A few bourbon loving buddies of mine have long been trying to sway me away from Buffalo Trace's offerings, especially of the more allocated varieties. Good as they are, they are incredibly hyped and some are still very expensive and difficult to purchase on the secondary market. Two distilleries a particularly good friend of mine swear by are Heaven Hill and Russell's Reserve. As luck would have it, I found myself at my local Total Wine early this morning to pick up an online order and noticed that they were offloading many boxes. My local Total Wine shelves all of their shipment, including allocated bottles. I picked up a bottle of one of my current favorites: Maker's Mark The Heart Release. And noticed this inviting looking bottle of Grain to Glass Wheated Bourbon. How could I resist? Bottled at a fiery 121 proof, I expected hard hitting ethanol on the nose. Yes, it is present but not overpowering. Instead you get yeasty bread, tannic oak and leather and just past that rather strong start of the nose; a little sweet brown sugar, smashed sugar cane and caramelized pear. The taste starts strong with a little salted caramel and soft dinner rolls. Some slightly tannic oak and peppercorn coat the mouth and there is just the slightest tingle, hinting at the proof. There isn't an overbearing sweetness... I suppose I'm so used to that character within bourbon that it feels odd to miss it. However, the balance on this palate is stunning. Not one flavor profile overshadows the other. The finish sings full song with tannic oak, dry leather and bitter orange pith. That tingle from the spicy peppercorn on the palate carries and the finish is long and satisfying. Wow. This bourbon is stunning. Higher proof without the overwhelming burn. Not overly sweet, complex and well balanced. What a stunning selection. I'm going to have to check out some other highly rated Heaven Hill offerings, for sure.