Bulleit Bourbon Blenders' Select No. 001

Nose: Can definitely tell this is a high rye mash bill - slightly vegetal and herbal alongside star anise, nutmeg, and a touch of clove. Under-ripe orange peels. Bitter chocolate. Some brown sugar and vanilla, though these are a little more subtle than you'd expect from most bourbons. Oak threads through in a much more "integrated" manner than I tend to experience with bourbons. Also a classic dusty corn note after the glass opens a little. Palate: Splashes of orange, mint, bitter oak, and black pepper. The way the vanilla sweetness mingles with those baking spices is interesting. More cinnamon on the palate than the nose. The tannins here are quite nice, giving some texture and bitterness that contrasts nicely. Floral and more bitter citrus peels. Salted caramel. Same experience here with the oak, and without that base layer this seems "top-heavy", though this falls directly in line with the Bulleit profile. Medium mouthfeel. Finish: Oak and ethanol, along with some char. All the baking spices and herbs from before. Cocoa, leather, and cedar slowly show up, and the outro is a medium-long balance between orange, mint, chocolate, and wood. Other notes: I'm not generally a fan of Bulleit. Save for their barrel strength, I just don't find myself ever seeking it out. And while this is comfortably in that general profile, I have to hand it to them: this is very well executed. This is not the most insanely complex or rich thing ever, but instead is a great example in the exercise of restraint, as well as knowing when to do something a little different. This is bold stuff, no doubt, but not bold in the same vein as, say, Stagg Jr. or anything coming out of Balcones. It's more bold in that it leans into a slightly less traditional set of flavors while still comfortably being a bourbon. Comendable stuff. Knowing that this is batch 1, it's very likely I'll at least try glasses of subsequent batches. Maybe even seek out full bottles. If you're a fan of Bulleit, I strongly recommend this. And if you aren't a fan, or just haven't picked up one of their distinctively-shaped-and-labeled bottles in a while, give this one a crack. It may not necessarily be in my top 10 whiskeys of the year, it's certainly worth your time and attention.

N: Lots of vanilla mixed with some kind of weird cooked fruit note - maybe lemon and strawberry. Then there's something like a dusty, old book that's been coated with wood polish and then dusted with cinnamon. Old, dried bits of tobacco, some leather, and a little wood smoke. Caramel and toffee come in later as it opens. There's a nut note that feels like it's right in between peanut and almond - like maybe if you mixed peanut butter and almond butter, just not quite that rich. Lots of baking spice and maybe some red fruit that combine into a pie-like scent. Some noticeable ethanol. A lot going on, but feels like it takes some effort to tease it out. P: Sweet and fruity first with gooey strawberry jam laced with cinnamon. Caramel and vanilla custard with a buttery pie crust note underneath. Chocolate, more baking spice, red fruit. Lots of oak influence - both hot and bitter. Finish is long and hot. It's almost all cayenne and chili pepper. Ethanol also adds heat to the finish, although I hadn't noticed it earlier. Some bitter oak notes. Little bit of chocolate. Not much else, but it lasts a long time - one of the longest finishes I've experienced. Long story short: this has some good things going for it, but I never really warmed to it, and I don't love it. I'd call it a 50/50 bottle - if it appeals to you for some reason, I'd say grab it. If it's a reach, not worth the reach. That said, I'll certainly be curious to try the next batch.

Scent is very high on rye and oak, both young and aged, and smells like the proof is even higher than 100, which is always a nice bonus. As with most Bulleit products, the body is notoriously light, so the flavors don't come to the forefront immediately. I've had both the 10 year bourbon and the cask strength bourbon, and this product does a great job of blending those two concepts together, while adding a good amount of fresh rye to the mix. This has a much better taste of cask age compared to the 10 year bourbon, which is very bland and unimpressive. Meanwhile, the proof of this is almost perfect (could be a tad bit higher, I bet), and brings along the other flavors much easier than the regular cask strength bourbon, which didn't have a lot going on other than oak-based flavors from the cask. All in all, this is a good pick, for the price found, but only because it's a limited release. If I knew this was going to be around, I would probably steer elsewhere to save a bit of money.

Open 1 month Nose - Peanut brittle, vanilla, grainy rye spice, candied or artificial cherries, prominent oak and ethanol notes. Palate - Caramel, salted peanuts, cherry bubble gum, cinnamon bun, hints of grain and grass. Medium finish with hot dry oak tannins, rye spice, and lingering notes of caramel, cinnamon, and peanut shells. My friend picked this up in Texas during the holidays at a solid price. When we first cracked it, we thought it was a harsh dud during a night of tasting. Give it a week or two and it opens up nicely. I still don't like regular Bulleit, but this and their Single Barrel have been excellent. This blend is also listed as 9 years old, and I think it compares favorably with Knob Creek Small Batch and Four Roses Single Barrel at this price point.

Nose has cinnamon and candied cherries. Palate follows suit, full and rich on the lips and tongue. The fruit lingers nicely and finally yields to the spice at the very end, leaving a nice warmth in the chest. The proof is just right for this whiskey, lower and you might lose the length of the fruit, higher and the spice would take over. Bulleit is not a favorite of mine. I have found them to be fine but not exceptional. This is a standout and makes me look forward to the next offering.

50%, blend of three distillates, 6-8 yrs Norlan, neat Rested 10 minutes Color: amber Nose: alcohol, sweet tea, cherries, vanilla, honey Palate: medium, sweet, smooth, minimal bite, but kinda indistinct Finish: short, leather and tobacco This is for your buddy that really likes ‘smooooth’ whiskey (whoa, can’t believe I’m saying that about a diageo product 😋) But honestly, it’s nice, but nothing special T8ke scale: 5, good, just fine