Day 10 of DB's Bourbon Trail 2023 Advent Calendar - Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel

Cheers and welcome to our 4th Annual Advent Calendar! Throughout the next month, we will be going on a high-end bourbon journey together and reviewing 25 bourbons from award winning distilleries across America. Starting on December 1st and ending on December 25th - we will get to experience everything from small batches to single barrels that are jam packed with flavor. Please join us in toasting to another incredible year and getting to virtually share some of our favorite bottles from this past year with you!

**This review has been completed by using a Glencairn glass and neat if you want to compare the same tasting notes as DB’s Bourbon Trail. BUT - the best thing about it being YOUR bourbon is that you get to enjoy it that way YOU want to and prefer! As long as it brings us together and you are enjoying it - pour it over ice, add water, or add it to a cocktail! It’s all about what makes you happy and what you enjoy - don’t let others influence you differently!**

Enough of me rambling, let’s dive into what brought us here!

Day 10 of DB’s Bourbon Trail 2023 Advent Calendar

Henry McKenna 10 Year Single Barrel

Proof:

• 100 Proof (50%)

Distillery:

• Heaven Hill Distillery (Bardstown, KY)

Age Statement:

• 10 Years

Message on the bottle:

"This 10-year-old single barrel is a one of a kind Bourbon and one of the few bottled-in-bond products available."  

Price Point:

**At DB’s Bourbon Trail we utilize an app called BoozApp (not sponsored - we wish!) to ensure we are getting at least a fair price on our bourbon before purchasing. Nothing is worse than getting taken advantage of by a flipper playing the supply/demand game**

• Average MSRP:

  • $42.85 (this will soon increase due to change in price over the last few years)

• Fair Price:

  • $84.14

• Shelf Price:

  • $79.99

• DB’s Bourbon Trail Instant Buy Price:

  • <$60.00

Review:

From their website:

This high proof, Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon was named for Henry McKenna, the Irish immigrant who adapted his family's whiskey recipe to work with the grains he found in Kentucky. Henry McKenna is one of the longest aged Bottled-in-Bond whiskeys available today, resting in the barrel through 40 Kentucky seasons. Critics agree that this is perfectly balanced Bourbon.

A fun fact that I didn't know before this review was that Henry McKenna is from Irish descent. Irish Whiksey has a long, rich line of history that dates back much further than bourbon. Even so much, that the word 'whiskey' (or whisky) comes from the Irish uisce beatha, meaning water of life.

Bringing a family recipe and tradition to the states - with the new found Kentucky grains and processes - Henry McKenna allowed for this bourbon to become an award winning spirit, while still being able to carry on his family tradition.

Nose:

• The nose on this McKenna 10 is one of my favorite. It’s bourbon in the truest form - Vanilla, Oak, and Sweet Caramel

Palate:

• The palate follows suit with a sweet honey and caramel explosion. It's so good and it continually invites you back in for more. As the palate expands, there are notes and hints of dark fruit (think Blackberries, Blueberries, etc).

Finish:

• The finish is the perfect length and the sweetness pairs incredibly well with the heat from this bottled-in-bond. You will be able to still pick up hints of oak and vanilla.

Final Thoughts:

Over the last few years, Henry McKenna 10 Year is finally getting all the hype that it deserves! With this new found hype, it always seems to be a catch 22. With that being said, MSRP has increased (which I am okay with if the money is going back to the distillery vs a flipper) but even with the increase - it is still almost near impossible to find.

If you are looking for a great overall bourbon - look no more! I highly suggest grabbing a bottle of Henry McKenna 10 Year. With the age statement of 10 years, the oak flavor really enhances the overall pour allowing the vanilla and caramel sweetness to pair perfectly with the heat.

Cheers y’all!

Interesting in what else we might have cooking? Learn more here!

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