Mention Black Maple Hill to a dedicated bourbon fanatic, and the odds are good youll get a response that ranges somewhere from exasperated to enraged. Introduced more than 15 years ago, Black Maple Hill was once a way to get your hands on some very old and rare Kentucky bourbons from pedigreed distillers in a mysterious, atmospheric package. But a couple of years ago, the whiskey in the bottle changed and according to many, not for the better.

The Black Maple Hill brand was first introduced back in 2000, back before bourbon got really trendy. Its produced by CVI Brands, a non-distiller spirits importer and bottler based in San Carlos, California. CVIs portfolio reads like the dustiest, least-frequented section of the liquor store: Cognac, Armagnac, calvados, grappa, fruit brandy, rum, mescal, and a handful of Scotch brands, as well as the odd aquavit, gin, and ouzo. Black Maple Hill is easily its most mainstream product.

For a long time, CVI Brands sourced its bourbon from Kentucky. The early Black Maple Hill releases were said to be (1) wheated bourbon from Stitzel-Weller and (2) bottled by Julian Van Winkle III himself.