10 Years Henry McKenna Single Barrel – Kentucky Straight – Bottled in Bond

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• DISTILLERY – Heaven Hill Distillery
• REGION – Bardstown, Kentucky
• AGE – 10 years
• STRENGTH – 50% (100 Proof)
• MASH BILL – 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley
• MSRP – $30 (But these days its found around $55 – 90)
• Barrel #: 9486
• Barreled On: 01/18/10

GLANCE

It has a nice deep copper and amber color to it. Low to medium viscosity with short legs.

NOSE

Here initially I got a lot of earthy/floral notes with baking spices. It reminded me of four roses! Then I got banana bread, rich vanilla and notes of brown sugar. As it opened up more, I got clove and medicinal cherry notes.

TASTE

Here I got hit my heavy notes of baking spices, earthy and fruity notes. The mouth feel was light with some creaminess and I got a lot of ground peanut as well as oaky notes

FINISH

The finish is very long with a lot of spice notes, peppercorn and baking spices. And you get a nice deep Kentucky hug , on parr with barrel proofs.

CLOSING REMARKS

In many ways this is a one of a kind offering in the bourbon/whiskey market. Let’s break it down. It carries an age statement of 10 years which is not common for bourbons (and most don’t even carry age statements). It is bottled in bond. Meaning that it is made by one distiller at a single distillery in one season, then its aged in a federally bonded warehouse to which only the government has access to. It must be aged for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof. On the back label of the bottle, it should be noted where and who distilled and bottled it. This makes Henry Mckenna the longest aged bottled in bond product on the market. It is a single barrel product, meaning no two bottle of Henry McKenna are the same unless they are from the same barrel.

Bourbon enthusiasts know there are distinct variations that can be noted between barrels and this adds that much more to the uniqueness of this product, on top of everything it has going for it. Right off the bat at $30, this a huge value! For $85 ish, it’s not a bad value but at that price point you can purchase more flavorful and complex bourbon. Don’t get me wrong, this was a joy to drink but I didn’t feel it was all that balanced except the finish. It has all the classic bourbon notes with the extra push coming from the proof.

After bathing in the spotlight when it won the San Francisco’s World Spirits Competition’s “Best in Show” accolade in March 2019, it disappeared from all the shelves where it had been seating for years. The prices soar through the roof and it became a rare find. If you have never had it, do pick it up hopefully close to MSRP and I don’t think you will disappointed! It’s not something in my opinion, I would reach for as a daily drinker but it is something unique that every bourbon enthusiast should explore. Cheers!

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