Bulleit Bourbon

Review by: TOModera

Just posted my 100th Scotch review, and thought that I should get all the upgrading out of the way, so here’s my 10th Bourbon review.

My last dram in the UK, and of course, it’s a Bourbon. See my earlier rant about finding things in Canada for why.

Also it is time for me to slow down a little bit. I may have foie gras my own liver, and that is, in theory, a bad idea. Especially since every European high brow is looking at me and holding a cracker now.

Bulleit Bourbon is well known for it’s high rye count (28% of the mash bill). The other portions are 68% corn and 4% malted barely. It’s aged for at least 6 years, which used to be pretty lengthy (by Bourbon standards). This one is made in Kentucky, as opposed to the Rye, which is made in Indiana.

I had reviewed the Bulleit Rye earlier before getting on the plane, so it was fitting to review this one as the last dram of our trip.

Distillery: Bulleit Distillery.

Bottler: Distillery Bottling.

Region: Kentucky.

ABV: 45%.

Age: Unknown

Cask type: Virgin Cask.

Price: $38.45 (CAD)

Color: Watered down Frangelico

Nose: Macadamia nuts, stewed vegetables, butterscotch, corn, oregano, honey

Very nutty flavour comes forward at first, and it’s a little rough around the edges. Not a bad amount of roughness.

Taste: Sweet corn, butter, jalapeno, caramel, chocolate, raspberry, honey, rose water

There’s a lot more sweetness here, but I’m not getting the usual rye spiciness. I think I may need to re-review it again, as I’m starting to wonder about the bottle it came from.

Finish: Oak, cherry, strawberry, dandelion leaves, syrup, lemon rind

Still no spice, which makes me sad. It’s fruity and still has a little vegetal tones to it. However I’m used to rye having some spice, can someone confirm?

Conclusion: If I’m rating the dram I had, it was missing something I wanted. I wanted some spice, I wanted something other than sweetness and earthiness. It’s still quite good, it has some great flavours, and it really does it all well, but dammit, I want some cinnamon/nutmeg or cumin flavours to pop it up a tad.

Like I said before: I’m wondering if the bottle had something iffy with it (maybe open too long or was 40%), so I’m going to re-review this in the future.

Final Score: 81.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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