A.H. Hirsch 16 "Gold Foil"
Added on Sunday, May 6, 2007 at 07:39 PM
  Bottler: Preiss Imports
  Age: 16 yrs Type: American
  Vintage: N/A Subtype: Bourbon
  ABV: 45.80 % Region: Pennsylvania
  Price: N/A Availability: Specialty Stores

This bourbon was distilled at the Pennco Distillery in 1974 (in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania -- not long after this was distilled, the distillery was purchased in foreclosure and renamed Michter's).  Adolf Hirsch, a former Schenley executive, had commissioned the whiskey to be distilled.  It aged until 1989, when the distillery was once again in foreclosure.  Hirsch then sold the whiskey to the Hue Family (Kentucky) in 1990.  Most of the stock was transferred to stainless steel tanks, effectively ending the aging process at 16 years old.  The first release seems to have been bottled in 1990 for Japan (black wax?), with subsequent US releases (blue wax, gold wax dumpy, gold wax tall). Preiss Imports (San Francisco) bought the rights to the remaining stock in 2003. The last version (gold foil) was bottled for Preiss by Buffalo Trace, overseen by Julian Van Winkle.

 

For more info see this Chuck Cowdery blog entry

Member Ratings and Notes
CF
 
Rich rye taste with a warm tobacco-ish finish.
DW
 
Vanilla nose. Tastes of oak and vanilla. Spicy (but not overwhelming) with lesser hints of fruit. Very enjoyable bourbon.
Chris
 
Very full bodied, sweet, cherry, and a lot of oak.   This is like the Johnnie Blue of bourbon, its pretty good but way overpriced.
JS
 
Smoothe and savory bourbon with just the right amount of heat. 
GL
 
Sweet, good, kick at the end. Tasty, but not magic.
Adam
 
Relatively straightforward, sweet, well-rounded bourbon in the best way.  I really like it, but the price increase lately (due to scarcity) has made this impractical to own.  It was originally around $60, which may have been a fair price, but I've seen it as of Spring 2008 for as much as $180.  [As of early 2009, most prices around the US well exceed $200] [As of 2013, some people are paying so much for this that I can't even discuss it without getting very upset. Let's just say we're in a bit of a bourbon fad.] [Update 2023: Holy shit. How fun to read these old notes.]
Ries
 

n: heavy on the oak (wood panel), fresh cotton linens, dry lacquer and a library full of leather bound books.

 

t: molasses and spice, intense on the wood aspects with a bite of spice and balanced with honey and dark vanilla bean. Middle is dry wood, and oatmeal with cinnamon.

 

[B/B-] 

Andy
 
<no notes>
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