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Saturday, February 29, 2020

Larceny Binny's Private Selection No. 2 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $25
- 92 Proof
- Approx 6 1/2 years
- Barrel Serial No. 6515632
- Kentucky

I was pretty excited when I heard that Larceny was going to be put into Heaven Hill's barrel select program. The fact of the matter is, I get excited for any product that gets added to the various distilleries' private barrel programs.  So, of course when Binny's got their first two picks in, I snatched one up immediately . . . and how could I not at the price.

In fact, for what it's worth, I initially purchased Barrel No. 1. However, I was then offered samples of both, and I decided I liked No. 2 better on initial tastes, and I had to make the exchange. I think that's the first time I've ever returned a bottle of whiskey.

On the first pour, the aroma was full of sweet cinnamon and burnt sugar. There was also somewhat of a peanut brittle quality to it, with that cooked sugar and peanut smell.  It had a light peppery spice as well as a bit of black cherry, and underneath it all was a constant bread note. It was kind of a hodge podge of aromas, and the nose really gave no indication of what I was going to taste.

The one thing that certainly carried through to the palate, though, was the sweetness.  This came across as very sweet, with healthy doses of vanilla and caramel throughout.  Various other flavors made their way into the mix, and I felt like I was noticing something different with each pour. In early pours I got a black cherry note, but it was more of a cough syrup type black cherry flavor, rather than the fresh black cherry I got on the nose.

On later pours, I was getting nougat notes, along with the peanut brittle I got on the nose, and it really reminded me of a Snickers bar. In fact, the closer I got to the bottom of the bottle, the more prominent this flavor got, and all I was tasting was a less sweet Snickers bar.

The finish, however, was significantly longer than I would have expected given the proof. It had a graham crackery note, as well as cinnamon and pecan, and it reminded me a bit of pecan pie, particularly with the sweetness of it all.

Overall, there were some off notes (that cough syrup flavor) and it at times seemed a bit schizophrenic, but all in all I liked it better than standard Larceny. So, it was certainly worth it, and I doubt that I'd hesitate to grab another Larceny private pick the next time I see one, especially given the minimal hit to my wallet.

Grade: B

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