Bulleit Bourbon Review

Brian’s Bulleit Bourbon Review

written on 16-November-2019

BULLEIT BOURBON REVIEW:

With little to no alcohol on the nose, Bulleit is a popular bourbon commonly found in most drinking establishments here in the states. If one likes a big yeasty dram with not much sweetness nor complexity and a few fruits peeking in and out, then this is the one for you. Regular readers know I enjoy my whiskeys neat, so it is with uncertainty I say this may be a fine spirit to be used as a mixer. To enjoy without water, ice or other additives, I suggest a pass on this one.

BULLEIT BOURBON VITAL STATS:

– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Producer: Diageo (non-distiller)
– Distiller: Sourced*
– Classification: Straight Bourbon
– Mash Bill*: 68% Corn; 28% Rye; 4% Barley
– Age: No Age Statement
– Barrel Char: unpublished
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– Bottle ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho

*Bulliet’s own website claims “Bulleit Distilling Co.”, however many internet articles attribute Four Roses to have been the supplier until approximately 2015/16, after which credit has been attributed to MGP. In 2016 Bulleit broke ground on their own distillery but it will be years before it will be able to produce spirits. As of this writing, additional non-whiskey controversy abounds at Bulleit and Diageo.

bulleit.com

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

For the evaluation, I shared the juice neat from commemorative Bulleit glasses with my daughter and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer Hannah.

Check out her review for this bourbon here!

NOSE:

Upon first nosing, Bulleit Bourbon has no alcohol presence but does entertain with aromas of faint floral blossoms with an herbal aire. There is also a strange mixture of sweet corn, a little fresh apple, lemon and orange marmalade. Huge amounts of yeasty bread and biscuits nearly overshadow faint spices of powdered ginger, white pepper, and rye. There is not much sweetness coming to the nose but faint vanilla and simple syrup do waft gently in and out among an undefined nuttiness and a piney aroma. Occasionally there is a slight tickling, but in the end, this dram does not wow the olfactory senses.

PALATE:

A quick bite followed by a slight burn enters the mouth after the first sip, probably owing to the high rye content. The heat soon subsides to a soothing warmth as light fruit and the herbal essence of mown hay play on the tongue. As the mouth is coated during the occasional chew, an odd mix of fruit — bitter and acidic orange marmalade, plum, prune and fig give way to a green vegetable aftertaste. For me, Bulleit is a ho-hum bourbon with with only black pepper and rye spice to mix it up with simple syrup and faint hazelnuts. The liquid’s light colouring may be an indication of limited aging in the barrel. Any wood in the juice comes through as a light toasting of a little dry oak.

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
As one might guess, I feel this is a disappointingly unbalanced whiskey; the odd mixture of fruits, herbalness, spice and lack of sweet just don’t do it for me. I also get a coppery tickle … like sucking on an old penny … which kind of counters the mellow-to-buttery mouthfeel. Inside the Glencairn, a nice inverted crown and long clinging legs do coat as they drop back into the chestnut sherry coloured reservoir entertaining the eye.

FINISH:

Bulleit finishes with a medium punch. There is a nice throat warming and plenty of deep oak in the empty Glencairn but the green vegetable and bitter aftertaste is disappointing. I just don’t get why this is such a popular choice for many at the bar – maybe it’s for those who like bourbons as mixers.

MY RATING: 84/100

Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
But it won’t be a must have in the bunker.
_{Click to read Brian’s scoring process.}

Click 84/100 to access other whiskies with this score.
To see other whiskies from this brand, click Bulleit.

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