Bulleit - BourbonSphere

OHLQ Announces Bulleit Single Barrel Exclusive

The Ohio Division of Liquor Control (OHLQ) has announced the release of sixteen barrels worth of Bulleit Single Barrel available starting this week (week of June 27th) at select OHLQ locations across Ohio for $59.99 plus tax. As mentioned, th…

As mentioned, this is a single barrel, but not a barrel proof... meaning the bourbon in the bottle comes from a single barrel, but it is adjusted with water to create a standard proof (102 proof (51% alcohol)).

The tasting notes for the 16 barrels are:

Barrel #2-E3-1230 - Creamy, fruit profile with raspberry and blackberry creates a smoothie-like flavor, followed by clove on the back end
Barrel #2-E3-1232 - Oaky and aged yet bright, with wood and tobacco on the finish
Barrel #2-E3-1267 - An herbaceous nose with dill and a softer, shorter, minty flavor
Barrel #2-E3-1268 - Pear on the nose, with juicy fruit flavors and a soft, round, smooth finish
Barrel #2-E3-1271 - Leathery and balanced, with sweet-tart flavor and dusty notes
Barrel #2-E3-1273 - Sweetness on the nose with a complex taste featuring caramel and baking spices
Barrel #2-E3-1275 - Stone fruit on the front end and herbal, white pepper notes on the finish
Barrel #2-E3-1276 - A balanced smokiness, with cherries jubilee, dried fruit flavors, and a cognac-like notes
Barrel #2-E3-1277 - A minty nose and flavor with a notable wood influence and concentrated floral-herbal aromatics
Barrel #2-E3-1278 - Flavor of orchard fruits like apple and pear with a creamy, candy-like quality
Barrel #2-E4-1302 - Mellow flavors of dark chocolate and orange with a clove finish
Barrel #2-E4-1303 - Leathery nose with flavors of scotch, toffee, caramel, and a nuttiness reminiscent of a honey nut cereal — a sweeter front end followed by a hotter, spicier finish
Barrel #2-E4-1307 - Cherry on the nose with a floral, earthy taste, and sweetness from start to finish
Barrel #2-E4-1314 - Classic high-rye spiciness with cinnamon, nutmeg, and a long finish
Barrel #2-E4-1316 - Herbal, black licorice taste with a crème brûlée finish
Barrel #2-E4-1317 - A nose of dark fruit and fruit leather with a taste of figs

To locate a bottle, you can use the OHLQ bottle finder.

My Take

Another good release by the State with 16 barrels worth. Personally, I've been avoiding Bulleit as their namesake has some very serious accusations against him (emotional and sexual abuse). It's not a good look for the brand... Regardless, if you're willing to overlook this, this is a good opportunity to pick up a single-barrel for $60.

Source: OHLQ

Bulleit Introduces Ready to Serve Cocktails

In a move targeting college kids too lazy to mix whiskey and coke themselves… Diageo brand Bulleit has introduced two ready to serve crafted cocktails, an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan. Adam Geissler, Bulleit Brand Ambassador says:It can take ti…

In a move targeting college kids too lazy to mix whiskey and coke themselves... Diageo brand Bulleit has introduced two ready to serve crafted cocktails, an Old Fashioned and a Manhattan.

Adam Geissler, Bulleit Brand Ambassador says:

It can take time to master a Manhattan or Old Fashioned. Luckily bartenders are masters of their craft and have been skillfully making these cocktails with our whiskeys for years, so it was only right we had them help us create these products to help put bartender quality cocktails in the hands of people (21+) to enjoy without the time or fuss of cocktail preparation.

As mentioned, the two ready-to-serve cocktails are the Bulleit Old Fashioned Cocktail and the Bulleit Rye Manhattan. The Old Fashioned is bourbon whiskey, with the classic flavors of aromatic orange bitters and simple syrup, enhancing the hints of spice from the high-rye bourbon. The Manhattan Straight Rye Whiskey packs a punch with subtle deep flavor, that's balanced out by sweet vermouth and bitters which add a brilliant layer of complexity.

The cocktails come in both 375ml and 750ml bottles. They come in with a 75 proof (37.5% alcohol). The 750ml carries a $29.99 MSRP.

My Take

I don't think this product was built for me or most of my readers who prefer the complexity and uniqueness of whiskey and bourbon. Bulleit markets this because of 'the rise of at-home entertainment over the past few years, from impromptu dinner parties to small watch parties or those "just because" moments.'... However, if I have someone over and they want a drink, I'd be a better host by making them an Old Fashioned or Manhattan by hand. This is a hard-pass for me.

What do you think? Drop a comment in the box below.

