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I'm in Heaven (Hill that is)!


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I ran into a buddy of mine the other day and we got to talking about bourbon and he mentioned that one of his son's, who works at Heaven Hill got what was supposed to be an empty barrel.  When they got it home they discovered about 10 gallons of bourbon left in the barrel.  I of course immediately fell to my knees and begged (like a man in the desert for a drink of water) for even a taste of it.  He said they had purchased some bottles and filled them.  Well today he stopped by and dropped a bottle off.  No sooner had he left than I popped it open and gave it a try.

 

The color you see in the bottle is not because of lighting, it's actually that dark.  He told me they think it is between 15 - 20 years old and have no idea what the proof is but having tasted I can almost guarantee it is old (oakey) and higher proof.  All they did was strain it to remove any large sediment.  It wasn't filtered.

 

Now to the important part.  Legs:  To say it can almost crawl out of the glass by itself is an understatement.  High viscosity.  It doesn't even run down the side of the glass.  Taste:  Oak forward, but not overpoweringly so.  Almost like eating a caramel.  For the amount of heat and the proof, not a lot of spice on the back end.  Also has some smokiness.  To say I've never tasted anything like it is of course the understatement of the decade.

HEAVEN HILL BP NF.jpeg

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Just now, kevinbrink said:

Very cool enjoy that!

I am enjoying it.  I'm reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaally enjoying it.

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Just now, CardsandBourbon said:

I am enjoying it.  I'm reeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaally enjoying it.

Well if another Kevin shows up where you live to ask for a pour just remember it was a long drive from NJ so.......

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1 minute ago, kevinbrink said:

Well if another Kevin shows up where you live to ask for a pour just remember it was a long drive from NJ so.......

As long as you know the secret Kevin handshake!

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How cool!!!

 

If this bourbon is as old as you think it is, it's very possible the barrel was never dumped and it isn't a matter of what was "left in the barrel". 10 gallons is 50 bottles so maybe the angels got a bit more than their usual share :). I was in on a Four Roses pick a few years ago where the barrel we selected was 11yrs and a few months old and only yielded 70 some bottles.

 

Regardless, good for you!

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1 minute ago, Vosgar said:

How cool!!!

 

If this bourbon is as old as you think it is, it's very possible the barrel was never dumped and it isn't a matter of what was "left in the barrel". 10 gallons is 50 bottles so maybe the angels got a bit more than their usual share :). I was in on a Four Roses pick a few years ago where the barrel we selected was 11yrs and a few months old and only yielded 70 some bottles.

 

Regardless, good for you!

 

Interesting thought!    Either way, a very fortuitous situation.  That stuff looks awesome and probably tastes just as awesome.  And to throw a third and fourth awesome in, it is an awesome story!

 

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I am officially envious (and I rarely am!)!  :o  That is what I'd call a singular experience... not to mention (apparently) a very enjoyable one.    Good on ya' Dude!   :)

Might you save a taste for those of us who can show up the week before KBF at your place?    Just asking; no pressure at all, and no blame if it isn't possible.   I'm sure many are clamoring for a taste!  ?

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Ever tasted anything close to this? Can ya video the legs? Man my mouth is watering.

 

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That's really cool.  I would think that the barrel metadata should be stamped on the barrel head, so you should be able to tell exactly when it was barreled with no doubt how old the contents are.

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That sounds fantastic. Seems like you've got something akin to barrel proof Elijah Craig 18.

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10 hours ago, Vosgar said:

How cool!!!

 

If this bourbon is as old as you think it is, it's very possible the barrel was never dumped and it isn't a matter of what was "left in the barrel". 10 gallons is 50 bottles so maybe the angels got a bit more than their usual share :). I was in on a Four Roses pick a few years ago where the barrel we selected was 11yrs and a few months old and only yielded 70 some bottles.

 

Regardless, good for you!

That could be the case.  The story I related was pretty much as told to me.

10 hours ago, Richnimrod said:

I am officially envious (and I rarely am!)!  :o  That is what I'd call a singular experience... not to mention (apparently) a very enjoyable one.    Good on ya' Dude!   :)

Might you save a taste for those of us who can show up the week before KBF at your place?    Just asking; no pressure at all, and no blame if it isn't possible.   I'm sure many are clamoring for a taste!  ?

