ModernThirst
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    ModernThirst
    • HOME
    • News & Views
      1. Podcasts
      2. Videos
      3. Events
      4. Links
      Featured

      Four Gate Whiskey Announces Release 15.1, 15.2, & 15.3: The Bluegrass Trilogy

      By BillNovember 30, 20210
      Recent

      Four Gate Whiskey Announces Release 15.1, 15.2, & 15.3: The Bluegrass Trilogy

      November 30, 2021

      Old Forester 21st Release of Annual Birthday Bourbon

      August 24, 2021

      Press Release: Old Forester’s Next Release in the 117 Series Features a Blend of Barrels Aged Solely in Warehouse K 

      August 20, 2021
    • Bourbon & Whiskey
      • Bourbon and Whiskey Reviews
      • Bourbon and Whiskey Mash Bills
      • Bourbon Information & Resources
      • All Whiskey Content
        • Bourbon
        • Rye Whiskey
        • Scotch
        • Irish Whisky
      • Distillery Visits/Kentucky Bourbon Trail
    • Food, Beer, & Lifestyle
      • Pepperheads: Hot Sauce
      • Lifestyle & Features
      • Cocktail Corner
      • Food
      • Barware
      • Other Distilled Spirits
      • All Beer Content
      • Recipes
    • Hot Sauce
    • Shop
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Patrons and Supporters
      • Sample Policy
      • Get in touch with ModernThirst
      • Advertise with ModernThirst
    ModernThirst
    Bourbon

    Heaven Hill 27 Year Barrel Proof review

    BillBy BillAugust 5, 2018Updated:August 5, 2018No Comments4 Mins Read

    Heaven Hill 27 Year Bourbon

    83 Over-oaked

    There are a lot of interesting things going on with this, but the bottom line is that it's probably 12 years past its prime, and that shines through in the tasting. Oak dominates at every facet, creating an oak-bomb of extreme proportions. Kudos to Heaven Hill for the barrel proof format to preserve what good notes exist.

    [amazon_link asins=’B003QX2JMA,B01H71B6NY’ template=’MT-product-carousel’ store=’modernthirstc-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’7218c232-9918-11e8-96db-2310e650cd1b’]
    Photo Credit: Heaven Hill Distilleries

    What it is

    This is the grandaddy of Heaven Hill bourbons. Culled from 41 barrels of 27 year old pre-fire Heaven Hill bourbon whiskey, this is the oldest Kentucky Bourbon we’ve reviewed, and indeed the oldest I’ve tasted. The initial barrel entry proof was 125º, but time and temperature reduced those 41 barrels to less than 3,000 bottles, and though this is released at barrel proof, that means only 94.7º as a batch. This is to be a one-time limited release.

    The suggested retail price on this is $399, and it comes in a very nice wooden case with doubles “H”s on the side for “Heaven Hill.” If you know me, and if you’ve read this site, you know three things about me. 1.) I’m an unabashed Heaven Hill fanboy. 2.) I generally feel like Heaven Hill whiskeys get very oaky very quickly, so they don’t need a long time in the barrel. and 3.) I generally think bourbon over about 14-15 years of age is too old. Given those three things, and given my overall negative impressions of the older Elijah Craig bottlings, Evan Williams 23 year, and older Heaven Hill Select Stock bottlings, I approached this with a lot of trepidation.

    Appearance

    Do I really need to type this? It’s brown. Dark f——g brown. It’s 27 years old and barrel proof. If it was anything but dark brown, I’d have drain poured it for public health fears because something would be waaaay off.

    Nose

    OAK!  SO. MUCH. OAK. This smells like a double or triple oaked and long aged whiskey. But unlike other older bourbons, like Old Blowhard, the barrel proof format means that this whiskey wasn’t stripped of the body and character of the original bourbon. There is heavy dark cocoa, earthy tobacco, and lots of old school bubblegum and circus peanuts (hallmarks of pre-fire Heaven Hill).

    Taste

    OAK! SO. MUCH. OAK. It’s an oak bomb, and I don’t put that lightly. It’s perhaps the oakiest bourbon I’ve ever tasted. It’s like chewing on a log. But, again, there’s some complexity there that is absent on some other extreme aged bourbons I’ve had. Toasted Coffee Grounds hit the front of the palate and give way to dark chocolate and more coffee. Tobacco and oiled leather round out the tasting.

    Finish

    Long. The oak just continues to dominate right down the center of the palate with heavy oiled leather. There are loads of bitter barrel tannins, as might be expected, that linger.

