BOTM 10/12: Larceny

[fishnbowljoe]

After a couple of suggestions from fellow members, and much debate on my part, I finally decided on a BOTM. I know it's been talked about a lot recently, but what the heck? Larceny is the BOTM for October.

My thoughts: I like it. Y'all know me and wheaters. There is a sweetness there, but not like other wheaters. IMHO, the sweetness is offset by the unmistakable citrus/alcohol flavor that HH bourbons are know for. The citrus flavor isn't overpowering, but you can tell its there. It's not a Weller or MM, which is just fine. It stands on its own as a good wheated bourbon. It's even better when you factor in the rebates that are being given. Irregardless of the rebates, I'm pretty sure I'll have at least one or two of these in my cabinet most of the time.

Cheers, and happy posting. Joe

[cas]

I picked up a bottle on a trip to Ft Collins a week ago. Hard to beat with the $10 rebate. A nice addition to my shelf. But I wonder about the name. Is Larceny something that will sell? Or is the name really that important?

Craig

[Kyjd75]

So far, with that generous rebate offer, it is selling very well in Kentucky. Stores in Elizabethtown and Bardstown are moving a lot of product. Now what happens when the rebate is over remains to be seen. Most who have tried it seem to like it, but whether it can make any inroads on MM's domination of this mkt remains to be seen.

[soonami]

I picked up a bottle on a trip to Ft Collins a week ago. Hard to beat with the $10 rebate. A nice addition to my shelf. But I wonder about the name. Is Larceny something that will sell? Or is the name really that important?

Craig

Yeah, I like the story behind the name, but it sounds really gimmicky. However, there are a lot of products nowadays that have flashy names - Angel's Envy, Devil's Cut, Bourye, Tornado... Larceny rolls of the tough and it sounds good when you can say it with the movie-trailer-announcer-guy's voice.

Living in the Northeast, I haven't gotten a chance to buy a bottle of this, so I'm hoping family or friends down south will think of picking one up for me as a Christmas present this year

[weller_tex]

There are no rebates in Texas, I guess because we are big wheater country. I like Larceny, especially at a price point of $21. However, it isn't as good as Weller 12 ($23) and is hard choice with Weller 107 ($26). I have gone back and forth, but I think I like it better than MM46 at $30.

[WAINWRIGHT]

I feel there is a great deal of value here as well,even more so with the rebate figured into the mix.I will also state that I mirror Joe's earlier evaluation on profile,the HH mint/cedar note is prominent which makes it much different than all other wheaters on the market.I had to high of expectations upon Larcenys release and it will never take my Weller sweet spot away. I do see a repeat purchase somewhere in the future when the mood strikes me for something outside my usual profile.All in all I say well done Heaven Hill.

[drunk]

This is an easy drinker (I'm halfway through the bottle), but I'm still waiting to be impressed by it. The first sip is always nice, but it doesn't have enough depth to keep me interested in the rest of the glass. I think a few more proof points might help this one out. For a few dollars more (haha), I'll stick with Weller 12, which I absolutely love. I might save the rest of the bottle for guests or for when the wife decides to stop being pregnant.

-Steve

[gburger]

Nice bottle, ok name, great price and a good tasting bourbon. Not the most complex as others have stated, but a nice pour when you don't want to think about your decision.

[VAGentleman]

Agree. I just got a bottle and its pretty good but seems kinda basic. Not very complex but it does go down easily and the taste is fine. Probably need to let it sit for awhile to see if it improves as some have said.

[White Dog]

I need to preface this by saying that I just received my bottle today, and I expect changes after it has been opened.

Lots of cinnamon and Red Hots, but lacking the creamy mouthfeel I expect from Wheaters. I don't mind a different flavor profile from OWA, but I expected something more interesting. Not a big fan of this.

[Tucker]

I've finished about half of my first bottle of this and am somewhat on the fence. It's thinner than I would have hoped and lacks depth, as others have mentioned. But at $17.99 (even before the $10 rebate) it's a decent wheated bourbon.

[clingman71]

I've finished about half of my first bottle of this and am somewhat on the fence. It's thinner than I would have hoped and lacks depth, as others have mentioned. But at $17.99 (even before the $10 rebate) it's a decent wheated bourbon.

I agree. Not bad, but not great. It is growing on me a little after a month's worth of air, but it will probably remain a "nice" midweek pour, a change of pace from OWA. Luckily for me, I don't pick up a lot of HH mint, which I do not like, but I do get some of the cherry syrup, which I kind of like. If it only had a little richer/thicker mouthfeel. Hard to argue with $20 after the rebate for a 1.75 though.

[Lazer]

Larceny is delicious. I was trying to finish off a bottle of RR10 and I can't seem to make that happen since I opened the Larceny. This definitely met my expectations. :cool:

[MauiSon]

Since Larceny isn't available in Hawaii, can anyone do a head-to-head comparison with Rebel Reserve and/or MM (which are available here)?