I have 24 crystal double shot glasses just for tastings.  One is reserved for me so . . . I guess the next 23 guys get a taste. 

8 hours ago, FasterHorses said:

Ever tasted anything close to this? Can ya video the legs? Man my mouth is watering.

 

Now that you mention it, I would say close to a BP EC, but not as hot as the current bottle I have.  I'll try to snap a picture of the legs next time I have some (not going to start drinking at 8:24 am).  I will tell you that after having a sip last night the viscosity was such that the entire side of the glass was coated with a thin layer of bourbon.  It's like it didn't want to sink back to the bottom of the glass.

8 hours ago, Kepler said:

That's really cool.  I would think that the barrel metadata should be stamped on the barrel head, so you should be able to tell exactly when it was barreled with no doubt how old the contents are.

I got so excited about getting a bottle that I didn't even think to ask about the information on the head.  I'll talk to him and see if he knows.

8 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

That sounds fantastic. Seems like you've got something akin to barrel proof Elijah Craig 18.

Fantastic it is.  Seems to have more oak than my bottle of EC 18 and definitely higher proof.

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By far one of the best stories I’ve heard. Fantastic!

Between the PVW15 and this I’ll say you have had a pretty nice bourbon offseason!

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2 hours ago, Bob_Loblaw said:

By far one of the best stories I’ve heard. Fantastic!

Between the PVW15 and this I’ll say you have had a pretty nice bourbon offseason!

I think I'm going to have to agree with you there.  Plus I got to grab a 15 y.o. KC SiB.

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Pretty darn cool! Looks super dark so I'm sure it's quite the experience.

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I love hearing these kind of stories! Every once in a great while all the stars align for some lucky bourbon lover and a really cool nugget of whiskey wealth drops into their lap!

 

That is too friggin cool! Enjoy!!

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Thanks guys.  But we all know bourbon is best shared with fellow aficionados.  Seriously, if some of you guys who are coming down the week before KBF want to head over to E'town just let me know.  I think it would be great for a bunch of us to taste it and compare notes.  I've got, but I'm not gonna flaunt it.  I'm going to share it.

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On 7/28/2019 at 7:37 PM, kevinbrink said:

Well if another Kevin shows up where you live to ask for a pour just remember it was a long drive from NJ so.......

I'm Kevin too......OK, I'm not, but I can be if that gets me a pour!!!  

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So, am I going to have 20 some odd people showing up at my house claiming to be named Kevin?  I'm going to need to see some ID.

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Thanks guys.  But we all know bourbon is best shared with fellow aficionados.  Seriously, if some of you guys who are coming down the week before KBF want to head over to E'town just let me know.  I think it would be great for a bunch of us to taste it and compare notes.  I've got, but I'm not gonna flaunt it.  I'm going to share it.



Hey Kevin here...

Fantastic story, the fringe benefits of living in Kentucky.

I’d love to see if you could do another pour in a more narrrow glass like a glencairn so we can get a better view of that wonderful darkness.

I really don’t know what it’s like handling a bourbon barrel, “never rode the ricks”. However it seems like it would be obvious if there was 10 gallons of bourbon left in the barrel. Good for you and your friends son, regardless.
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Here's a picture in one of my tasting glasses.  You can see a little of the legs as it's clinging to the side of the glass just after pouring.  It's 9:54 am so I didn't actually drink that pour, but there was a little left in the glass after pouring it back into the bottle, which I didn't want to waste.  Yep, it's as good as I thought it was.

HEAVEN HILL BP NF 3.jpeg

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Here's a picture in one of my tasting glasses.  You can see a little of the legs as it's clinging to the side of the glass just after pouring.  It's 9:54 am so I didn't actually drink that pour, but there was a little left in the glass after pouring it back into the bottle, which I didn't want to waste.  Yep, it's as good as I thought it was.
1939943370_HEAVENHILLBPNF3.thumb.jpeg.d7b871b438b84a7e4aaac1b201b90fe3.jpeg


Beautiful color.
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