Blade & Bow 30yr vs Heaven Hill 27yr

This is an incredible showdown. I count myself very lucky to even be able to try these two pours, let alone own one of them. In a vacuum, they are both absolutely beautiful examples of how to release an ultra-aged bourbon without it falling flat. At this age, you tend to lose some of the qualities that make a bourbon so wonderful. Instead, the whiskey leans heavily into the more earthy notes that are surely from the barrel itself.

These both have a very Heaven Hill like nose to them. Leather, oak, some faint nuttiness. But where the Blade & Bow maintains a bold and punchy nose, the Heaven Hill is almost faint and watery next to it. I wish that I could say the experience on the palate is much different, but it honestly is not. Again they carry very similar profiles, but the Blade & Bow stands up as a bold and expressive pour. Having the Heaven Hill next to it gives the Heaven Hill an almost citrus zest quality and again makes it feel watered down and thin despite being the cask strength bottling amongst the two. I love the Heaven Hill 27 year on a normal day, but it is absolutely obliterated by the Blade & Bow 30 year in every way. The distillate of the Blade & Bow is not disclosed, but it would not shock me at all if it was also pre-fire Heaven Hill.

There is quite a difference in price for both of these, on secondary and MSRP, but if you can afford one then I'm guessing price isn't that important. When asked the question of Blade & Bow 30yr vs Heaven Hill 27yr, the better pour is the Blade & Bow in every way.