Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B520 Review

On the back of the first Larceny Barrel Proof review, we have the second release they’ve brought to market: Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B520. Like Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, these are going to come out 3x a year and carry the same codes to denote which release they are and when they came out.

I love seeing this growing stable of reasonably priced barrel proof/cask strength whiskeys coming out of Heaven Hill and I hope that one day we see an Elijah Craig Rye Barrel Proof materialize in the market. A man can dream, right?

Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B520 Review: Details and Tasting Notes

In Heaven Hill’s Words:

“Larceny Barrel Proof offers a new opportunity to experience our acclaimed wheated Bourbon mashbill in its purest form: non-chill filtered and bottled at full barrel proof. Released three times per year in January, May, and September, each offering is a bold yet balanced special Small Batch Bourbon rich with depth and distinction.”

Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B520 Top Label

Details (price, mash bill, cask type, ABV, etc.)

Region: Kentucky, USA

Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery
Mash Bill: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 6+ years (6-8)
ABV: 61.1%

Cask Strength | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color

Batch: B520

Price: $50*

Tasting Notes

EYE
Polished oak

NOSE
Fruity, leathery and oaky with notes of chestnuts, nutmeg driven baking spice, cocoa powder and oil.

PALATE
Caramel sweet, nutty and fruity with layers of dark chocolate, dried cherries, cola spice, oak and bits of citrus and vanilla.

FINISH
Medium -> Dried dark fruit and oak fade to caramel.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Decent balance, full body and a slick oily feel.

The fruity and darkly sweet profiles kick up the most with the oak being on the lighter side and getting a tad lighter with water. All-in-all though it’s a nice complex whiskey that’s fun to drink and experiment with.

Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B520 Review: Overall and Score

Aroma is leathery and oaky dry and spicy rustic with a big fruity kicker that picks up a light farmy quality as it opens; Palate looses some of the oak and the sweet notes, especially the cocoa, kick up giving impressions of chocolate-covered cherries and oranges amongst the nuts, oak and spice; Finish fades sweetly and pleasantly but all too quickly.

This is a fun interesting whiskey with a good amount of complexity to it. Adding water brings out some biscuity qualities on the aroma and some heavy peanut brittle notes on the palate. The dark fruit turns a bit jammy across the board. This is a complex bourbon that’s fun to play with water levels to pull out its nuances.

Tasting this Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B520 next to the LBP A120 they start similar, but give them some time to open up and they start diverging. Add a splash of water and they further move apart with the B520 quickly outpacing A120 in complexity from nose to finish.

SCORE: 4/5

*Disclosure: The sample for this bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

Larceny Barrel Proof Batch B520 Bottom Label