As a follow-up to last week’s 50’s Hill & Hill we’re tasting the 1970s Hill and Hill Bourbon this week. Hill and Hill was a brand that was around for a long time and earned its place in bourbondom until its poor fall into a blended whiskey that was just plain awful… and that’s me holding back. If I were to really say what I think it would include a lot of four letter words, but that would be crass and we don’t want that now do we?
Any who, we covered the brief history of Hill and Hill under the 50’s review and so without further adieu let’s jump right into the 1970s Hill and Hill Bourbon review.
1970s Hill and Hill Bourbon Info
Region: Kentucky, USA
Distiller: Hill & Hill
Mashbill: Corn, Rye, Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 4 Years
ABV: 43%
Price: NA – Auction, Specialty Store or Private Seller
1970s Hill and Hill Bourbon Review
EYE
Dark amber
NOSE
Dark fruit, chalk, spice, chocolate, oak, caramel, vanilla and a touch biscuity, orange peels and OBE.
PALATE
Dark fruit, cocoa, nuts, oak, vanilla, caramel, orange peels, and a bit of OBE and toasted bread.
FINISH
Medium fade of oak, spice, vanilla, caramel and OBE.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Nice balance, medium body and a light velvety feel.
OVERALL
This 1970s Hill and Hill Bourbon is nice. Lovely layers of dark fruit, spice, oak and sweetness. It has that “classic bourbon” character that makes you want to keep coming back for more and I’m kind of regretting trading off as many bottles as I did when I found a haul of them. This is truly a nice sipping whiskey. But really, there’s a ton of good whiskey out there.
I get the dusty craze, but there’s so much good whiskey sitting on the shelves today that it makes it harder and harder to take the time to go dusty hunting these days. That and it’s all pretty much gone in Los Angeles. Now and then something small will pop up, but nothing that will ever rival a few years ago which was only the leftovers of the run folks did a few years before that. Anyways, if you can get it and drink it do so, if you can’t don’t worry about it.
SCORE: 87/100 (B+)