Heaven Hill 7 Year Bib Bourbon

Heaven Hill's 7 Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon carries both an age statement and a legal designation. "Bottled in Bond" is defined by the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act. It means the whiskey came from a single distillery in a single distilling season, was aged in a federally bonded warehouse, and was bottled at exactly 100 proof, or 50% ABV. The label's seven years is the age of the youngest whiskey in the bottle. That is well past the four-year minimum for the designation. As a bourbon, it is made from a mash bill of at least 51% corn and aged in new charred oak. Expect the usual bourbon core of caramel, vanilla and toasted oak, with the extra weight of seven years in wood. Bonded bottlings at this strength usually add baking spice, a little rye-driven pepper and a long, warming finish. These are style expectations, not a measured profile of this bottle. At 100 proof it is best approached in stages. Pour a small measure into a Glencairn and nose it before tasting. The tulip shape concentrates the oak and sweet-corn aromas and softens the alcohol, which a wide tumbler does not. Try it neat first. Then add a few drops of room-temperature water, which loosens the tight, spicy edge and often brings out more fruit and vanilla. For slow sipping, a rocks glass with one large cube works well. The cube chills the bourbon with little dilution, though it will mute some of the aromatics as it cools. The proof is also why it works so well in cocktails. In an Old Fashioned, a sugar cube, two dashes of Angostura and an orange peel are enough. The whiskey keeps its backbone through the dilution and doesn't turn syrupy. In a Manhattan, pair it with sweet vermouth in the classic 2:1 ratio. Bitters and a cherry round it out, and the rye spice that styles like this usually carry pairs well with the vermouth's herbal side. For a Whiskey Sour, shake 2 oz of bourbon with three-quarters of an ounce each of lemon juice and simple syrup. The bonded strength keeps the drink from tasting thin, and a dash of egg white gives it a fuller texture. For a Highball, build it tall over ice with soda water and a lemon twist, or use ginger beer for a sweeter, spicier drink. It stays distinct even in a longer drink. If you're drinking it with food, it goes well with smoked brisket, aged cheddar and dark chocolate.