The last time I had Larceny was with the Barrel Proof Batch C922. If we look at the number of individual SKUs, then Heaven Hill’s preferred outlet for their wheated bourbon recipe is clearly Old Fitzgerald. Meanwhile, Larceny only sees attention in the form of the standard 92 proof bottle, three annual barrel proof batches, and the occasional barrel pick—usually barrel proof.

Attention on Larceny skyrocketed after Fred Minnick dropped his Top 100 American Whiskeys of 2023, where the top two were both Larceny Barrel Proof batches (C923 being his preferred). Needless to say, eyes were more attentive toward the 2024 run of batches. Slotting between the first and final batch of the year was B524, which came out to 62.7% ABV and otherwise has no distinguishing characteristics from other batches. Will Heaven Hill ever consider giving each batch a more distinguishable trait than the bottling strength?

I found C922 to be a surprisingly sweet and dessert-y pour that won me over after trying in cocktails, but still fell short when compared to heavier hitters. Can B524 prove itself a more formidable batch?

Nose: Nutty, baking spice, mild dryness. A bit of brown butter, clove, roasted pecan, cinnamon sugar, and hints of star anise, nutmeg, and creamy custard. Generally has a crossroads of bitter and tannic (though slightly festive) bourbon personality to it.

Palate: Has a bit of industrial funk to it. Burnt pecan pie with ensuing barrel spice and pepper. Has a thin layer of brown butter and custard from the nose, but it’s decidedly overshadowed by the spice notes and overall aggression.

Finish: Leads tannic with barrel char before leaning into clove, a bit of red pepper flake, freshly ground black pepper, and roasted peanuts. Chewy viscosity really shines here with some complementary caramel, brown butter, and salted toffee. Probably the best part of the experience thanks to the lingering viscosity, balanced heat/warmth, and touch of umami to match the mild sweetness.

Fun news first: B524 is noticeably different in profile compared to C922. Where C922 was borderline-indulgent and sparked dessert notes galore, B524 leans heavily into its spice notes, particularly clove, oak, and pepper. I so rarely encounter this with wheated bourbons that I almost want to give Heaven Hill sole credit for creating a wheated bourbon profile that tastes so unlike what’s commonly associated with this style of whiskey.

That being said, this also isn’t what I look for in wheated bourbons. Larceny Barrel Proof B524 feels closer in nature to a spicier batch of Booker’s than anything, right down to the surprisingly chewy and viscous finish. This is another example of the whiskey providing something positive, but in the greater context of things, it feels like an odd curveball. That awkwardness extends to the entire drinking experience, with a nose that exudes clove, anise, and a bit of nutmeg before charging forth with a bizarre convergence of bitter/tannic notes barely offset by general bourbon sweetness. The finish gets close to making everything feel worthwhile, but the payoff simply doesn’t justify the investment.

I’ve been most content to use this whiskey in cocktails where, much like C922, it has largely succeeded with flying colors. Although the two batches brought notably different profiles to the table, they achieved similar results with yours truly. Will Heaven Hill ever release a somewhat obtainable wheated bourbon that handily wins me over? The search continues.