Color: Warm golden amber. Medium length with a balanced tapering of the flavors and spicy burn from the palate. Our always updated list of the best Bourbon to buy right now! The Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897 holds that a bonded bourbon must be produced during one distilling season, distilled at one distillery, bottled at 100 proof, and aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse. I wonder if this barrel came from lower in the warehouse, where there was less fluctuation in temperature and humidity, leading to less vigorous aging in the barrel. This is a highly-rated product for damn good reasons, and at the risk of adding to the hype, and subsequent lack of availability, were recommending you buy this any time you see it. Rate Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey, Not sure if I had a bad batch but the bottle I purchased was awful. Is it worth it? Taste: Smooth oak, sharp spices, honey, and sweetness. What Heaven Hill has to say about the product: This high proof, Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon was named for Henry McKenna, the Irish immigrant who adapted his familys whiskey recipe to work the grains he found in Kentucky. commentssorted by Best Top New Controversial Q&A Add a Comment Full transparency, this is an Amazon affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon. With hang-tags touting awards for the juice inside being ubiquitous these days, it can be hard to see through the marketing BS to find the true gems. Review 61: Henry McKenna BiB 10 Year : r/bourbon - Reddit Henry McKenna 10 year Bottled In Bond Review - The Whiskey Jug Yes, I would like to receive emails from The Bourbon Review. Henry McKenna 10 year Bottled In Bond Review - Single Barrel selected for Everson Royce Distiller: Heaven Hill Distillery Age:10 years ABV: 50% Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% rye & 12% barley Price: $30 Barrel: 6386 P-7th floor EYE Dark Caramel NOSE Dark fruit leather and a rich warm wood flood the olfactory. Prohibition hit distilleries hard, and Henry McKennas family never fully recovered after repeal. Henry McKenna 10 Year Old : The Whisky Exchange Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. (You can unsubscribe anytime). Sweetness, savory, and floral fragrances followed by brown sugar, fresh-baked rye bread, and malt. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. No need to buy a bottle, Kentucky, USA, Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey Kentucky, USA. The story of Henry McKenna begins like those of many of its bourbon counterparts. A new generation of drinkers is breathing new life into America's native spirit but who is winning? 'THE MCKENNA BILL' WAS BROUGHT. It has all the stats of a very attractive and expensive bourbon, but with a surprisingly not so bad price (at MSRP at least). Did it suddenly become more sought after or something or is just inflation? Henry McKenna 10 Year In 1837, a young man from Ireland known for his remarkable whiskey-making skills, came to America with his family's whiskey recipe that had been passed down for generations. I know theyre out there because my experiences from other barrels were good. While not of the same caliber, my strong affinity for Parkers Promise of Hope makes me admittedly partial to McKennas flavor profile as they share the same traditional, quintessential no gimmicks characteristics.Ive sampled from three different McKenna barrels and while Ive found them all to be in within the same range, I will say one was a little better than the other two. BrMate NOSR, Double-Wall Stainless Steel Whiskey Nosing Glass 7oz (Matte Black), I know its weird to start a review like this, but the. . I had never had Henry McKenna until 2021 because it got tatered before I discovered it. If that were truly the case with McKenna 10, it would be sitting on shelves across the nation, which is not the case. Notably spicy (especially cinnamon) and gripping on the palate the ten years in oak are not lost here. Full transparency, this is an Amazon affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon. Entry is nicely sweet and intensely grainy; the midpalate is the high point as the taste profile expands to include semisweet flavors of caramel corn, toasted marshmallow, dried fruit and chocolate covered cherry. Nestor Liquor. Sure it's an award winning bottle that has the ability to vaporize from shelves, but it's also a ten year old bottled-in-bond single barrel product. A function of single barrel selection no doubt, I still feel each was a great value for the price. When James died in 1941, Stafford finally threw in the towel and sold the distillery to Seagrams, which later sold the company rights to Heaven Hill Distillery, where the brand still resides today. Heritage storytelling in American whiskey marketing is almost always front and center in order to prove authenticity. Alcohol mixes in and holds its weight against the other scents as you might expect for 100 proof. Its just not good. Henry McKenna Single Barrel offers a traditional and quintessential flavor profile that should appeal to nearly every bourbon enthusiast. 11 Things You Should Know About Henry McKenna | VinePair Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. It feels hot and toasty, the focus clearly on the barrel over the spice notes, though some sweet raisin and brown sugar character manages to squeeze through on the back end. It has all the stats of a very attractive and expensive bourbon, but with a surprisingly not so bad price (at MSRP at least). Henry McKenna 10 Year won "Best Single Barrel Bourbon" at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, an absolute coup for an affordable bourbon with so many other strong competitors. Two of McKennas sons, James and Stafford, helped oversee the distillery at the time, and struggled to keep it open through the Great Depression and World War II. As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything (theyre the best): Full transparency, this is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon. Young Mr. McKenna settled in Kentucky and discovered the uniquely American drink known as Bourbon. 