{"product_id":"black-maple-hill-16-year-small-batch","title":"Black Maple Hill 16-Year-Old Premium Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Classic Era Legacy)","description":"\u003cstyle\u003e\n.mw-master-container{\n  --mw-accent: #dfaa6b;   \/* antique amber-gold foil *\/\n  --mw-glow:   #381e0b;     \/* toasted oak dark undertone  *\/\n  --mw-bg:     #1a0e05;       \/* deep dark amber shadow background *\/\n  --mw-text:#e0e0e0; --mw-muted:#b8b8b8; --mw-hair:#222;\n  font-family: inherit; background:var(--mw-bg); color:var(--mw-text);\n  line-height:1.7; padding:24px; margin-bottom:60px;\n}\n\/* scoped resets: neutralize theme heading styles inside the block *\/\n.mw-master-container h2, .mw-master-container h3{\n  margin:0; padding:0; font-family:inherit; line-height:inherit; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-h3{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-transform:uppercase;\n  font-size:0.9rem; letter-spacing:2px; margin-top:40px; display:block;\n  border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-glow); padding-bottom:8px; margin-bottom:20px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-accent{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; text-decoration:none; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-accent:hover{ color:#fff; text-decoration:underline; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-info-box{ background:linear-gradient(90deg, var(--mw-bg) 0%, var(--mw-glow) 100%);\n  padding:25px; margin:25px 0; border-radius:0 4px 4px 0; border:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  border-left:4px solid var(--mw-accent); }\n.mw-master-container .mw-list{ margin:0; padding-left:20px; font-size:0.95rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-grid{ display:grid; grid-template-columns:1fr 1fr; gap:30px; margin:30px 0; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card{ background:rgba(255,255,255,0.02); padding:25px;\n  border:1px solid var(--mw-glow); border-radius:4px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card-label{ color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; font-size:0.75rem;\n  text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card-body{ margin-top:20px; font-size:0.9rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-card-body p + p{ margin-top:10px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table{ width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; margin-top:15px; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table td{ padding:14px 0; border-bottom:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  color:#ccc; font-size:0.95rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-table td:first-child{ font-weight:bold; width:38%; color:var(--mw-accent);\n  text-transform:uppercase; font-size:0.75rem; letter-spacing:1px; }\n.mw-master-container details{ background:rgba(255,255,255,0.03); border:1px solid var(--mw-hair);\n  border-radius:4px; margin-bottom:15px; }\n.mw-master-container summary{ padding:18px; color:var(--mw-accent); font-weight:bold; cursor:pointer;\n  outline:none; list-style:none; display:flex; justify-content:space-between; align-items:center;\n  text-transform:uppercase; letter-spacing:1px; font-size:0.85rem; }\n.mw-master-container summary::after{ content:'+'; font-size:1.2rem; }\n.mw-master-container details[open]{ border:1px solid var(--mw-accent); }\n.mw-master-container details[open] summary::after{ content:'-'; }\n.mw-master-container .details-content{ padding:0 20px 20px 20px; font-size:0.95rem; }\n.mw-master-container .mw-q{ font-size:0.95rem; font-weight:bold; color:var(--mw-text); margin-top:14px; }\n.mw-master-container .details-content .mw-q:first-child{ margin-top:0; }\n@media (max-width:768px){ .mw-master-container .mw-grid{ grid-template-columns:1fr; } }\n\u003c\/style\u003e\n\n\u003cdiv class=\"mw-master-container\"\u003e\n\n  \u003cdiv class=\"speakable\"\u003e\n    \u003cp\u003eBlack Maple Hill 16 Year Premium Small Batch is a sourced Kentucky straight bourbon from the label's classic era — bottled at 95 proof (47.5% ABV), aged sixteen years, and mingled from several selected barrels. Black Maple Hill is a bottling label rather than a distillery; its classic-era stock was sourced through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers in Bardstown, and these releases are no longer produced.\u003c\/p\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003ch2 class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eThe Elemental Distinction\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-info-box\"\u003e\n    \u003cul class=\"mw-list\"\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eA classic-era release from one of American whiskey's most mythologised sourced labels — sixteen years old, bottled at 95 proof, and no longer reproduced.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eSmall batch: several selected barrels mingled for a rounder, more consistent profile than a single cask, at the same sourcing standard as the label's single-barrel bottlings.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eSourced, not distilled. Black Maple Hill is a bottling label; its classic-era stock came through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers — the Willett family's Bardstown operation — and the distillery of origin and mash bill were never disclosed.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003e95 proof is a deliberate choice for a whiskey this old: sixteen years takes a great deal from the barrel, and a moderate strength keeps the aromatics open rather than driving them with alcohol.