Some of the easiest Heaven Hill barrel proof releases to obtain are the three times a year Elijah Craig & Larceny Barrel Proof offerings. While Elijah Craig is their standard bourbon offering, their Larceny Barrel Proof represents their wheated offering. While opinions have suggested in years past that the Elijah Craig release has been the better, higher proof of the two, recent opinions are shifting to show that Larceny might be getting the upper hand. Their release from the first trimester of 2022 was A122, where the discussion of which is better started, so does it live up to the hype, and should you consider making it for cocktails.
Larceny Barrel Proof (A122)
- Proof: 124.4 (A.B.V. – 62.2%)
- Age: No Age Statement (NAS) – reportedly 6-8 years.
- Mash Bill: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley
- Secondary Nicknames: LBP A122
Sight: Auburn – Mahogany
Smell: Beautiful notes of vanilla and toasted oak waft out of the nose with a smack of gamey leather. Dark chocolate, roasted peanuts, and a rick house note run though. A ribbon of caramel comes through with a bit of black cherry and blackberry. The nose leans savory and sweet with plenty of oak influence, and less fruit. A moderate amount of heat can be noted, although it’s more of a slow burn than a whack of ethanol.
Sip: There’s a pleasant sort of smooth, sweet caramel / vanilla oak note that settles in for a while as it warms up. It eventually starts to give way toward deeper charred notes, blackberry tea, cigar, hazelnut, and mild spice. The oak is heavy, slightly funky, a touch bitter, and there is heat that gradually creeps in.
Savor: The finish is warm, pulling in cinnamon, clove, and deeply charred oak. As the finish continues, it pulls in some char, caramel, and cigar notes. It leans dry as it goes with a bit of plum skin. Lingering warmth – per their website – is an apt description.
Larceny Barrel Proof A122 is a deliciously oaky and unapologetic barrel proof wheated offering. The caramel and vanilla notes are a real highlight here, and they balance out some of the weight of the oak, while not getting lost. The nutty and fruity elements are present, but they’re pretty subdued, and usually masquerading as a fruit adjacent item (like tea). As a straight sipper, it’s tasty, if slightly leaning into the oak / sweet element side of things.
In Cocktails
In a Manhattan, the oaky nature takes center stage, showing off the oak and its vanilla. The red fruit in the vermouth shows up and the spice comes in with a nice like pop. Despite this, caramel that shows up in the neat poor isn’t as obvious in the cocktail at first blush. Instead, as it heats up, caramel and butterscotch notes come forward. Overall, the oak dominates, and the overall character of the drink is very aggressively toward the aged wood side of the spectrum. Sadly, the Larceny Barrel Proof Manhattan feels unbalanced.
In Review – Larceny Barrel Proof (A122)
Larceny Barrel Proof A122 is good neat, and a bit unhinged in a standard cocktail. This isn’t to say it’s bad, but it isn’t particularly versatile. For those that love heavily oaked offerings, like Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, this should be a slam dunk (and is coincidentally a Heaven Hill offering). For those that prefer fruitier, floral, or dessert like flavors, you can probably avoid this one.