90-95 points: Wine Enthusiast. A bottle of the hard-to-find Henry McKenna 10 Year Old, a single barrel bourbon bottled at 100 proof. Shattered glass really sucks, soif youre on the move, thisGlencairn-like stainless steel snifter glass should survive your travels. Its all comes together into a Top Shelf bourbon. Please enter your username or email address. Henry McKenna 10 Year Old Bourbon Review - Whiskey Reviewer Like most bourbons we talk about on here, your best bet for finding Henry McKenna in a local ABC store is to be a loyal, regular customer. To back up though, Henry McKenna 10 Year at its core is a double-digit age statement, single barrel, and higher-proof bourbon from a famous Kentucky distillery. You can hold it up in sunset light and just enjoy the russet and amber hues reflecting. Unfortunately, I dont know why this particular barrel is so much better than the other one I had that was. Manage Cookies Accept & Continue. Its drinkable and not terribly unpleasant, but this should be so much more. 16 Of The Best Bourbons Under $50 Worth Buying, Discover some of the best bourbons under $50, Glencairn-like stainless steel snifter glass, Westward Whiskey Cask Strength Single Malt, Penelope Toasted Barrel Strength Bourbon Select, Old Forester 1910 vs Woodford Reserve Double Oaked, Wild Turkey 12 Year 2012 vs 2022 Comparison, Weller Full Proof vs Larceny Barrel Proof Comparison, One Eight Single Barrel Cask Strength Wheat Whiskey, Bluebird Barrel Proof American Wheat Whiskey, Bardstown Bourbon Co. About henry mckenna 10 year Henry McKenna 10 Year won Best Single Barrel Bourbon at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, an absolute coup for an affordable bourbon with so many other strong competitors. Critics agree that this is perfectly balanced Bourbon.. Henry McKenna closely resembles the limited edition 2013Parkers Heritage Collection Promise of Hopesingle barrel bourbon in mash bill, proof, age, and style. Caramel and vanilla, with roasted pine nuts and spice, and a slight hint of strawberry lead to a long and savory finish. Henry McKenna is the longest aged Bottled-in-Bond available today, resting in the barrel through 40 Kentucky seasons. 10 year-old bourbon isn't nearly as easy to find these days, alas, and those McKenna 10-year single barrel bottlings are now fetching $80 to The distillery has several bourbons that bear corn percentages above 70 percent, including Elijah Craig and Evan Williams. Oh no, this is not a good start from Henry McKenna 10 Year. Chicken Cock Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey Review, Press: Ingram River Aged Announces Major Operations Expansion and Relocation, Press: Makers Mark Wood Finishing Series 2023 Release: BEP, WhistlePig Beholden 21 Year Single Malt Review. How Heaven Hill Bounced Back From Disaster to Become One of the Most Successful Bourbon Brands in America: This bottle lands so well with me because peanut butter is one of my favorite foods, and it just feels right in Henry McKenna 10 Year. While a higher age does not necessarily equate to a better bourbon, it does signify a milestone that must be attained before the barrel can be selected and bottled. The Alcohol in Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel immediately rushes my nose. When Im almost finished with the glass, I smell a little more grass, but thats about it. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 100 proof. Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel has a fantastic lingering sweet oakiness and nuttiness that wraps up everything together into a great finish. Henry McKenna came to America in 1837 from Ireland and settled in Kentucky where he set out to create a better bourbon using his familys recipe. this bottle of the hard-to-find Henry McKenna 10 Year Old is a single barrel bourbon bottled at 100 proof with an abv of 50%. Just got done looking for this topic in the major article directories and was extremely disappointed by the lack of relevant information. [2022] - [The Whiskey Shelf] | All rights reserved, 1.5/2.0 on the color scale (auburn, polished mahogany). Currently the most searched-for Bourbon on our database is Blanton's The Original Single Barrel People might say they want fine wine, but do they really want whiskey? 79.00 65.00. When it comes to the technicals there are close comparisons at this price point, but none of them carry the combination of a 10 year age statement, single barrel, and BiB.While all this makes McKenna look like the class Valedictorian on paper, the question of value then becomes a subjective question of taste. Stumbled across one last year for $35. Im proudly Asian American and can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Japanese. Their sales team is actively removing older bottles from shelves as we speak, and they say theyll be mixing recovered bottles into the new patent-pending vatting process for McKenna Award Winner. While youre here, check out my subsequent review of another. If you buy one, just know youre rolling the dice, so dont blame me if you get one thats not up to par. Henry McKenna 10 Year Old - The House Of Whiskey Despite its slightly imposing personality, it shows character and never steps over the line. Parkers Heritage Collection Promise of Hope, Bernheim Barrel Proof Original Wheat Whiskey (Batch A223), Jeptha Creed Red, White & Blue Straight Bourbon. It tastes amazing with nice richness and density. Concludes oaky sweet and chewy. Mashbill:78% Corn, 12% Malted Barley, and 10% Rye. One for the Boubon Aficionados! People snapped up McKenna like it was the nectar of the gods in part because the asking price at the time was $35. 