    Synopsis

    I find it interesting because there are certainly SOME positive notes here. And to be honest, I didn’t think a 27 year old bourbon could have any positives. But that earthy tobacco and leather is really appealing. However, it’s definitely too old. It’s simply over-oaked in the extreme. There is way too much wood and oak on the nose, the palate,and the finish. It dominates the positives, turns tannic and bitter near the end, and just overpowers the senses. At $399, though, that doesn’t really matter, does it? This is not a whiskey for drinking, this is for collecting. This is a showpiece to sit on your bar with a backlight in a great looking box and admire it. So it really doesn’t matter what it tastes like, this will be a big trophy for collectors. And kudos to Heaven Hill for putting this out at Barrel Proof. They easily could have watered this down to 90 proof and sold more bottles at the same price. This format maintains the integrity of the whiskey.

    ModernThirst.com score: 83 out of 100 points.

    Photo Credit: Heaven Hill Distilleries
    Facebook Comments
    Previous ArticleBasil Hayden’s Two by Two Rye Review
    Next Article Larceny Barrel Proof Review
    Bill
    • Website
    • Facebook
    • Twitter

    Bill is the Co-Founder, Editor-in Chief, and official Bourbon-o-Phile for ModernThirst.com, and Founder and Chief Blending Officer for Four Gate Whiskey Company. He is a native of Louisville, KY in the heart of Bourbon Country. He attended the University of Kentucky in the mid to late 1990s. He has also been published on Liquor.com. He has conducted various bourbon and whiskey tastings in cities across the country, and consulted for multiple national labels. He is married with two daughters, and lives in east Louisville. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter @BillStraub and email him at Bill@ModernThirst.com.

    Related Posts

    Four Gate Whiskey Announces Release 15.1, 15.2, & 15.3: The Bluegrass Trilogy

    November 30, 2021

    Old Forester 21st Release of Annual Birthday Bourbon

    August 24, 2021

    Press Release: Old Forester’s Next Release in the 117 Series Features a Blend of Barrels Aged Solely in Warehouse K 

    August 20, 2021

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Browse Bourbon and Whiskey Reviews

    Shop T-Shirts from $18.49

     

    [bbp-login]
    Pending Reviews

     

    Shop
    Craft Beer Ratings

    Matt's Beer Ratings

    WHISKEY NEWS AND REVIEWS

    Recent Comments
    • Bill on Signed Bottles
    • Bill on Signed Bottles
    • Tracy on Signed Bottles
    Archives
    • November 2021
    • August 2021
    • June 2021
    • May 2021
    • April 2021
    • February 2021
    • January 2021
    • November 2020
    • October 2020
    • September 2020
    • August 2020
    • July 2020
    • June 2020
    • April 2020
    • March 2020
    • February 2020
    • January 2020
    • December 2019
    • November 2019
    • October 2019
    • September 2019
    • August 2019
    • July 2019
    • June 2019
    • May 2019
    • April 2019
    • March 2019
    • February 2019
    • January 2019
    • December 2018
    • November 2018
    • October 2018
    • September 2018
    • August 2018
    • July 2018
    • June 2018
    • May 2018
    • April 2018
    • March 2018
    • February 2018
    • January 2018
    • December 2017
    • November 2017
    • October 2017
    • September 2017
    • August 2017
    • July 2017
    • June 2017
    • May 2017
    • April 2017
    • March 2017
    • February 2017
    • January 2017
    • December 2016
    • November 2016
    • October 2016
    • September 2016
    • August 2016
    • July 2016
    • June 2016
    • May 2016
    • April 2016
    • March 2016
    • February 2016
    • January 2016
    • December 2015
    • November 2015
    • October 2015
    • September 2015
    • August 2015
    • July 2015
    • June 2015
    • May 2015
    • April 2015
    • March 2015
    • February 2015
    • January 2015
    • December 2014
    • November 2014
    • October 2014
    • September 2014
    • August 2014
    • July 2014
    • June 2014
    • May 2014
    • April 2014
    • March 2014
    • February 2014
    • January 2014
    Tags
    #IfIhadaBenjamin Barrel Proof Barton Beer Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Bourbon/Whiskey Reviews Bourbon Classic bourbon review Budget buffalo trace craft Diageo distillery Elijah Craig Evan Williams Four Gate Four Roses GQuiz Heaven Hill irish Whiskey Islay Jim Beam Kentucky Luxco Matt modernthirst Modern Thirst Old Forester press release rating ratings Review Reviews Rye Score scotch Single Barrel Single Malt tasting tasting notes Video Whiskey Whisky Wild Turkey
    Recent Comments:
    • Bill on Signed Bottles
    • Bill on Signed Bottles
    • Tracy on Signed Bottles

     

     

    © 2020 ModernThirst. Please be responsible. Don’t drink and drive.

    © 2020 ModernThirst. Please be responsible. Don't drink and drive.

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.