Black Maple Hill 16 Year Bourbon, 2026

Black Maple Hill 16-Year-Old Premium Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2026 Release)

Price

$899.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 16 Years | Region: Kentucky, USA | Proof: 95

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

Years Aged

Proof

47.5%

ABV

750mL

Bottle Format

2026

Release Year

Kentucky

Sourcing

Black Maple Hill 16 Year is the oldest of the three bourbons in Rare Character's 2026 revival of the label, bottled at 95 proof (47.5% ABV) after sixteen years in new charred American oak. Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington announced the relaunch on 9 July 2026 with a commitment to long-aged Kentucky stocks and to the 95-proof presentation the label carried originally. This is the smallest run of the three, and the one that returns Black Maple Hill to the age-stated bottlings that built its name.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

Sixteen years, age-stated. The oldest expression in the revived range and the return of the age statements that defined the label's most collected releases.

95 proof, as originally bottled. Rare Character held the whole revived lineup at the label's historic strength rather than raising it for the barrel-proof market.

New charred American oak. Sixteen years in first-fill wood, long enough to pull tertiary character — pecan, cocoa, tobacco — rather than just oak and caramel.

The scarcest of the three. Rare Character released the sixteen-year in the smallest quantity of the revival lineup.

Selected, not distilled. Black Maple Hill has always been a bottling label; Rare Character sources long-aged Kentucky barrels and selects them for depth and structure.

One of three expressions announced 9 July 2026, alongside a no-age-statement small batch and an 11-year in the same revival.

Nº 02

Label Heritage & Revival

2000 CVI Origin · 2026 Rare Character

2000 Inception

CVI Brands Origin

Created in California by Paul Joseph to bottle exceptional sourced barrels under an independent brand identity.

2026 Acquisition

Rare Character, Lexington

Acquired and reintroduced by Rare Character Whiskey Co., the Lexington house behind Brook Hill, Pride of Anderson County and Old Cassidy.

16-Year Maturation

New Charred Oak

Sixteen years in new charred American oak, the depth the label's age-stated releases were originally built on.

Kentucky Sourcing

Long-Aged Stock

Barrels drawn from rare long-aged Kentucky stock and selected individually for structure before mingling into a small batch.

Nº 03

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Sixteen-Year Kentucky Character

Sensory Profile

Nose: Brown sugar, dark caramel and vanilla bean over toasted oak and honey, opening into roasted pecan, leather, cocoa, baked apple and sweet pipe tobacco.
Palate: Rich and silky — toffee, crème brûlée, maple and vanilla custard, with dark cherry, dried fig, toasted almond and bittersweet chocolate behind them.
Finish: Long and warming, closing on charred oak and baking spice.

Strategic Position

The revival had one thing to prove: that the age statements were real again. The sixteen-year is where that argument is made, sitting five years above the 11-year in the same revival at the same 95 proof. For the other side of the label's history, the classic-era 16-year that preceded it is held here too, and both eras sit on the complete Black Maple Hill shelf at Midnight Whiskey.

Nº 04

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

Two Eras, One Label

Black Maple Hill now exists in two distinct eras: the classic-era bottlings of the 2000s, which trade on provenance and scarcity, and this 2026 Rare Character revival. They share a name and a bottling strength; the whiskey, the ownership and the sourcing are separate.

→

Identifying a Revival Bottle

The 2026 releases carry Rare Character's name on the back label alongside the Lexington address, and the age statement appears on the front. Era, closure and back-label text are worth photographing before the bottle moves.

Collector Index2026 RELEASE

Brand: Black Maple Hill (2026 Revival)
Class: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age Statement: 16 Years
Proof / ABV: 95 Proof (47.5% ABV)
Bottler: Rare Character Whiskey Co., Lexington KY
Format: 750 mL

Explore the complete Black Maple Hill collection in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 05

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
BRAND	Black Maple Hill (bottling label, not a distillery)
BOTTLER / OWNER	Rare Character Whiskey Co., Lexington, Kentucky
CLASS	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, small batch
AGE STATEMENT	16 years
PROOF / ABV	95 proof (47.5% ABV)
MATURATION	New charred American oak barrels
RELEASE	2026 revival lineup, announced 9 July 2026; smallest run of the three expressions
RANGE	Kentucky Straight Bourbon (NAS), 11 Year, 16 Year — all at 95 proof
FORMAT	750 mL
REGION	Kentucky, USA

Nº 06

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Black Maple Hill is a bottling label rather than a distillery, so its production is selection and mingling. Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington acquired the label and announced its return on 9 July 2026, restoring the brand to Kentucky sourcing with three straight bourbons: a small batch without an age statement, an eleven-year and this sixteen-year, all bottled at 95 proof as the label was originally presented. For the sixteen-year, barrels of long-aged Kentucky whiskey matured in new charred American oak are selected individually for depth and structure, then married into a small batch and bottled at 47.5% ABV in 750 mL. Sixteen years is the defining production fact: long enough for the wood to move past oak and caramel into pecan, cocoa and tobacco, with the moderate bottling strength chosen to keep that range legible.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every 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 our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who makes Black Maple Hill 16 Year 2026?

Rare Character Whiskey Co. of Lexington, Kentucky. Rare Character acquired the Black Maple Hill label and reintroduced it on 9 July 2026 with three Kentucky straight bourbons, all bottled at 95 proof: a small batch with no age statement, an eleven-year and this sixteen-year. Black Maple Hill has never been a distillery — Rare Character sources and selects the barrels, then bottles them under the label.

How old is Black Maple Hill 16 Year and what proof?

Sixteen years, bottled at 95 proof or 47.5% ABV. Rare Character kept 95 proof across the whole revived range because that is the strength the label carried originally, and at sixteen years it keeps the oak legible rather than driving it with alcohol.

How does the 16 Year differ from the 11 Year in the revival?

Five more years in wood, at the same strength. Both are age-stated Kentucky straight bourbons at 95 proof drawn from long-aged stock, but the sixteen-year is the scarcer of the two and carries heavier oak, darker sugars and more developed tertiary character — pecan, cocoa and tobacco rather than the eleven-year's brighter caramel and cherry.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Black Maple Hill · 16 Year 2026 Release

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16 Year Premium Small Batch

The Elemental Distinction