Stands Out

Bulleit Bourbon

/ / Bourbon, Review / ,

Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

45% ABV
$25
Website

What the Producer Says:
In the 1830s, as a tavern keeper in Louisville, Kentucky, Augustus Bulleit set himself on a mission: to create a bourbon unique in flavor. Just as bourbon lovers today may sample many brands before finding their favorite, Augustus decided to experiment too — by creating bourbons of many different types and tastes. After countless small-batch trials, he came upon a bourbon with the character he had been seeking.

While transporting barrels of his bourbon from Kentucky to New Orleans, Augustus Bulleit vanished. What happened to him is still unknown, and his creation could have passed into history as well. But after more than a century, in 1987, his great-great -grandson Tom Bulleit stepped in. A lawyer by profession, Tom’s lifelong dream had been to revive the family’s bourbon legacy, started more than 150 years ago.

Bulleit Bourbon is still distilled and aged in small batches. Kentucky limestone-filtered water provides the foundation for the bourbon’s character, while charred American oak barrels lend a smoky backbone. Bulleit’s distillers age the bourbon simply until it is ready. The result is placed into a bottle whose design has won awards of its own.

What Richard Says:

Nose: Maple syrup, citrus, and sweet vanilla. The nose is very shy on this one. It doesn’t open up much without water.
Palate: Very rich with honey and vanilla notes. Citrus and banana open up with a little water.
Finish: Woody, smoky, and something that kind of reminds me of saltpeter. A little rough around the edges.
Comments: I love the labeling of U.S. whiskeys. Bulleit’s bottles say “Distilled by The Bulleit Distilling Co. Lawrenceburg, KY.” Well, if by that they mean distilled by Four Roses in Lawrenceburg under contract for Bulleit, a division of Diageo then I guess it’s sort of true. I could be remembering incorrectly but I believe Bulleit was one of the first bottlers (as opposed to distillers) to do a nationwide mass market bourbon push in recent memory. They seemed to kick off a storm of other bottlers trying to do the same thing. Sure, other brands predated them but they weren’t marketed and distributed to the extent Bulleit is. I’m not really knocking or praising Bulleit. I’m just telling it like it is. It’s a well marketed, slightly above average bourbon that can be had for under $25 a bottle.

Rating: Average

What Gary Says

Nose:  Vanilla, caramel, charred oak, hints of cast iron baked corn bread, anise seed.
Palate:  Vanilla and caramel, cinnamon, bit of pepper with a hint of cherries and honey.
Finish:  Short to moderate in length with pepper and oak.
Comments:  A fairly standard bourbon. Bit of corn on the nose, but not the palate. Nothing off putting, but also doesn’t especially stand out. Now at barrel proof, that’s another story! Does does perfectly well as a straight-forward sipper, or a cocktail bourbon. In fact, tried this Bulleit Bourbon Cranberry Old Fashioned and thought that was fantastic!.

Rating: Stands Out/Average

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Kirkland’s Signature Bourbon

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Kirkland Signature Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
51.5% ABV/103 Proof
$20 per liter
Costco Exclusive

What the Distillery Says:
This Kirkland Signature “small batch: bourbon has been aged 7 years in charred American white oak barrels. Complex aromas of caramel, molasses, citrus, and spice with a faint smoky background and a long rich finish.

What Richard Says:
Nose: A little musty with hints of cherries.
Palate: Very sweet and peppery with a lot of oak. It gets a little tannic with water.
Finish: Very dry on the finish with a good bit of linger.
Comments: This little jewel from Costco is a Beam product although they try pretty hard to hide it. It’s listed as distilled and bottle by The Clear Springs Distilling Co. in Clermont and Frankfort, Kentucky. Clears Springs was a name owned by Beam until it was sold to Buffalo Trace right before this bottling was released. We had to dig up the federal filing for the label to ascertain that this was actually made by Beam. Looking at just the label and raw specs it looks like it would be Baker’s with just a bit more water. However, it actually tastes more like Knob Creek. I don’t actually know how they make this because bulk whiskey sales are kind of like the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about in bourbon circles. But to me this tastes like Knob and Baker’s love child. It’s as good as either but for less than half the price.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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Booker’s

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Booker’s Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
62.45% ABV/124.9 Proof
$56 to $60
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
In 1992, Booker Noe introduced his own signature bourbon, Booker’s® True Barrel Bourbon. Inspired by a 200-year-old tradition, Booker’s is the first bourbon bottled straight-from-the-barrel, uncut and unfiltered. First created as a holiday gift for his special friends, Booker’s whiskey was so well-received that he decided to make it available to bourbon lovers worldwide; much to the joy of spirit connoisseurs everywhere.

