Bulleit Bourbon has had to muscle around with the big boys to get respect and the shelf space they deserve, but in large part they have had success even though they are otherwise a smaller player in the bourbon scene. They are crafted in small batches at the Diageo Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky. I however, don’t believe they are a part of the Diageo family, but distill there under contract.
So it barely has a home, but it used to be a player in the 1800’s. Then while transporting a shipment of his bourbon to New Orleans, August Bulleit vanished. No one ever found him. Perhaps he had too much and just fell off the barge that was carrying his liquor down the Mississippi, or perhaps there was something nefarious afoot. No one knows, and the recipe and bourbon was almost lost forever. Until 1987 when August’s great great grandson Tom decided to resurrect the family name and brand. So the question is how does the stuff taste?…
Bulleit Bourbon tastes very good to put it plainly. But let’s talk a little bit about the whole package. I mean specifically that bottle! This is perhaps the most retro-packaging in the whiskey world today. From the glass embossed letters on the bottle all the way down to the fluted edge cork stopper. The label itself screams 1800’s with its busy and small type, and the fact that the labeling machine in the factory is set to put the label on the bottle in an ever so slightly off kilter way. This package is amazing in its attention to detail in every way to make you feel like you are drinking a bit of history in an old world bourbon, before you ever pour it into your glass.
Pouring it into the glass, it is a lovely golden amber color, that leaves lots of legs on the glass when you swirl it. The nose is indicative of its high rye mash bill with a lot of spice notes, a hint of fruit like cherries and pears, and an earthiness given from the rye. Then there is the alcohol, at 90 proof or 45% ABV this is no small player, and this bourbon packs a punch.
The flavor is spicy, slightly sweet, and slightly hot. It doesn’t say on the bottle how long it is aged for, but my thought is probably not more than 4 or 5 years. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a slightly slick mouthfeel that was foretold of by the legginess in the glass. The finish is long, and lingers in the chest for a good 90 seconds. The high rye spice ensuring the long finish.
Neat
Drink it this way. It is well cultured for drinking neat.
On the Rocks
This tames the finish and cuts it to about 30 seconds, but still has plenty of kick to get your fix!
With a Splash
Water takes it down a peg, but it does retain its overall structure and opens up producing sweeter caramel barrel notes.
So Bulleit while it is a small player in the bourbon world has made itself known in a big way. Everything from its packaging to its burn is designed to be old world and high quality. It pulls no punches and hangs with the best of them.
-Don
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
Love the pic, Don. That’s one bad assed baby!
And this stuff sound cool, but I’m a sucker for a novel bottle. Based on my infatuation with Dale’s Pale Ale, if they canned whiskey, I wouldn’t be able to resist it!
I think it would eat through the can, unless they had it lined like they do gasoline cans. It is a good whiskey. More along the lines of Wild Turkey 101 but more refined. It would be a good daily drinker.
I do believe the beer cans are lined now, but that is a sweet-looking bottle. Nice post Don!
It is a good solid bourbon, but the bottle is really special. Very cool!
You mean that in a drink it’s content and then refill it with Knob Creek kinda way?
You know you need to embrace variety in your bourbon selection. Variety is the Spice of Life Jim. Sometimes I like a high rye bourbon, sometimes not. But whenever I’m in the mood, I have it!
I read an article in Malt Advocate recently that discussed marketing and how the bottle was a huge factor in why some choose a beverage over another. I must admit that the Bulleit bottle is pretty cool but I’m hip to those marketing geniuses and know that what’s in the bottle is more important. Thanks Don for the review – I’ll add it to my list of “gotta try” stuff.
This was a very good and robust bourbon. The bottle actually had nothing to do with my purchase, but I thought it was quite cool. Actually I put off purchasing this bourbon for over 9 months. Just had other stuff I wanted to try first, or something was on sale, etc. So when I went into my local liquor store and saw Bulleit was on sale, I finally picked up a bottle. Saved 3 bucks. WooHoo. But I did think that the bottle was very cool and deserved a mention in my post.