🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

Quick hit review. Heaven Hill tasting with Scott-Anthony Lyth. This was the 10th and last dram of the evening, so please bear with me if my tasting notes are a bit vague. Initially quite flowery and perfumy, the nose highlights dark cherries, candy apple and wood polish. There is a little more fruit than in your average bourbon. Prunes, rich tannins and a touch of bubblegum are prominent on the palate, and it starts to turn from sweet to mildly dry in the development. The minty finish lingers with orange liqueur and toasted oak. I remember that it didn't blew me away, but take that with a pinch of salt. RATING: 3.5/5.0 stars ≙ 83 pts → ABOVE AVERAGE

A sample swap from karloff. Great stuff!

This is a great bourbon straight or with water. I drank 95% of this bottle at cask strength. I've sort of regretted it because this has a lot to offer experimenting with different quantities of water.

Had the privilege to try this one in Germany before its official release. You can taste the maturity of 7 years. While it is not overly woody there are very few glue/varnish notes and the taste, again, while not overly complex, has some layers to it and is balanced. 50% abv. BIB are always welcome. Depending on the price this could be a nice mid-level bourbon alternative, however it has probably to compete with ECBP price-wise. So that's a bit of a downer. 60 EUR would've been fine, 90-??? are a bit steep imho.

Aroma is easy and warm, almost light, and comes through complex and multi-faceted ranging from sweet to spicy to earthy tones – I really enjoy the way it smells; Palate is like a muted more tannic and acidic version of what happens on the aroma and feels a tad… flat, especially compared to the aroma; Finish is pleasant and the harsher notes fade leaving a nice warm bourbon profile.

Still unable to fathom where was the need to add another year to already available 6 year old iteration and jack up the price by as much as 2.5 times.

The nose has some funky leather and woody notes, little fruit. The palate is intensly sweet with more wood/fir notes. Nose - red fruits, a little funky leather, pencil shavings Taste - Medium/full bodied, the arrival is sweet brown sugar syrup, fir, Finish - red currant, and brown sugar, medium length

While visiting family in the Iowan Midwest, I came across a bottle of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond at the local Costco—an unexpected but welcome find. At around £30, it offered solid value for a bottled-in-bond bourbon with a respectable 50% ABV (100 proof). Heaven Hill is a major name in Kentucky bourbon, with deep roots in Bardstown and a reputation for producing quality whiskey across a wide range of price points. This particular expression, aged 7 years and meeting all the Bottled-in-Bond Act requirements, feels like a nod to traditional, no-nonsense American bourbon. On the nose, it's immediately inviting—classic bourbon aromas of vanilla, toasted oak, and a hint of caramel rise from the glass. The palate delivers more of the same in a clean, balanced way. There’s honeyed sweetness up front, layered with vanilla and oak, followed by a faint nuttiness and a touch of white pepper toward the finish, giving it a gentle spice that lingers nicely without overwhelming. Despite its 50% ABV, it's remarkably approachable even without a splash of water—smooth, well-integrated, and easy to sip neat. Overall, this is a solid, straightforward pour—unpretentious but well-made. It won’t necessarily blow you away with complexity, but it’s reliable, flavourful, and perfectly suited for sipping neat or in a robust cocktail. At this price point, it’s hard to argue with the value.