One of the precious few bourbons I have ignored thus far in my whiskey odyssey is Bulleit Bourbon. No offense to Tom Bulleit, “The Proprietor,” but having known for some time that every bottle of Bulleit bourbon is distilled at Four Roses Distillery in Lawrenceburg, KY, I figured I would just drink Four Roses and call it a day. Again, no offense to Mr. Bulleit or Diageo, re-bottling isn’t all that bad, I just didn’t see the point. I happily report that Bulleit has broken ground on a distillery in 2016, so I’m sure they will be joining the fray sometime early next decade. Nevertheless, when Bulleit started bottling a 10 year old version or their NAS standard, everyone’s interest began anew, including the club’s. Besides, one of the members brought it to a meeting and we just drank it. Nothing really complicated about that. On to some particulars…

Today’s juice (honestly, I despise this popularized slang name for whisky, if I ever use this again please smack me across the face), is simply the 10 year old version of the old recipe. Bulleit states that the recipe is comprised of 68% percent corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley. Folks are fond of referring to this bottle as “Frontier bourbon.” I’ve even read somewhere in a review that this is the “Clint Eastwood” of bourbons, which has to be among the dumbest things I have read. I have tasted tougher bourbons. But, no one listens to me anyway. Onward….

SWC Review

Nose- Classic bourbon note of vanilla, standard oak, and plenty of rye forward goodness. Nutmeg, clove, burnt sugar, and caramel. Dark cherry with herbal notes fluttering about the place.

Taste- Citrus rind, rye. Coffee with sweet oak. Warm and peppery. Red apple peel.

Finish- Barrel char. Medium length. Fresca, coffee tannins.

Comments – Not a bad bourbon at all, we all quite enjoyed this. Love the classic flavors and a fairly decent expression of bourbon orthodoxy. Recommended.

SWC Rating – 86/100

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