Jest messing, y'all.

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Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby Mike » Tue Jun 21, 2016 4:49 pm

I have seen quite a few reviews on Larceny that were complimentary of that wheat bourbon, but my initial reaction to it a while back was not particularly favorable. It, like so many wheat bourbons, tends to have a poor finish (for my palate). So, wondering if I got Larceny wrong, I decided to give it another go.

Larceny is a 92 proof bourbon and I find it a bit 'hot' for that proof, along with the short finish I find in young wheat bourbons (cf. Maker's Mark). The 'hot' characteristic I speak of should not be there at 92 proof, and my conclusion is that it is the result of a poor distillation, or a poor selection of barrels. That is not to say that it is rotgut bourbon, but it lacks the softness that is the best quality (to me) of wheat bourbons. At mid-palate, I find Larceny is a mite rough, just as I did before.

So, says I to meself (when no one else is about, I often says stuff to meself), since I gots a full bottle of bourbon what ain't too much to me liking, what am i gonna do with it? Two things come immediately to mind: (1) I want to round the rough edges of Larceny, and (2) I want to see if the objectionable 'heat' comes from the proof or from the presence of what to me are undesirable constituents (as I suspect).

My first thought was that this needs either a bit of a decent high rye whiskey or the balance from a much more costly bourbon. So, I tried 4 parts of Larceny with 1 part of Bulleit. This was an improvement, but not what I was looking for.

So, I go to the E.H. Taylor Single Barrel Bottled in Bond and eventually get to a 50/50 ratio. Even there there is an edge from the Larceny 'heat' that I find distasteful. It is no where near the equal of the Taylor, which to my palate, is a much superior bourbon, and, as some would have it, not worth the $30 per bottle difference.

It does not escape my notice that perhaps it is my palate, not the other BE reviewers of Larceny, that is amiss here. But, I find Larceny, along with Elijah Craig 12 YO (in my experience of them) to be inferior and vastly overrated (I do not discount that they, like Maker's Mark, are certainly drinkable).

No Big Deal. I post this because it is my belief that anyone who would call themselves a Bourbon Enthusiast should know, and be able to defend, the uniqueness of their own palate. But it is rather rare for any palate to be truly unique, and if it is (as mine is not), it can teach us to explore our own palate to improve our own enjoyment of whiskey. We are here because we love whiskey (and a measure of its effects).

As far as I am concerned there are no other very good reasons to be here. Maybe that is why BE readership has fallen off........... were it not for the fact that we have also lost the interest of a number of very knowledgeable members, who, God willing might come back. As I so often do, I am probably pissing against the tide.
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby Mike » Tue Jun 21, 2016 5:14 pm

Let me say that we still have Bourbon Joe, Squire, Gillman, and Mike Veach, who grace our pages, along with many others whose knowledge of bourbon is extensive. These, along with many others, since I myself have been absent for a long time, who have kept this ship afloat.

Bourbon drinking is a bit like being friends with a dangerous animal. It can, and it does, play a part in the destruction of many people. If it can ever be a friend, it must always be held at a distance that only someone who has become mature can measure. Attempts at eliminating or controlling it have not been without their own difficulties. Although I am not so foolish as to believe that everyone can measure themselves vis-a-vis against the potency of alchohol, it is not something that can be totally managed, since profits do not take into account social consequences, nor, (my opinion) rarely does religion which , it seems, is always the handmaiden of profit (I know I have now exceeded the license granted to me for being a member of Bourbon Enthusiast). For that you may legitimately assail mel
Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rage at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. - Dylan Thomas
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby Squire » Wed Jun 22, 2016 9:07 am

Mike I have to agree with you about the heat and roughness in Larceny. While not being a wheater fan generally I did give Larceny higher points in the past but I believe the problem today is rushing product out the door to keep up with increasing demand. A little longer in the barrel would help this puppy out.
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby fozzy71 » Thu Jun 23, 2016 9:26 pm

Larceny mixes well with most things IMO, though after a few drinks so far this evening I can't honestly recall what I mixed it with in the past since I like it well enough on it's own to have only vatted it a few times over the past year.
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby onemangang » Wed Jul 06, 2016 3:42 pm

When I first tried Larceny, I really liked it and bought several bottles.
Just last night I reached for a bottle with one small drink remaining. It did not appeal to me at all. It was indeed rough.
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby 393foureyedfox » Fri Jul 08, 2016 11:25 pm

i bought some a few years ago when the rebates made it silly NOT to buy them. I, over the next few years, found them lingering around unopened, as it just really wasnt my thing. I'm now out of it, having drank some and given some away. Having not bothered to replace it, I guess that says how I feel about it. Plus, I've cut back on drinking in general, and probably have enough various bottles to last my lifetime. If Im gonna drink less, Im gonna make sure what I do drink I really enjoy, so no more mediocre/indifferent bottlings
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby Birdo » Mon Jul 11, 2016 8:27 am

I liked Larceny fine early on, but only with ice. These days, its had price creep and it's good but quickly forgettable. I didn't see the roughness mentioned by some, but I like the younger bourbons and this stuff is young. Larceny is lacking in tannin and astringency found in the older bourbons. A simple bourbon that works for the Coke mixing crowd.

I can say that I like the Larceny better than the Buffalo Trace I just had at a friends house. I'm not sure why I never liked BT as well as the stuff that comes from Heaven Hill and some others. I suspect its the barrels and the aging. At least for me Buffalo Trace lacks front end richness and ends bitter, I suspect this is due to being a mid-proof with a few extra years of age. Same goes with Eagle Rare and the Ancient Age stuff, they have the BT profile I don't much care for. I do like the Weller line tho (a Buffalo Trace brand), however, it's had price creep and is harder to get than hen's teeth.

I seem to like BIB's from 4-6 years old best.

Bookers is an example of a younger high proof bourbon this is outstanding.
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby Birdo » Thu Jul 14, 2016 8:04 am

Mike, it is indeed slow and dying here at BE. A good example is I post my opinions on Buffalo Trace and not one Enthusiasts steps in to defend them, oh well.

This thing is more over run with spam porn due to hacks and creeps.

I think the big problem in bourbon and whiskey in general is it is over run with micro, craft, bottlers and non-distilling producers. The stores here in KY have small bottles of magic juice that is God only knows what. The safe bets are from the big distillers.

Good things about Larceny include being better than standard Makers Mark and at a better price. It's also better than Weller Special Reserve.
Last edited by Birdo on Thu Jul 21, 2016 8:52 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby Squire » Fri Jul 15, 2016 7:25 pm

Yeah, the spammers hit us pretty hard. I come in at least twice a day to sweep it away but the software is too outdated to keep them out.
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby fenderbender4 » Sat Jul 16, 2016 12:28 pm

Squire wrote:Yeah, the spammers hit us pretty hard. I come in at least twice a day to sweep it away but the software is too outdated to keep them out.


Well, we all appreciate the work you put in.

It is getting a little tiresome, the whole "chase" thing. At a certain point there are some bourbons I would love to try, but the madhouse frenzy of running around for "limited releases" just gets to be off-putting.
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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby RandyG » Sat Jul 23, 2016 8:42 pm

My thanks and admiration to all the admins here. Without you we would not have a cool place to hang out. I've learned so much from this site and will continue to do so thanks to you.

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Re: Jest messing, y'all.

Unread postby Squire » Sat Jul 23, 2016 9:50 pm

Your kind words are appreciated.
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