Henry McKenna 10 year - Bottled in Bond Bourbon

I'd seen pictures of this Bourbon bouncing around the internet for a few months and when I saw a bottle in my local retail shop I had to give it a go.  I'll get to my notes in a minute, but first let me tell you what drew me to this bottle.  It's Bourbon, but also a single barrel and bottled in bond.  There are several requirements for bottled in bond bourbon, but a couple that stand out are that it must be bottled at 100 proof (I love higher proof whiskey) and aged at least four years.  An age statement.  In this age where every brand from trusted bourbons (I'm looking at you Elijah Craig - also a Heaven Hill product) to Scotch are starting to pull age statements to keep up with demand and to differentiate their products and new releases, this is aged ten years.  The Price.  Local retailers have it for around $27 though the SRP is $30. It's a good price for a really solid ten year old bourbon.

The original Henry McKenna brand was started by an Irish immigrant in 1855.  The brand has been sold through the years and in 1994 Heaven Hill began producing the Henry McKenna bottled in bond ten year bourbon.  It has the same mash bill as some other well known Heaven Hill products such as Evan Williams and Elijah Craig among others. 75% Corn/13% Rye/12% Barley.


Now let's get to what is in the bottle.

The color is dark amber.

The nose is full of sweet caramel, hazelnut, vanilla, oak and sweet corn.

The palate had some initial heat (100 proof, bottled in bond). The flavors are rich, with a thick mouth feel, lots of honey notes, caramel, medium woodiness, butterscotch and an oily texture near the back and sides of the palate.

The finish is medium to long with a honeyed throat lozenge character, oak wood, coffee and toffee.


I really appreciate this for what it is. The richness and sweeter character fits a niche on the bourbon shelf, especially at that price point.

More bottled in bond bourbon is coming on the market, but as I recently read, the category is still fairly limited.  One of my go to whiskies has always been the Evan Williams White Label bottled in bond.  it's only aged four years, but is great in most cocktails.  The wood and caramel shines and the proof stands up to mixing.  This bourbon is on a different level.  The Henry McKenna has that same wood and caramel, but everything is ramped up.  The Caramel is richer, it's spicier, there is more wood character, it's honeyed and the mouth feel is all that much better.

At this time, the Henry McKenna bottled in bond should be widely available and at a reasonable price.  If the flavor notes above fit the type of whiskey you enjoy, you owe it to yourself to find a bottle and give it a try.

Pikesville Straight Rye Whiskey

I've always enjoyed using Rittenhouse Rye whiskey from Heaven Hill in cocktails.  So when I saw that they were resurrecting the Pikesville Rye Whiskey brand I was excited to try it.

Rittenhouse is a 100 proof, four-year aged bottled in bond rye whiskey.  Heaven Hill decided to take this already enjoyable rye, age it another two year and up the proof to 110.  The result is incredible, the successful resurrection of an 1890's northeastern US brand of rye whiskey.  Pikesville sells for about double Rittenhouse.

It falls under what a lot of people refer to as "barely legal rye" with a mash bill of 51% Rye, 39% Corn and 10% Malted Barley.  This shows on the palate with a much heavier, more rounded flavor.


A dark brown amber color.

Medium nose of brown sugar, sweetness, spicy character and a bit of alcohol.

The palate was richer than expected (probably due to the high proportion of corn), but still dry with prevailing flavors of spice, grain and dust, with moderate wood and caramel. Not a ton of fruity or floral characteristics.

The heat leaves quickly and you are left with a long finish of caramel, toffee and a light coffee bitterness.


This is a great rye whiskey to have around to sip neat or even mix into a cocktail.  The Rittenhouse seemed like more of an over ice or mixer whiskey.  The mash bill gives it a more rounded palate and while there are spicy notes, they are not as prevalent as you would find in a high rye or 95% rye whiskey.  It should run between $40-50 depending on where you live.

Evan Williams Single Barrel - Beverage Plus Store Select

I came across this lonely store select Evan William Single Barrel and decided to give it a try. It had been sitting there awhile collecting dust. The beverage manager told me that they have had it in inventory since 2008.  Distilled in 1998 and bottled in 2008, it's a ten year expression of some nice single barrel bourbon.

So when looking at this bottle I did a bit of research. People often characterize the few years after 1996 as the "wilderness years" at Heaven Hill Distillery as they had a fire in November 1996 that destroyed almost their entire facility and aging stock. For years Heaven Hill had their whiskey distilled by other producers such as Brown Forman and Jim Beam.  In 1999 they purchased Bernheim distillery and that facility is where all of the distilling now occurs.  My bottle states that it was distilled in Kentucky and bottled by Evan Williams.

A lot of people said that they didn't enjoy the single barrel selections produced in these years. I'm going to put this one down to a great selection by the folks at Beverage Plus, but I really enjoyed it. If it was 2-3 times more expensive I might have a problem, but this is a real solid bourbon for the price charged.


The color is a medium amber.

The nose is rich and full, with notes of caramel, wood, nutmeg/clove and vanilla creme.

The palate is medium weight, with caramel notes, rich woody/oak notes, a smoothness, light tobacco notes, vanilla and some earthiness. Has some earth and caramel that marries the flavors of Elmer T Lee and Rock Hill Farms, sort of like a junior Blantons.

The finish isn't overly long, with smooth vanilla, sweetness and an edge of wood.


I like the Evan Williams products in general (especially their 100 proof bottled in bond bourbon) and this is a steal in ten year, single barrel bourbon. You might need to try a bottle of something barreled in the late 1990's to see if it's for you, but these guys really chose an excellent barrel.

Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Manhattan Cocktail

My cocktail of choice is the Manhattan.  It's made up of two parts whiskey, one part sweet vermouth, two dashes of bitters and a couple of cherries.  It's the perfect combination of sweet and dry, herbal and complex.  It's just a classy cocktail.

Not all whiskey works well in a Manhattan.  There are various factors that affect how well it will blend.  These include proof, sweetness/dryness among other flavor components.  I love barrel proof whiskey and especially like using a barrel proof bourbon in a Manhattan.  The higher proof is a great compliment to the sweetness of the vermouth and cherries and mixes well with the herbal complexity of the vermouth and bitters.

Here is a Manhattan made with Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon (135.6 proof), Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth, Fee Brothers Barrel Aged Bitters and Luxardo Cherries.   Fee brothers creates a batch of bitters released every year that they age in barrel until it reaches the optimal flavor profile.  If you can find some, it usually makes a nice addition to any cocktail.  My standard bitters is Peychaud's which adds a sweeter, more cherry note to your drink.

This is the perfect mix of sweet, herbal and bitter in one cocktail.  The higher proof Bourbon really has a chance to shine and isn't lost like many lower (read 80 proof) bourbons.  There is bright cherry flavor, a nice bitter component, lots of sweetness from the vermouth, whiskey and cherries, and a dry, wood/oak character.  I think Elijah Craig's tendency toward woodiness really plays well in this cocktail.

For the Love of Barrel Proof and Cask Strength Whiskey

I love barrel proof whiskey.  I am unashamedly a fan of bottled in bond bourbon at 100 proof.  Even barrel proof rye and bourbon such as Michter’s and Wild Turkey Rare Breed, which rarely top 110 proof are exciting.  My true love in barrel proof whiskies are the Bourbon and Rye bottling that top 130 proof.  To be a bourbon, it must be bottled at 80 proof (40%) or higher.  

 The difference in concentration and flavors from 80 to 86 proof, or 80 to 90, or 80 to 100 can be dramatic, all adding more complex flavors to the finished product.  Distillers traditionally cut their barrel strength whiskey with distilled water down to 80 proof (or the desired proof) to increase yields or to make a more standardized product.  Old Forester bottles their standard bourbon at 86 proof, Makers Mark at 90 proof, and others such as Jack Daniel’s and Jim Beam stick to 80 proof for their standard line.

To be considered Bourbon in the United States the whiskey must not be distilled past 160 proof and must not enter the barrel at more than 125 proof(among other things).  Some producers such as Makers Mark and Wild Turkey add water to their distillate before putting it in barrel to lower the barrel entry proof.  This affects what flavors are extracted from the new charred white oak barrel.   Depending on the aging length, evaporation, location of the barrel in the rickhouse and other factors the "Barrel Proof" or "Cask Strength" whiskey removed from the barrel may be higher or lower than when it entered.  In my experience Bourbon tends to be higher and some cask strength Scotch tends to be lower.

My favorite barrel proof bourbons are the Stagg Jr and Elijah Craig,  Stagg Jr comes from Buffalo Trace Distillery and the Elijah Craig is crafted by Heaven Hill.  Both top 130 proof and offer an intense concentration of color and flavor.  Elijah Craig has offered a so called "Hazmat Release" topping 140 proof that shouldn't be brought on commercial airliners.

The Stagg Jr is made from the Buffalo Trace mashbill number one which contains at least 51% corn and 10% or less rye along with malted barley.  Each release differs in proof and the one I have is 132.1 proof.  My cocktail of choice is the Manhattan with Bourbon, sweet vermouth, bitters and cherries.  Barrel proof spirits work especially well in this instance, with the high proof and strong flavors of the bourbon matching the sweetness and herbal complexity of the vermouth, bitters and cherries.  Try the Stagg Jr in one of these and you will not be disappointed.  

The color is   a dark amber.

The nose is rounded with vanilla and oak, cinnamon, creme brulee, brown sugar syrup and coffee.  It becomes more effusive and rich with the addition of a little water or ice.

The palate has some heat of alcohol at 132.1 proof.  There are rich flavors of butter and toffee, some burnt sugar, vanilla and oak. There are some higher toned fruity esters such as banana and raspberry.

The finish is smooth considering the proof.  There is a throat coating buttery caramel character.

My current favorite Bourbon is the Elijah Craig Barrel Proof.  The batch I have clocks in at 135.6 proof.  It runs about sixty dollars.  Tasted neat out of a glancairn glass.

The color is a dark mahogany.

The nose is full, with rich brown sugar notes, sweet caramel, wood and a hint of grain husk, almost dusty.

The palate is huge, rich and concentrated, with some alcohol burn, it is smooth and velvety feeling, with flavors of brown sugar, toffee, wood/oak, some red berry fruit character and cinnamon and nutmeg.

The finish is nice and dry.  There is an instant warming sensation followed by brown sugar syrup, a medium length wood/oak flavor and a hint of coffee bitterness.

This is one that I can highly recommend and will pick up when I have the chance.  They've made nine or ten batches at this point and I'm sure that they all have distinct nuances and flavor profiles along the traditional Elijah Craig sweet/rich/oak flavor profile.

I've enjoyed other barrel proof whiskies including the EH Taylor Barrel Proof Rye.  Many producers are recognizing the demand for barrel proof offerings and are starting to release more as special releases.  Bulleit and Knob Creek are about to release their own barrel proof offerings.