2014 - 2023 VinePair Inc. Made In NYC. I have far too much fun writing about whiskey and singlehandedly running The Whiskey Shelf to bring you independent, honest, and useful reviews, comparisons, and more. Fun bite The bill failed to pass, but an 1894 bill extended the maximum bonding period to eight years. The alcohol shockingly disappears in the aftertaste. Read on for 11 things you should know about Henry McKenna. Traditional notes of caramel and vanilla play against a backdrop of seasoned oak. Its very nutty, sweet, and spicy, and even somewhat fruity. There are better barrels of Henry McKenna 10 Year out there to buy, but you never know what youre going to get. To be labelled BiB, the whiskey must be the product of one distillation season and one distiller at a single distillery, aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years, and it must be bottled at exactly 100 proof. Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey Vanilla and seasoned oak take the forefront, but are quickly balanced by a good dose of rye spice, a pop of burnt brown sugar, and a dollop of caramel. Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel starts off fairly sweet, which is nice for a change. Something went wrong. I had seen the bottle in Whisky Advocate or some other publication that was discussing the comeback of bottled in bond products. These days, its much harder to find. This smells like moonshine, but without the sweet and slightly sour smell of mashed corn. Then again, single barrel offerings can vary a lot, so the bottles for the San Francisco Spirits Competitions must have been the best ones that Heaven Hill had on hand, and not this terrible one. Henry McKenna Single Barrel can be described as traditional; a quintessential bourbon flavor profile with the potential for subtle hints of magic if you happen to find a special barrel. Swirling brings out more hefty nuttiness and roasted oak up front, followed by dense dark caramel, maple syrup, vanilla, dried apple, cinnamon, orange peel, cherry, and licorice. 2023 NFL Draft grades: Analyzing all 32 teams' classes, with Eagles I shall call it, Peanut Butter Jelly Time. Whats more, it was one of the least expensive in the competition, at only $35 per bottle. While we wouldnt want to try saying that five times fast, theres a lot to consider there. It will also be dropping its designations for Kentucky, straight, and bourbon., You can get whiskey in a lot more hands if youre willing to make a couple of changes, explained new master distiller Conor ODriscoll. Review of Henry McKenna Bourbon | The Scotch Noob The only positive thing I can say is that its drinkable and that it didnt kill me. Henry Mckenna 10 Year Old Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Category: Straight Bourbon Whiskey Date Tasted: 7/20/2022 Country: USA Alcohol: 50% 92 Points Gold Medal Exceptional $49 Amber color. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. This also resulted in huge shortages that foreshadowed the current bourbon boom, but also led to unfortunate price increases from what previously was a sub-$30 budget bottle that was easy to find, to one that is now $50+ and allocated. Its price has since dropped to around $75 after the San Francisco World Spirits Competition buzz died down. While we wouldn't want to try saying that five times fast, there's a lot to consider there. How Long Does Baileys (And Other Cream Liqueurs) Last? Rare & Collectable ( Drink Up New York only ), Single barrel, and not chill-filtered. Elijah Craig Small batch even won "Best Small-Batch Bourbon" at the same competition. Well see you next yearif not sooner. It has a satisfying mouthfeel and the 100 proof plays perfectly, providing just the right amount of burn without overdoing it. Your email address will not be published. As you may have noticed, two weeks after this article came out, McKenna 10 year was released to a bunch of NC stores. Christopher Null is the founder and editor in chief of Drinkhacker. Even when I was able to overcome the alcohol, Henry McKenna Single Barrel didnt have much else there to enjoy. Price starts low and is sold to the highest bidder. A couple years ago, Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10YR Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon was one of those staple, high-quality bourbons that was always on the shelf in NC. Based on this bottle alone, I dont understand the acclaim. As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything (theyre the best):Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass Set of 6, Set of 4,Set of 2,or just one. For a long while, Henry McKenna was a fairly obscure brand of bourbon in the Heaven Hill empire. It has all the qualities of a really great bourbon: And the taste lives up to the resume. Sweetness, savory, and floral fragrances followed by brown sugar, fresh-baked rye bread, and malt. Who knows, maybe youll get lucky with your barrel of Henry McKenna 10 Year. Gone are the days when Buffalo Trace's Weller line presented an easy-to-find, affordable alternative to Pappy. Finish The finish is traditional, but long. Henry McKenna Single Barrel 10 Years Review This bourbon has more than double in price on the retail market after it claimed "Best in Show Whiskey" at the 2019 San Francisco World Spirits. Chewing gives me nutty caramel, vanilla, apple, roasted oak, cinnamon, cherry, orange, peach, pineapple, licorice, and a little cocoa powder and pineapple. Drum roll, please we're finally at the end of our search for the world's most wanted wines. This is the type of barrel that would garner the praise and awards it received in 2018 and 2019. Unfortunately, McKennas relative value now seems so obvious that I can only assume it might be one of the next on the chopping block. One of the few remaining age-stated bourbons. Henry McKenna 10 Year. [2022] - [The Whiskey Shelf] | All rights reserved. Limited availability. Today, Heaven Hill offers Henry McKenna Single Barrel which is aged for 10 years and satisfies the Bottled in Bond (BiB) requirements.