Bulleit Bottled in Bond Bourbon (Spring 2017)

Bulleit is one of those distilleries that have always had just a couple products that they made really well and were known everywhere, but within the last few years they seem to have tripled or even quadrupled this number, including both permenant and one-off releases. This change is usually disappointing at first as companies drift away from what they do best, but in this case, Bulleit continued their quality output for most of these new products, so this new bonded bourbon gives no reason to be wary of it. The age on this is very impressive given today's market standards, but what's even more impressive is that Bulleit was clearly intending to create this product nearly a decade ago, as they would have had to plan ahead to get the government approved and maintained storage facility for these particular barrels back in 2017. The color here is a little lighter than expected for this age point, appearing just a bit more darker of a brown than sherry, but not quite as deep as predicted, being a bit more golden overall. The legs are fairly thick, and the nose is strong at a good distance, but up close deliver notes of sweet & salty toffee, caramel sauce, and a bit of a general bread or biscuit. The familiar and expected spicy rye is also present, riding the line with cinnamon and slightly sweet citrus. The only other note is faint but definitely unexpected, and comes through as sour and lactic, almost like a blue cheese or something similar. The taste begins with a bit of a watery body, but this is just an illusion, as plenty of spicy cinnamon and cracked rye start warming up the entire mouth and gums, and seems to double down on what you might find on any of the other Bulleit bourbon or rye offerings. If you can manage to fight through this spice, there are also notes of dry, toasted oak, a bit of lemon zest, and a touch of a vanilla creaminess. The finish is mostly in the gums, with the cinnamon and spice remaining powerful and almost distracting for quite some time. It's funny, even though it's shown on both the paper label as well as embossed into the bottle itself, I very rarely notice that Bulleit subtitles all of their products as "frontier whiskey." Having said that, if the regular products are "frontier whiskey," this is definitely whiskey from your grandfather's frontier, where things were generally hotter, more dusty, and you had to walk uphills both ways to get to the stills. It's overall very enjoyable (provided you can handle the heat), and the price point isn't too bad either (at MSRP of course, always). This only loses "points" because it's a limited product, which is already a shame in an environment where customers are tired of not being able to spend their money on buying things, but also because Bulleit has demonstrated here that they can not only produce a bonded product, but can also hit pretty hard with their turn up to bat. We'll see if this makes a return with future (or perhaps even past) seasons.

Nose is simple and traditional with vanilla, caramel, cinnamon, and oak, with a hint of leather, char. and black pepper thrown in. After a while, a hint of musty funk comes out which is a welcome surprise. Don’t take “traditional” to mean unappealing, as it’s quite a pleasant aroma. Ethanol is extremely low. The palate follows the nose but expands on it; French vanilla ice cream, Rolo candy, tobacco, orange peel,, and some pretty mature oak for what is admittedly a mid-aged bourbon. Flavors lack a little richness and depth, but what’s here is cohesive and well integrated. This might be the best bourbon for an old fashioned i have ever tasted. Finish brings ice cream sundae, caramel drizzled flan, and just enough spice in the form of pepper qnd cinnamon to keep it from becoming cloying. Only issue I have is that it’s gone in a flash. Mouthfeel is on the lighter side medium bodied, but with a delicate softness that matches the flavor profile well. Surprisingly good, and my favorite Bulliet product to date. It in no way reinvents the wheel, but sometimes you just want a solid, tasty bourbon at a reasonable price point. I understand that this is Bulliet’s own distillate after a lifetime of sourcing, and I say that it indicates a sign of good things to come. At $59.99, this is better than many bourbons that wind up fecthing a markup on secondary. Yeah, I said it. Going to become a staple in my cabinet.

BULLEIT BIB 7 YR GREAT Dark color between 1.8 Old Oak and 1.9 Brown Sherry. *NOSE: Dry Seasoned Oak forward joined by Walnut Shell, Barnyard, and Old Leather. There’s light Floral, Orange Peel, Burnt Sugar, Cinnamon and a Little Heat. Excellent! *NEAT: Mouthfeel is thick, clingy, and a little spicy. Starts Sweeter than the nose would suggest. Vanilla Coke, Brown Sugar, Cocoa Powder, and Peanut Butter Cookie Dough. Baking Spices of Clove and Cinnamon start to emerge giving it a confectionery vibe. There are some Tannins (the good kind) mid-palate and some heat and spice on the backend. Orange Peel, Vanilla, Cinnamon and Oak coat and layer while a nice KYHug blooms in the chest. *SPLASH: A little water and the Palate becomes Tootsie Roll with Double Bubble gum on the finish. This will be great with a rock (tried later and can confirm). *VERDICT: I really like this. The first release of their own distillate and it’s a definite departure from what they’ve been sourcing since their founding. A unique flavor profile that should help them stand out. They also get credit for not rushing something to market just because they could. I was a little put off by the $55 price at first (their excellent Bulleit 10YR is around the same), but that puts it right around HH 6 year and HMcK 10 year (welcome to Bourbon in 2025). Bulleit comes out of the box with, if not a homerun, a solid ground rule double at the least.

Color: Medium Copper-Amber Nose: Maple/brown sugar, leather Palate: (Drank with an ice cube) Spicy tongue tingle with oak tannins right off the bat... a moderate chest hug ensues. I'm getting a good dose of barrel char. As the ice melts into it, holiday spices and licorice starts to come through. Nice. Finish: Medium with lingering spices and more of the licorice from the palate. Final Thoughts: Huh! This is pretty good stuff. As for Bulleit, I've previously had the orange label Bourbon, the 10 Year Bourbon, and the Rye. This is clearly my favorite of the four. Interesting to note... When I went back to my grocery store today, to talk to my liquor guy about the bottles I bought yesterday, he told me that they can't keep this on the shelf. Apparently, it's popular. Indeed, there were none left. Glad I grabbed it. 3.75 stars.

Nice legs in the glass. Mild nose, apple, hay, cardamom, and hints of allspice amd cinnamon. Palate hits with strong cinnamon, white pepper, and the cardamom, lacking the fruit. Finish does present doughy, like a cinnamon crisp, and the apple comes in a bit. Strong chest hug for the proof. Adding ice mellowed the pepper, but cinnamon was still strong and the crisp came on quicker. Both are nice. Not especially sweet. A little more fruit would have put this whiskey over the top, but I like this.

Bulleit Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a seven-year-aged, in-house distilled bourbon with rich aromas of brown sugar, caramel, and charred oak. The palate features cinnamon roll, vanilla, raspberry, and burnt sugar, with an oily mouthfeel. Its finish brings walnut, rye spice, and mild tannins, offering a balanced sweetness and lingering warmth. My favorite bottle from Bulleit and easily one of my favorite BiB’s