A H Hirsch 20yr Bourbon

Hirsch Reserve 20 year old was awarded a five star rating by The Spirit Journal in March of 1996. "Stunningly fantastic color of copper penny/rich amber with ocher highlights; the bouquet is spirity, heady, and a bit prickly in the initial two passes, then by the third nosing it settles in and expels luscious aromas of mint, oak, ripe banana, ripe guava, nut meat, and brown sugar - it ends up being a mannered, stately bouquet that betrays the employment of the pot still method through its more than ample complexity, style, maturity, and breeding; I loved the opening salvo of controlled heat at palate entry, then the silky smooth texture ushers in perfectly melded flavors of sweet oak, red fruit, maple, spice, and grain mash; the aftertaste is round, direct but polite, and very long; I found this 20 year old Bourbon every bit as grand and idiosyncratic as the 5 Star 16 year old; these two Pennsylvania Bourbons rank with the world's best whiskies; the most stylish tandem that America has to offer." - Paul Pacult, The Spirit Journal, March 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "There's a little wood in the nose of this twenty year old, but it's a rich, intense oakiness married to vanilla and caramel. The body is rich and thick and on the palate, the oak, vanilla and caramel meet with spices - cinnamon, nutmeg - and a dryness that's slightly minty. This whiskey dances around the tongue, the sweetness being balanced beautifully with needles of spice. The finish is very long with a sophisticated port-like quality that rounds out the experience. Savor this Hirsch 20 year old neat, in a snifter." - Wine & Spirits, June 1996 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Nose: Oak, vanilla, mint and caramel. Mouth: A huge body, rich and thick, and now some caramel and oak come into play with the vanilla along with a host of spices and a hint of mint that peppers the tongue in a long, long dance. The finish is very long and almost port-like. Overall: As with the 16 year old bottling, we suggest that the only way to serve this superlative bourbon is neat. Light up that cigar, rest your feet on a huge Old English Sheepdog, and dream of your spectacular future. Among our hand written notes was: 'Like a melted ice cream parfait made from rich vanilla ice cream with a hint of cream de menthe.'" - Gary & Mardee Regen, The Book of Bourbon