\u003c\/li\u003e\n      \u003cli\u003eThe label's early reputation is bound up with Julian Van Winkle III's involvement in that era's sourcing — history worth knowing, and worth stating carefully rather than romanticising.\u003c\/li\u003e\n    \u003c\/ul\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003cdiv class=\"mw-grid\"\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card\"\u003e\n      \u003ch3 class=\"mw-card-label\"\u003eSensory Profile\u003c\/h3\u003e\n      \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card-body speakable\"\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003eBlack Maple Hill publishes no official tasting note for this release, and the descriptions circulated by retailers vary widely enough that none can be treated as authoritative. What can be said reliably is structural: at sixteen years in charred oak, expect a deep, oak-forward bourbon with the developed secondary character extended maturation brings — dried fruit, baking spice and a tannic backbone — carried at a 95-proof strength that softens delivery rather than sharpening it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003eTreat any single, specific flavour list attached to this bottle online as a retailer's impression, not a producer's. The honest summary is age and restraint: an old bourbon bottled to be poured, not wrestled.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card\"\u003e\n      \u003ch3 class=\"mw-card-label\"\u003eStrategic Position\u003c\/h3\u003e\n      \u003cdiv class=\"mw-card-body\"\u003e\n        \u003cp\u003eOn \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/bourbon\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003ethe vintage bourbon shelf at Midnight Whiskey\u003c\/a\u003e this sits with the sourced-and-dusty bottles that trade on provenance and scarcity as much as on what's in the glass — a classic-era Black Maple Hill is a collecting artifact of the early-2000s sourcing boom. If your interest is the name rather than the era specifically, note that \u003ca href=\"\/products\/black-maple-hill-16-year-small-batch-2026\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003ethe 2026 revival of this label\u003c\/a\u003e is a separate, current release under revived ownership; it shares this bottle's spec but not its history, and the two should not be conflated.\u003c\/p\u003e\n      \u003c\/div\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/div\u003e\n\n  \u003ch2 class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eTechnical Specifications\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003ctable class=\"mw-table\"\u003e\u003ctbody\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBrand\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBlack Maple Hill (sourced label, not a distillery)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eClass\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, small batch\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eProof \/ ABV\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e95 proof (47.5% ABV)\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eAge\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e16 years\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSourcing\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKentucky Bourbon Distillers (Willett), Bardstown\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eSource distillery\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUndisclosed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eMash bill\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eUndisclosed\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eEra\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eClassic-era release; no longer reproduced\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e750 mL\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n    \u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eRegion\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eKentucky, USA\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n  \u003c\/tbody\u003e\u003c\/table\u003e\n\n  h2 class=\"mw-h3\"\u0026gt;Collector Note\n  \u003cp\u003eA classic-era Black Maple Hill is bought for provenance and scarcity, and both come with caveats worth stating plainly. The label was one of the defining sourced brands of the early-2000s, and its mystique is real — but that mystique has also attracted more embellishment than almost any other bottle in American whiskey. Two things to hold in mind. The \"Julian Van Winkle III personally selected these barrels\" line that accompanies most listings is a claim retailers repeat to lift resale value; the Van Winkle association with the label's early sourcing is genuine, but per-bottle barrel selection is not something you can verify, and it should not drive what you pay. And because the label is sourced, the distillery of origin and the mash bill are unknown — anyone quoting them is guessing. What is solid is the spec: sixteen years, 95 proof, small batch, classic-era stock that is no longer made.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003ch2 class=\"mw-h3\"\u003eRecommended Serving\u003c\/h2\u003e\n  \u003cp\u003eNeat, in a tulip, and give it air. A sixteen-year bourbon at 95 proof needs no water — the strength is already moderate, and dilution costs more than it returns here — so the useful move is time in the glass rather than anything added. Ten minutes lets the oak settle and the secondary, dried-fruit character come up. This is a slow pour to consider rather than a high-proof bottle to tame, and it rewards patience over technique.