Unlike anything you have ever tasted, Booker’s is one of the only uncut, unfiltered, straight-from-the-barrel, bourbons available today. It’s bottled at its natural proof of between 121 and 127, and aged between six and eight years. Booker’s Bourbon delivers a range of intense flavors from oak tannin and smoky vanilla to lighter tones of mocha and coffee. Add spring water to customize the taste and finish to your palate. The complexity provided by this straight-from-the-barrel bourbon makes Booker’s the rarest, absolute best bourbon you’ll ever taste.

Tasting Notes
Age: 6 to 8 years
Proof: 121 to 127
Color: Deep, rich, smoky amber
Aroma: Big oak, vanilla, smoky charcoal
Taste: Intense, fruit, tannin, tobacco
Finish: Clean, long, intense

What Richard Says:
Nose: I would expect the nose to be very hot at bottling proof but it’s surprisingly muted. With water it turns to burnt sugar, leather, and oranges.
Palate: Oily, peppery, and hot. Water sweetens the pot and tamps down the heat and pepper. Candied apples come to mind.
Finish: Hot and lingering. Water makes it clean and short.
Comments: Nothing against Booker or his namesake bourbon but I like this one the least of the Small Batch Collection. It’s a nice bourbon and it definitely stands out from the crowd but it doesn’t really do anything for me.
Rating: Stands Out

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Knob Creek

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Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
50% ABV/100 Proof
$28 to $30
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Knob Creek Bourbon was named after a little creek that runs just south of the distillery, the same creek that ran by Abraham Lincoln’s childhood home. Booker Noe, 6th generation Beam and master distiller emeritus created Knob Creek to reflect the strength, flavor, care, and patience that defined pre-prohibition bourbon. The bottle embodies the handmade look and feel of the turn-of-the century bourbon as well. It is reminiscent of a bootlegger’s flask with newspaper scrawled on the label, harkening back to the decade’s old custom of wrapping bottles in newspaper at the distillery.

Knob Creek bourbon was created in the style of turn of the century bourbon. Knob Creek embodies the bold flavor that has made Kentucky famous for bourbon. Aged the longest of the Small Batch Bourbons – 9 years – in charred American white oak, it strikes the senses with a maple sugar aroma, distinctive sweetness and rich, full-bodied flavor. Knob Creek is perfect straight or cooled slightly with one or two ice cubes.

Tasting Notes
Age: 9 years
Proof: 100
Color: Copper to medium amber
Aroma: Toasted nuts, grain oak
Taste: Rich, sweet, woody, full-bodied, almost fruity
Finish: Long, rich and glowing

What Richard Says:
Nose: Oaky and hot. Just the slightest hint of cherry syrup.
Palate: Cherry cough syrup, polished oak, peppery, and slightly tannic.
Finish: Warm, oaky, and long. Very dry.
Comments: I think of Knob Creek as the small batch progression from the standard Jim Beam line. I get a lot of the classic Jim Beam flavors but it is drier, a little spicier, and shows a lot more wood. It’s very enjoyable. Like all the bourbons we’re tasting this month, it’s made from the same mashbill as standard Jim Beam. The tasting of all these different styles is an interesting exercise in seeing what aging and warehouse location can do when the wood, water, and recipe are the same.
Rating: Stands Out

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Jim Beam 7 Year

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Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Premium Aged Seven Years Old
40% ABV/80 Proof
$15 to $20
Widely Available

What the Distillery Says:
Jim Beam 7 Year Old has been aged and extra 3 years in new charred white oak barrels. Extra time in the barrel gives the bourbon a unique and mellow taste worth the wait. For over 200 years, the Beam family has continued to use the highest quality ingredients in making the world’s finest bourbon.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Cherries, caramel, vanilla.
Palate: Sweeter and smoother than standard JB. All that cherry and vanilla continue on the palate. It’s almost like Red Stag light, but not in a bad way.
Finish: The finish is very short and muted.
Comments: This is a sneaky little booger. It looks almost exactly like it’s 4 year old white label younger brother except for a red cap. Personally, I like this better than both the White and Black Label Jim Beam. You could make an argument that this is watered down Bakers given the same age and formula but they aren’t really the same. I think this is a great value buy.
Rating: Stands Out, Great Value

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