Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Black Maple Hill Small Batch Review

This is a review of the 2012-2013 era Black Maple Hill that is not to be confused with the older aged stated green/black label bourbon nor the newer squat bottle Black Maple Hill bottles sourced from Oregon. 

47.5%; No Age Statement; $50

Nose: Nose is nice and not overly hot. Good balance of oak and sweet wood sugars such as caramel. Some grainy corn notes are there too.
Taste: Grain, barley, and corn notes are very forward. I haven't had Dickel in a long time but I have had Cumberland Cask recently which is sourced from Dickel. The barley forward profile here is very reminiscent of that Cumberland Cask so therefore I would say very corn forward like Dickel. The grainy corniness really overpowers just about everything else.
Finish: Medium in length. The only spice/rye notes I get in this one come at the finish. There is some deeper barrel char and warm low burn but not really any resounding dark sweetness that I usually look for in a good pour.
Notes: I only bought this bottle because I haven't seen it on the shelves in years. I didn't remember being overly blown away by it at the time but thought I would give it another shot. This go around I think my opinion is even lower. The grainy corn forward profile is overpowering, the finish is confusing, and the nose is really the only thing I liked about it. I really only reviewed it tonight to give myself an excuse to drink it to help clear it from the shelf.
Rating: D

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