Back in the day, social media sites had that relationship status, "It's complicated." I've been married for eleven years now and haven't used Facebook for five, but if I were to describe my relationship with this bottle of bourbon, this is what I'd use, "It's complicated." Obviously, Larceny has gained in stature for its barrel proof whisky owing to great reviews and its selection as Whisky Advocate's Whisky of the Year in...2020? And it's been one of those that's been hard to get your hands on in my area. It goes on sale online only and there are usually only 75 bottles for the whole state, so you have to monitor the site and strike while the striking is good. So, whenever I catch wind it's available, I pick it up, especially since it's $50 around here still. Thing is, over the past year, I went through a cask strength phase, and it's possible my love affair with cask strength is waning? Part of this has to do with the fact that, although cask strength whiskies are generally more flavorful, they also hit harder and quicker, so if you want to enjoy a few drinks over the course of an evening, you'll be messed up by the end, and here's an admission that shames me, but I'll cop to it anyway: I've never really mastered the art of splashing with water. Either I add too little and the cask strength stuff tastes almost identical to what was in the bottle, or I add too much and it's like I'm drinking...well, in this case, it would be like I'm drinking Larceny Small Batch. And what's the point of getting my hands on the cask strength bottling if I'm just going to dilute it down to Small Batch territory? That said, this bottle, this offering, this whisky...it needs splashing. At 122 Proof, it's got a nice nose, mingling oak, maple syrup, cinnamon, and a trace of tart apple, but you have to take that whiff sparingly as it'll take a few nose hairs with it when you do. A splash of water (and I think I actually got it right this time around) mutes the heat and allows those aromas to come forward and be...enjoyable without the risk to your nasal cavities. On the palate, if you don't water it down, it's just fire. All the flavor gets lost. Without water, it's mainly peppery spice and oak and earth. And this is what I mean by "It's complicated." The neck pour was awful. I couldn't tease out anything but alcohol. Of course, I know from my experience with Maker's CS and Rebel Distiller's Edition, that I often don't like wheated CS bourbon until it's given a little time to air. So I drank a double (I might not have enjoyed it, but I wasn't going to waste it) and let the bottle sit in my cabinet for 3 weeks, every once in a while taking a slug straight from the horse's mouth to check if it had evolved yet. Do any of you do this? Do you ever find some whiskies are just more enjoyable when you drink them straight from the bottle? In an earlier review of Evan Williams 1783, I mentioned how no one talks about best whiskies to drink from a flask. Another of those underappreciated categories might be: what are the best whiskies to drink straight from the bottle? I mean, I don't want you thinking I'm a wino down on skid row, brown-bagging it; these were tiny sips of maybe a quarter shot, like dipping a toe in the water, and every time I went back I liked it more and more (I should also note that I don't roll with a lot of friends who like bourbon, so no one's clamoring to share this with me, meaning it's safe for me to swig from my bottle). In fact, I just stood up, walked across the room, away from my computer and the Glen Cairn glass I'm using to reflect and capture my final thoughts and took a sip directly from the bottle, and for some reason, the exact same liquid tastes better to me coming from that bottle than it does in my glass. From the bottle it's got that cherry pie note that wheated CS bourbons get that for some reason disappears in the glass. Only wait for it...it reappears if I pour a shot and let an ice cube melt in it. So, it's been a long time since I've said this, but...this is one of those whiskies that I actually like better on ice. Not "the rocks." As adding several rocks would make this into Larceny Small Batch, and as I've said, there's not point there. But maybe that one rock is exactly the right amount of water. Maybe that one rock is the splash I have trouble measuring properly out of a dropper. Who'd have ever thought to say, but it's a talent, splashing whisky is. And I have to work on it. In any case, without water, the finish is essentially one long draught of cracked black pepper. With the water, the cherry tartness lingers, or maybe it's apple tart. Either way, the water lets the finish remain sweet while having a slight edge of spice, which is really what I prefer. And of course, now that it's summer, that ice cube cools it down to a temperature that's proper for drinking out on your porch or deck on an otherwise hot summer night. So, in closing, I'm going to raise my glass of Larceny with one rock in it to the rest of you and say, "Cheers!" I think I was hoping for more from this. But it's a solid $50 Wheated Cask Strength Bourbon. I'm not sure it's worth all that much more than $50 (in fact, Maker's Mark CS is pretty much just as good, if not better with some batches), but I guess as long as there's a scarcity, people will be willing to go high for something as hyped as this is. To be honest, I won't be surprised to be priced out on this in two years time when it's SRP shoots up to $75/$100. I think it's already going for more than that when people flip it. So...what are you gonna do?