AVB
Jesus of Cool, I'm bad, I'm nationwide
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- Nov 14, 2003
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Black Maple Hill 21 yo Bourbon, no box, standard bottle, 95 proof, about $80.
Black Maple Hill is basically a rebottler, they take whiskey from other distillers and bottle it under their name. If you get some saying bottled in Bardstown, KY then it is most likely aged Heaven Hill product. If it says Lawrenceburg, KY then it is really a Van Winkle product. If given the choice between the BMH and Van Winkle, buy the equal Van Winkle and save a few bucks. The 21 yo that I have is a Bardstown distillation from cask #7.
BMH has some kick, at 95 proof it does benefit from an ice cube, which also helps bring out some of the flavors. The nose is full of butterscotch and cooked apples, truly one of the best bourbon noses I've had. The first taste doesn't quite live up to the nose although that isn't totally uncommon. The taste is one of smoke, a slight sweetness and a bit of the butterscotch that was nosed. This finishes rather quickly with a drying quality on the tongue.
While this bourbon has gotten some very good reviews I personally think that it is a bit over-rated. For $80 the Pappy Van Winkle 20 yo is a better buy. If you are a collector then this is one you should have. If you want to impress the boss then this is one you should have. If you just want something different, look into the 14 yo version of BMH.
Black Maple Hill is basically a rebottler, they take whiskey from other distillers and bottle it under their name. If you get some saying bottled in Bardstown, KY then it is most likely aged Heaven Hill product. If it says Lawrenceburg, KY then it is really a Van Winkle product. If given the choice between the BMH and Van Winkle, buy the equal Van Winkle and save a few bucks. The 21 yo that I have is a Bardstown distillation from cask #7.
BMH has some kick, at 95 proof it does benefit from an ice cube, which also helps bring out some of the flavors. The nose is full of butterscotch and cooked apples, truly one of the best bourbon noses I've had. The first taste doesn't quite live up to the nose although that isn't totally uncommon. The taste is one of smoke, a slight sweetness and a bit of the butterscotch that was nosed. This finishes rather quickly with a drying quality on the tongue.
While this bourbon has gotten some very good reviews I personally think that it is a bit over-rated. For $80 the Pappy Van Winkle 20 yo is a better buy. If you are a collector then this is one you should have. If you want to impress the boss then this is one you should have. If you just want something different, look into the 14 yo version of BMH.