Bluebird Distilling Four Grain Bourbon Review

Patrick "Pops" Garrett -

Editors Note: Today’s post is from Matthew Sekol, one of the semi-finalists who are applying to become a regular contributor to Bourbon & Banter. We hope you’ll read all of their posts and let us know what you think of each applicant by commenting below the post, sharing online or dropping us a note via email.

BOTTLE DETAILS

  • DISTILLER: BlueBird Distilling
  • MASH BILL: Undisclosed blend of corn, red wheat, rye and malted barley
  • AGE: Less than 4 years
  • YEAR: 2017
  • PROOF: 92 (46% ABV)
  • MSRP: $49.99
  • BUY ONLINE: Store Locator

POPS' NOTES

NOSE: Sweet Spice | Oak | Slight Vanilla

TASTE: Corn | Spice | Light Smoke | Slight Vanilla

FINISH: Satisfying smoky flavor that lingers on the back of the palate, but could stay longer.

SHARE WITH: Folks who like a smooth young whiskey or enthusiasts looking for a craft bourbon made north of the Mason/Dixon line.

WORTH THE PRICE: Great for a young bourbon and priced accordingly.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: The bottle is a bold and a great visual addition to your shelf. I recommend picking it up if you like to try new bourbons and haven’t had luck with young ones, but stick with the bar if you aren’t sure.

OVERALL: With Pennsylvania’s antiquated liquor laws, I am always on the lookout for a good local bourbon. Many of the distilleries in Pennsylvania are new and finding a quality bourbon can be hard due to the all too strong corn flavor of young craft bourbons. I was pleasantly surprised with BlueBird Distilling’s Four Grain Bourbon.

Don’t get me wrong, there is very slight corn taste to it, but there are also more complex flavors that are stronger, including spice and smoke that linger in the back of the mouth, keeping you warm as you breathe. The flavors don’t linger in your mouth long enough, which can be disappointing.

It is my current pick for Pennsylvania made bourbons and worth a try if you are into craft distilleries.

BRAND NOTES

Our Four Grain Bourbon is made from the finest blend of corn, rye, wheat and barley. We mash the grains, distill only once and age the bourbon in new charred American oak barrels. This process creates an exceptionally balanced, incredibly delicious, one-of-a-kind, bourbon.

BlueBird is a true grain-to-glass distillery. All of our spirits are distilled on site using our state-of-the-art hybrid copper still. This still was custom built in Eislingen, Germany. We chose this still because it allows us to make any spirit we desire. The still itself is built completely out of copper. Copper is essential because it reacts with the vapor and frees the spirits of any unwanted flavors. Our still is a truly a work of art that can only be enjoyed with a visit to the distillery.