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eProduction Methodology\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\u003cp\u003eBlack Maple Hill is a bottling label rather than a distillery, so its \"production\" is really selection and mingling. For the classic-era 16-year, stock was sourced through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers — the Willett family's operation in Bardstown — and several barrels of aged Kentucky straight bourbon were married together into a small batch, then bottled at 95 proof. The distillery that actually distilled the whiskey, and its mash bill, were not disclosed, which is standard for sourced whiskey of this label and era; the value proposition was the age and the barrel selection, not a stated recipe. Sixteen years of maturation in charred oak is the defining production fact here — long enough to pull deep oak and developed secondary character from the wood, with the moderate bottling proof chosen to keep that range legible rather than driving it.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eAuthentication \u0026amp; Vault Preservation\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n      \u003cp\u003eEvery bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/authentication-standards\" class=\"mw-accent\"\u003eour editorial and authentication standards\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n  \u003cdetails\u003e\n    \u003csummary\u003eFrequently Asked Questions\u003c\/summary\u003e\n    \u003cdiv class=\"details-content\"\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"mw-q\"\u003eIs Black Maple Hill a distillery?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. Black Maple Hill is a sourced whiskey label, not a distillery — its bourbons and ryes are bottled from casks distilled elsewhere and selected under the label's name. Classic-era releases like this 16-year were sourced through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, the Willett family's operation in Bardstown, Kentucky. The specific distillery of origin and the mash bill were not disclosed, which is normal for sourced whiskey of this kind and this era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"mw-q\"\u003eWhat proof is Black Maple Hill 16 Year Small Batch?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt is bottled at 95 proof, or 47.5% ABV. That is a moderate strength by design: at sixteen years the whiskey has already taken a great deal from the barrel, and 95 proof keeps the aromatic range open rather than driving it with alcohol. \"Small batch\" means several selected barrels were mingled together — a more consistent, rounded profile than a single-barrel release, at the same sourcing standard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3 class=\"mw-q\"\u003eIs classic-era Black Maple Hill still produced?\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo. The classic-era releases — the ones tied to the label's original golden run and its Kentucky Bourbon Distillers sourcing — are not being reproduced. What circulates now is remaining legacy stock, which is why these bottles command the attention and the prices they do. A separate modern revival of the label exists and is a different release; this page is the classic-era bottle, not that one.\u003c\/p\u003e\n    \u003c\/div\u003e\n  \u003c\/details\u003e\n\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\n  \"@context\": \"https:\/\/schema.org\",\n  \"@graph\": [\n    {\n      \"@type\": \"Product\",\n      \"@id\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/black-maple-hill-16-year-small-batch#product\",\n      \"name\": \"Black Maple Hill 16-Year-Old Premium Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (classic era)\",\n      \"url\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/black-maple-hill-16-year-small-batch\",\n      \"mainEntityOfPage\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/black-maple-hill-16-year-small-batch\",\n      \"image\": \"https:\/\/www.midnightwhiskey.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/black-maple-hill-16-year-small-batch.jpg\",\n      \"description\": \"Black Maple Hill 16 Year Premium Small Batch is a sourced Kentucky straight bourbon from the label's classic era — bottled at 95 proof (47.5% ABV), aged sixteen years, and mingled from several selected barrels sourced through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers. 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Classic-era releases like this 16-year were sourced through Kentucky Bourbon Distillers, the Willett family's operation in Bardstown, Kentucky. The specific distillery of origin and the mash bill were not disclosed, which is normal for sourced whiskey of this kind and this era.\" }\n        },\n        {\n          \"@type\": \"Question\",\n          \"name\": \"What proof is Black Maple Hill 16 Year Small Batch?\",\n          \"acceptedAnswer\": { \"@type\": \"Answer\", \"text\": \"It is bottled at 95 proof, or 47.5% ABV. 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A separate modern revival of the label exists and is a different release; this page is the classic-era bottle, not that one.\" }\n        }\n      ]\n    }\n  ]\n}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","brand":"Black Maple Hill","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46050691579938,"sku":"810205351148-1","price":4999.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0812\/5566\/1602\/files\/image_2_8610989e-0dfc-4121-a6fc-17e581284b02.jpg?v=1784489831","url":"https:\/\/midnightwhiskey.com\/products\/black-maple-hill-16-year-small-batch","provider":"Midnight Whiskey ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}