Spirit Review: Larceny Bourbon


Larceny Bourbon is a small-batch bourbon out of Kentucky that is now available all over the U.S. It's from the people who bring us Elijah Craig and Evan Williams: Heaven Hill Distillery. Their new bourbon is quite distinctive.

I generally prefer rye in my cocktails because it adds the spicy note, but I have come to appreciate Larceny Bourbon, too. At first I thought it must have a lot of rye in it, because that's why I like it so much, but it turns out that it doesn't. It's second major grain is wheat, not rye. So it is considered a wheaty bourbon. I had no idea. All I knew is that I liked it.


It smells like caramel and honey, and the taste is like a vanilla toffee candy. It's sweet, but not overly sweet like some bourbon. It leaves a slight alcohol finish, but for the most part, this is a smooth bourbon. That is what it will become known for, too, I think. It makes great cocktails such as Whiskey Sours or Manhattans, but without the bourbon sweetness or the rye bite. For the most part, Larceny is a great all around bourbon. I have most recently been enjoying it on a large piece of ice.

Try it, and enjoy the caramel smoothness for yourself. At our local, large liquor store, a 750 mL bottle will run you $23. That's a steal.