Source: Diageo

Bulleit Brings Out Canned Cocktails

Bulleit Bourbon has released their initial canned cocktail offerings, both traditional cocktails – a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned. Both Bulleit Crafted Cocktails are canned at 37.5% alcohol by volume [75 proof] and are offered in both 375ml and 750ml bottle sizes. The Bulleit Old Fashioned cocktail is a blend of Kentucky straight Bourbon, aromatic […]

Bulleit Bourbon has released their initial canned cocktail offerings, both traditional cocktails – a Manhattan and an Old Fashioned.

Both Bulleit Crafted Cocktails are canned at 37.5% alcohol by volume [75 proof] and are offered in both 375ml and 750ml bottle sizes.

The Bulleit Old Fashioned cocktail is a blend of Kentucky straight Bourbon, aromatic orange bitters and simple syrup while the Bulleit Rye Manhattan is straight rye whiskey with sweet vermouth and bitters.

Both cocktails can be served neat, chilled or over ice.

Both Bulleit’s Manhattan and Old Fashioned Crafted Cocktails are being made available for $30 for the 750ml bottle size.

Bulleit 12 Year Rye Review

Straight Rye Whiskey Distilled in Indiana; Aged 12 years; 46% ABV; $55Nose: Rye spice in the form of spearmint and menthol. It definitely has the spice backbone of a 95% rye mash. There are also some doughy notes like rye bread as well as some fai…

bottle

Straight Rye Whiskey Distilled in Indiana; Aged 12 years; 46% ABV; $55

Nose: Rye spice in the form of spearmint and menthol. It definitely has the spice backbone of a 95% rye mash. There are also some doughy notes like rye bread as well as some faint musty wood. It breathes really easy and overall the nose is rather light which I would attribute to the modest 92 proof.

Taste: Mostly all wood and spice. The spice isn't quite as evident as in the nose and there is quite a bit of barrel influence. I wouldn't necessarily call it bitter but it's pretty lacking in any kind of prominent sweets. Beyond that, there are traces of the infamous pickle flavor MGP ryes can exhibit and here it's a bit like barrel aged gherkins which is as displeasing as it sounds.

Thoughts: I didn't like this when I opened it nor do I like it now. Maybe I am spoiled by the days of cheaper highish aged cask strength MGP rye but proof aside, profile wise this is nothing like any of those. There is a woody, sweet, and spicy balance in all of those that I love but this is just spice and borderline bitterness. I can't imagine it's just the proof that would make that much difference so I am at a loss as to why I do not like this.

Rating: D+

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Bulleit Bourbon Review

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; No Age Statement; 45% ABV; $17 (375ml)Nose: Smells like a typical middle aged bourbon only with a jolt of extra spice. A little bit of wood, a little bit of sweet, and a lot of menthol/eucalyptus/cinnamon notes. …

Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; No Age Statement; 45% ABV; $17 (375ml)

Nose: Smells like a typical middle aged bourbon only with a jolt of extra spice. A little bit of wood, a little bit of sweet, and a lot of menthol/eucalyptus/cinnamon notes. Overall it's a bit thin on aromas with the hot spiciness being the major player.

Taste: The palate is some honey and sugary sweets. Again, not a ton of wood influence, about what you'd expect for 6-7ish years old. Like the nose the finish brings in a wallop of spicy notes. Peppermint comes to mind as the predominant flavor. Most of the flavors fad rather fast minus that spicy note and on the whole I find it rather thin on taste.

Thoughts: I can't take credit for this but a better name for this "Three Roses". Bulleit's contract distilling relationship with Four Roses ended a few years ago and while there's no telling what Kentucky distilleries this came from, there's a good chance that given the age here this was likely still made by Four Roses. I keep bringing this up because time and time remains when I taste a Bulleit bourbon I can't help but think it tastes like an inferior version of a Four Roses product. Having said that, it's a perfectly okay and serviceable bourbon; one that I won't complain about falling back upon due the lack of better choices. And that's about the only great thing this has going for it - no matter where I am, I can usually count on this being behind the bar.

Rating: C-

Note that price is not considered when assigning a rating.

Podcast #5: Bourbon Chemistry and Rye Whiskey

It has been FAR too long. We apologize for our absence, but we really think this is a solid cast. We did a lot of research and have tried to do a thorough explanation of what the flavor compounds are in bourbon and where they come from; down to the molecular level! Special thanks to Tom Collins at UC Davis for helping me find his research! Our tasting is of commonly available rye whiskies. If you want to play along at home, here’s the list: Bulleit Rye, Sazerac, Michter’s Rye, Rittenhouse Rye BIB, Jefferson 10 Year Rye, and Smooth Ambler Single Barrel Cask Strength Rye (8 year old).

Thanks so much for being patient! Text post to follow with some good links to the research papers used for this cast as well as our quick hit impressions of the ryes we tasted. Cheers and enjoy!

Podcast Number 5: Listen here

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