Bulleit Barrel Strength Bourbon Review

Steve Coomes -

BOTTLE DETAILS

STEVE'S NOTES

SHARE WITH: Bourbon fans, especially those who love high-proof American whiskey.

WORTH THE PRICE: Yes.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle.

OVERALL: Before I dive into the details, I'll say what I knew I would say before this sample arrived: I like Bulleit Barrel Strength Bourbon. Nicely bold, with tons of flavor, sip it neat, on the rocks or make first-rate cocktails with it—a decent bargain at $60. (About five years ago, I found it on annual beach trips to South Carolina, priced to sell at $29.99 a bottle. Surely, I bought a case of it over the years. I doubt I'll see that again.)

Let's visit the non-details for a moment. Despite Bulleit spending a ton of money on an eponymous distillery in Shelbyville, Ky., and its parent company, Diageo, spending a ton more on a distillery in Lebanon, Ky., the label on this bottle says nothing about either of those sites distilling or aging this whiskey. Most of us have enjoyed older sourced Bulleit liquid made at Four Roses and then MGP. According to my sources, it was made relatively recently at Barton 1792 Distillery and most recently at Bardstown Bourbon Co. So, why is none of this great liquid coming out of two Diageo distilleries?

Beats me. But it's good stuff, and we're here to discuss that. The nose is bloomy and rosy, really fragrant. That leads to candied fruits, spiced candy and a touch of white pepper. Oak moves in with freshly dumped barrels, rickhouse aromas and then back to bright fruit notes of fresh raspberries and dried strawberries. Pushing all of it along is wave after wave of tingly ethanol.

The palate is equally busy. Loads of baking spice, blackberries and cooked stone fruit cruise in on a wave of honey and an undercurrent of oak. It's sturdy but not fire-breathing hot as the nose suggested it would be. And to all the haters of oatmeal raisin cookies, my wife brought me a fresh-baked one to finish this off this pour. Delicious.

BRAND NOTES

The barrels selected to create Bulleit Barrel Strength were emptied and combined into a single batch without the inclusion of any additional water after the whiskey was removed from the barrels. This offering allows bartenders and fans of great whiskey the opportunity to taste Bulleit Bourbon straight out of the barrel, uncut and non-chill filtered.

    • Nose: Gentle spiciness and sweet oak aromas.
    • Taste: Smooth with tones of maple, oak and nutmeg.
    • Finish: Long, dry and satiny with light toffee flavor, but deepened oak notes.

Disclaimer: Bourbon & Banter received a sample of this product from the brand for review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.