesn’t burn, but it lets you know it’s there. Lingers for quite awhile after it’s gone. This doesn’t drink like 135 proof. Reminds me of the high proof George T Staggs, but with a lot more spice. Wonderful and worth picking up.