Overall Score: 7.5/10
Overall Value: 3.5/5
Distillery: Sourced
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Hotaling & Co.
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 135.9
Age: 6 Years
Color: Chestnut
MSRP: $75 (2026)
Mashbill: 72% Corn, 13% Rye, 15% Malted Barley
The Barrel Bros’ Review
The nose on this bottle of Hirsch bourbon whiskey 6-year is an absolute home run. It opens with rich scents of fruit—apricots, dark red fruit, and grape jam—that blend with creme brulee, butterscotch, and vanilla. There’s seasoned oak in the backend, and the whole profile manages to smell like a fresh batch of holiday thumbprint cookies. It’s deep, inviting, and easily the highlight of the pour.
On the palate, the mouthfeel comes across as velvety, hinting at a heavy-hitting pour for a special occasion. You’ll pick up unique flavors of candied raisins, along with a spice-and-sweetness balance that feels a lot like a slice of carrot cake with a touch of cream cheese icing. There is also a bit of caramel, nougat, and toasted oak, but there's a big caveat: the proof runs hot. The heat takes over early on, making it feel like the alcohol burn is dragging you through the sip rather than letting the flavors shine.
The finish carries that raisin profile into a noticeable heat spike before settling into light caramel. Unfortunately, as the pour lingers, the heat transitions into a long, dry, charred oak finish that can leave a somewhat harsh ending.
This Hirsch release is a frustrating mix of massive potential and aggressive heat. While the nose sets up high expectations and the core flavors are genuinely enjoyable, the second half of the sip gets swallowed up by alcohol burn. It hints at high-caliber distillate underneath, but it serves as a reminder that outsourced barrels don't always hit top-shelf standards.
If that heat could be tamed, this would be an incredible bottle at its price point—as it stands, it’s a killer nose attached to a pretty rowdy palate.
If you’re looking for specific notes from our Barrel Bros, read their individual reviews below!
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Individual Reviews
The Rye Guy Says
Score: 8/10
Value: 4/5
THE NOSE:
Apricots, dark red fruit, creme brulee and seasoned oak.
THE TASTE:
The mouthfeel is velvety but hot. The taste is like candied raisins.
It also reminds me of a really good bite of carrot cake without as much sweetness. Which would indicate there is a good balance of spices present as well.
This includes a bit of that cream cheese icing profile too.
THE FINISH:
The finish continues with the raisin profile as well as a bit of a heat spike.
BUY OR PASS?
I really enjoy all of the flavors throughout this pour, from nose to finish. My only complaint is that the second half of the palate and the finish is pretty hot. If that could be tampered down this would be a very strong bottle at the price point.
The Hunter Says
Score: 7/10
Value: 3/5
THE NOSE:
This is an absolute home run of a nose.
You get those deep, dark notes of chocolate and grape jam that immediately make you think of a fresh tray of holiday thumbprint cookies.
Toss in some rich butterscotch and vanilla, and it’s an easy two-thumbs-up.
THE TASTE:
When you take a sip, the mouthfeel feels like it's going to be a heavy-hitting, complex pour for a special occasion. Sadly, the flavors just don't deliver because the proof completely takes over.
It basically drags you face-first through the entire experience. If you look past the heat, you can catch a glimpse of nice caramel, nougat, and toasted oak, but the alcohol burn just swallows it all up.
THE FINISH:
The heat settles into a little bit of light caramel, but then it turns into a long, dry, charred oak finish that really isn't very pleasant.
BUY OR PASS?
This bottle is frustrating. As a massive Willett fan, you can tell it's their distillate, but it's also a stark reminder of a hard truth: if a distillery sells off a barrel to another brand, it’s usually because it didn't make the cut for their own top-shelf stuff.
People love to call this an "incognito Purple Top," but it doesn't hold a candle to Willett's actual best bottles. The nose promises an incredible pour, but the palate immediately faceplants.
