Talking Bourbon has long been a fan of the various lines from Heaven Hill. Think Rittenhouse Rye, Pikesville, Old Fitzgerald, and others. And while we have had the standard expression, we have not ever had the Heaven Hill Bottled in Bond. From their website, “With Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, we’re bringing new life to our namesake Heaven Hill brand and coming full circle…honoring the Bourbon that gave our distillery its original success.” Also, “We’ve always been family-owned and operated by the Shapira family. That independence has allowed us to uphold our own standards, adhering to the same values instilled by those who started Heaven Hill.” Kind of cool it’s still family-owned.
We have posted this before, but it has been a while. To be labeled “Bottled in Bond,” a Bourbon must:
- Be the product of one distillery and distilled during just one distillation season, which can run from January-June or July-December
- Be aged for at least four years.
- Be bottled at exactly 100 Proof
- Bear the name and number of the Distilled Spirits Plant (D.S.P.) where it was produced, and, if different, the D.S.P. number of the bottling facility
Heaven Hill BIB is 7 years old, is, of course, 100 proof, goes for around $45-$50, is widely available, and comes in a non-descript corked bottle. The bottle does have a nice sketch of the original distillery on the label. The mash bill is 78% corn, 12% rye, and 10% malted barley.
As stated above, we are generally fans of Heaven Hill. Hopefully, we can add this one as another good Bourbon at a reasonable price from them.
NOSE
Matt: A clean, refreshing nose with traditional Bourbon aromas of corn, caramel, vanilla, and a sweet cake-like scent. Besides those, green apple and wet wood are also prominent. Ice made it harder to smell anything.
Todd: Nice aromas of leather, nuttiness, wood, vanilla, and caramel. Also, get a hint of honey and fruit. Ice definitely muted the aromas.
TASTE
Matt: Tasty, not as sweet as the nose, with more spice and wood flavors, including black pepper, rye, and oak. Secondary flavors include caramel, nuts, and toast. Ice added some vanilla and plum notes.
Todd: Hot neat, but flavorful. Picking up nice tastes of caramel, oak, corn, pepper, and tobacco. Coming in behind that is a little rye and a slight mustiness.
Finish
Matt: Medium long with a bit of spice.
Todd: Medium long with a nice burn and some spice.
OVERALL
Matt: I wouldn’t put this among my favorites, but it is a good Bourbon.
Todd: Good Bourbon at a price that fits it.
Nose 3.75 out of 5
Taste 7.25 out of 10
Finish 3.75 out of 5
Total score 14.75 out of 20 barrels.
We know the score is not too high, but don’t get swayed just by that. This is a very good buy if you can find it under $50. It has a nice nose and a lot of different tastes. There are not a lot of Bourbons that are 7 years old and 100 proof for this price. Also, at this price, you could also use it in a cocktail and not feel bad about mixing it.
In the end, Heaven Hill Bottled In Bond is a good Bourbon at a good price. We recommend giving it a try.