Edited October 11, 2012 by MauiSon

[weller_tex]

Since Larceny isn't available in Hawaii, can anyone do a head-to-head comparison with Rebel Reserve and/or MM (which are available here)?

[Josh]

I need to preface this by saying that I just received my bottle today, and I expect changes after it has been opened.

Lots of cinnamon and Red Hots, but lacking the creamy mouthfeel I expect from Wheaters. I don't mind a different flavor profile from OWA, but I expected something more interesting. Not a big fan of this.

[Roadsaw]

I enjoyed the bottle i had, it will not be a regular but i will buy another at some point in time.

[Ejmharris]

This is one that I looked forward to she it was announced several months back. IMHO, it did not disappoint. I made a similar response in another thread so I will keep this one a little short. There have been comparisons to OWA and the fact that there is a difference between the two. For me that is a good thing. I love OWA and I am starting to do the same with this one. They are bourbons to me that both hold up very well for their price points even after the rebate is gone. A quality pour for about $22 makes this one I will keep stocked right next my beloved OWA.

[Phil T]

I picked up a handle of this at TPS yesterday. With the $20 rebate, a 1.75L bottle for $20 is certainly attractive.

My first impression is its sweet, almost too sweet. And it lacks the depth of flavor of say, Weller Antique or the SB blend. Lets see what happens after it's been open for awhile.

I will probably buy another bottle, but will not be in a hurry to do so.

Edited October 14, 2012 by Phil T

[IowaJeff]

I did a head to head tasting and its on par with the OWA for me. Both bottles had only recently been opened so we'll see what a little air does. It usually make wheaters better in my opinion. I'm glad distilleries are continuing to put out new quality products at this price point.

[Ejmharris]

I did a head to head tasting and its on par with the OWA for me. Both bottles had only recently been opened so we'll see what a little air does. It usually make wheaters better in my opinion. I'm glad distilleries are continuing to put out new quality products at this price point.

I am glad HH put this out as well, but it is not normal for the big distilleries to put out new products in this range with this quality. However in their defense, most have quality products in this range already. A new quality Wheater was a very welcome addition to the HH line up.

[boneuphtoner]

Just tried it for the first time, and I must say I'm impressed. Two thumbs up! I was able to do a head-to-head with Makers Mark and the Larceny was clearly the winner...much richer, more complexity, even though the mouth feel was comparable. I also did a head to head with one of the standards that I judge everything against, EC12. The EC12 did have a better mouth feel, and even though these have obviously different target flavor profiles, I found them equally enjoyable.

When I get back home, I'll have to judge this against my favorite every day wheaters, Weller 12, and Makers 46. Will post results in a few days. These results were from a freshly opened bottle....if things improve over time (as is the case with most wheaters) I will REALLY be impressed.

[ThirstyinOhio]

I've only had a couple of pours out of this bottle and I'm not sure what to think. Its not bad, but it is definetly lacking in depth compared to more expensive bottles. I hope that it gets better with some time, but if it doesn't I can't see myself picking up another bottle.

[tanstaafl2]

Larceny seems to have finally wandered down to Georgia. Had not seen noticed it last week and then this week it seems everybody has it. With the $10 rebate it seems worth taking a flyer on it despite the somewhat mixed reviews so I picked up a bottle to try at some point. I also managed to somewhat unexpectedly acquire a bottle of the 2012 BTAC Weller so the Larceny may have to wait awhile! But on the rye side of the house getting the current Stagg seems less and less likely.

[LongBeachScott]

I picked up a bottle of this night and had my first taste. As always, I tried it neat. I'll try a few drops of water in the future.

The nose is nice - spicy, some wood and leather. When I tasted it my immediate impression was - where's the flavor? Then after a few seconds, the brown sugar and cinnamon started rolling in. Some caramel corn in there as well, but I found the cinnamon dominated it. There are some other spicy notes rolling around under there somewhere as well. Maybe nutmeg and clove? I didn't note any leatheriness, although there was oak for sure. I didn't Then a slow velvety exit. There is something emerging in the exit, but I can't put a finger on it. Some kind of vegetable? All in all, a nice bourbon experience all around. What stands out to me is the mouthfeel. It is velvety but you definitely knows its there.

I think it beats MM even at first taste. There is just a lot more going on. People are comparing it to Maker's 46, but I haven't tried M46 so I can't comment on that.

My first impression is that I still prefer Weller to Larceny. I have some Weller 12 open so I will probably do a side-by-side comparison once the Larceny has been open a few weeks.

It's been awhile since I had OFBIB, but Larceny is better than that.

So, Larceny is different from Weller, different from MM, better than OF, and costs around $21. I like what they have done.