As I continue to explore Bourbon through the last and upcoming reviews, I have taken the chance to explore some concepts that, while completely familiar to Bourbon fans, may be foreign to those of us who mainly dabble in the Scottish side of whisky, like myself. My previous post allowed me to talk about Store Picks and sourced Bourbon. Today’s review of the Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond is an opportunity to touch on what a bonded whisky is and provide a quick look at whisky Allocation.
This is a complex topic which would probably deserve a dedicated Longform post, if not a whole book, but a quick introductory peek will have to do. After all, I am approaching this as someone new to Bourbon who wants to gain a basic understanding of the aspects which characterise this spirit. Feel free to skip to the review if you are familiar with both concepts, just follow the link here.
TL:DR: A sweet, spicy and peanutty treat
Score*: 7, very good stuff
Bottled in Bond: antiquated or a sign of quality?
The Bottled in Bond name refers to a spirit (not only a whiskey) which has been produced according to the homonymous Act of 1897. To be labelled as bottled-in-bond or bonded, the liquor must be the product of one distillation season by one distillery. It must have been aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years and bottled at 100 proof (50% ABV). Producing a Bonded spirit also requires added transparency. The final product’s label must name the distillery where it was made and, if different, where it was bottled.
Some consider the Bottled-in-Bond label a sign of excellence, while others view it as an antiquated rule that stifles creativity. For me, observing a law for drink production that ties the product to its origin feels almost more European than American in concept. As with every rule, I do not believe that the label itself signifies quality. Instead, it offers transparency regarding the spirit’s origin, which can often be extremely murky and challenging to unravel in US whiskeys. That is certainly a positive in my opinion.
Allocation madness
Allocation is not a unique characteristic of the US market. It is something very familiar to Scottish whisky drinkers too. After all, many of Springbank’s output, or more recently, GlenAllachie’s Meikle Tòir Turbo, are available in limited amounts and highly sought after. Getting hold of them requires either great timing, luck or willingness to pay secondary prices, which are often, unfortunately, the only option for many fans. While the allocation of limited-availability bottles is understandable, there are always suspicions that certain distillers use this as a marketing ploy to artificially create scarcity of liquid, which is in reality not scarce, and bump up prices. This is a recurring accusation I see surrounding Bourbon allocation, never proven but always in the background. Be as it may, the recent slowdown in whisky sales is likely to ease the problem somewhat for both real and generated scarce bottles.
Yet, while hard-to-find whiskies are a common theme for whisky aficionados across the globe, the phenomenon of allocation takes on a different dimension in the US. If you spend even a moderate amount of time on the Bourbon side of YouTube, you will encounter the hoops Bourbon fans must navigate to obtain some of these bottles. In some States, unless you are willing to pay secondary prices, the only chance to acquire one of those allocated bottles is to enter a lottery. Some shops will reserve bottles for their loyal customers. So building loyalty (and spending considerably) at a particular store will increase your chances. In certain instances, it comes down to being the first through the door, leading to people queuing overnight to secure their place in line. It’s a tough life being a Bourbon fan, and yes I am being slightly ironic.
Success and allocation
While the Distillery most associated with Bourbon allocation is Buffalo Trace, there are tens of other bottles that fall into this category. The allocation of Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bottled in Bond is often linked to its title as Best in Show Whiskey at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. This increased demand significantly and divided the crowd. Some remain fans, while others consider it an overhyped product, especially at secondary prices. It is somewhat ironic though. As a Single-barrel product, there is a natural variability. Not all barrels will be great. You can bet that whatever was submitted to the competition was carefully picked to be the best possible expression available. Time to review this Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bottled-in-bond and see if I got a lucky barrel, I guess…
Henry McKenna Single Barrel, 10 years old, Kentucky Straight Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Whiskey
Specs
Price paid: Gifted
Barrel No.: 13886, barreled on February 28, 2013
ABV: 50%
Natural colour: Yes
Non-chill filtered: No
Mashbill: 78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, 10% Rye
Tasting Notes
Colour: A rich russet toned dark amber
Nose: Immediately, I get a big burst of caramel and peanut brittle. I am pleasantly surprised by what comes next. I get more rich fruit notes rather than the usual woody notes. In a 10-year-old Bourbon, I would have expected the opposite. There are rich aromas of ripe cherry and apple coated in vanilla syrup. In the background, I get spicy notes, predominantly cinnamon, a touch of pepper, and tobacco to round things off. While it is not a powerful nose, it has complexity and a certain harmony that makes it very pleasant.
Taste and Finish: On the palate, the main sweet character remains in the foreground, but there are more noticeable woody notes and even a touch of tannic structure. Even at a relatively low 50% (compared to Barrel Proof bottlings), it comes through as a little hot. Nothing excessive, but not as smooth as I expected. The dry peanut note is noticeable, if less toned down than on the nose. There is more spice, a lot of hot cinnamon and nutmeg, then cherry, and some milk chocolate.
The finish is medium long. The spice takes over: there is a lot of cinnamon, like chewing on a bunch of cinnamon drops, some dusty peanut shells, cherry syrup and a woody aftertaste.
Score: 7 very good stuff
Did I get a lucky cask? Impossible to tell without comparing different releases of the Henry McKenna Single Barrel bottled-in-bond vs the one in this review. What I know is that I have been enjoying this as a complex and well-rounded Bourbon. And the 50% ABV, probably the sweet spot for my taste, certainly helps, too. I didn’t have to queue or take part in a lottery to get hold of this bottle. I was lucky enough to receive this as a gift from my lovely wife, who bought it while in the US for a conference. At MSRP and off the shelf. Maybe it’s a sign that the hype for this one is cooling down healthily.
* Scores are based on the scoring scale used by Dramface, slightly modified to allow half-points
Interested in my take on a specific whisky style? Check the full Journey here and jump to the relevant Chapter.
After writing my tasting notes, I always find it interesting to look at other opinions. Here are a few other reviews of the Henry McKenna Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond I enjoyed:
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