We are back with our guest taster Brad, and today we are sampling Old Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond or OHHBB for short.
The Heaven Hill brand has long been considered a bottom shelf dweller, and this is no exception. We got the idea to try it from an article we posted on our Facebook page from Serious Eats, about good bourbons under $20.00. OHHBB is actually pretty hard to find because and may have been discontinued by Heaven Hill. If so, there still is some old stock left behind and remember it has to say Old and Bottled in Bond.
OHHBB is 100 proof, as is all Bottled in Bond Bourbon, and goes for around $11.00 for a 750 ML. We believe it is aged 10 years.
NOSE
Todd: I got the usual vanilla as well as some butterscotch. Also a hint of bananas.
Brad: I immediately got butterscotch on the nose as well as a hint of cinnamon and rye.
Ron: I got the butterscotch as well as the vanilla. I also detected a scent of almonds and spice.
TASTE
Todd: Has a somewhat spicy taste, not real complex. A lot smoother and nicer with a little water or ice, or both. There is a little oak going on as well, maybe a little corn.
Brad: It tasted a little hot, pretty much due to being 100 proof. It has caramel up front on the palate with slight note of roasted nuts. I found it to be a lot better and a little sweeter with some added ice and a few minutes for it to melt.
Ron: I thought it tasted pretty mellow, especially considering it is 100 proof. Caramel and vanilla came through the most. A little taste of some spice I could not nail down, maybe clove?
FINISH
Todd: Not a long finish, nor much going on with it.
Brad: Not much change on the finish, not overly long either.
Ron: Medium to long finish with a good vanilla ending.
OVERALL
Todd: Not bad for the price.
Brad: I actually liked it once the ice melted a bit.
Ron: I agree with both statements, I would buy it again.
Nose 3 out of 5
Taste 6.5 out of 10
Finish 2 out of 5
Total Score 11.5 out of 20 Barrels
We know that is a pretty low score, but remember it is only around 11 bucks. It was actually better than we anticipated. This would make a great everyday Bourbon as well as a great mixer.
The low scores came mostly from the effort we had to put in to write this review. We really had to concentrate on what we smelled and tasted. And while we did get different properties coming out, they were not real prevalent. It also suffered from a low score on the finish, with two of us not getting much.
Our final verdict is if you can find a bottle, and it is close to the price we have hear, buy it.
On a side note, since we have tasted this, Ron visited Heaven Hill Distilleries over the weekend while making a speed run to 3 distilleries on the Bourbon Trail. He specifically asked the knowledgeable staff about this Bourbon. they informed him that it is no longer in production and that Bartenders are the most upset about it. It seems there is a large group of Bartenders that think this is one of the best, if not the best well Bourbon on the market for mixing. He was fortunate to find 2 bottles in a very “Old School” Liquor store in Louisville. One for each of us. He paid $10.99 + tax. We don’t plan on drinking this up quickly, just wanted it for our collection and a conversation piece as it has gone the way of the Dodo Bird.