Brian’s Bulleit Barrel Strength Batch #4 Review
written on 29-January-2019
BULLEIT BARREL STRENGTH BATCH #4 REVIEW:
Bulleit Barrel Strength is a good bourbon. There is understated sweetness coupled with some nice citrus notes. As with other Bulleit products the rye exerts itself and in this case, quite nicely. For my tastes, this barrel strength offering outshines the standard Bulleit products.
BULLEIT BARREL STRENGTH BATCH #4 VITAL STATS:
– Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
– Region: Kentucky, USA
– Distillery: sourced*
– Producer: Bulleit Bourbon (Diageo), Non-distiller
– Mash Bill: 68% Corn, 28% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
– Barrel Char: unpublished
– Barrel entry proof: unpublished
– Age: nas (Blend of 5-8 year old bourbon)
– ABV: 61.7 (123.4 Proof)
– Price: $49.95 USD in Idaho
*Bulleit’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.
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I drank this spirit neat, from a Glencairn glass.
NOSE:
I found the nose on Bulleit Barrel Strength to be musty with fresh citrus and dark fruit undertones. While its sweetness is not in the forefront, notes of brown sugar, buttery caramel and caramelized pineapple are present. A rye spiciness prevails though as vanilla custard and a background of oak come through.
PALATE:
Bulleit Barrel Strength Batch #: 4 has clean, high alcohol present on the first draw, followed by citrus and minor dark fruit notes. As detected on the nose, Bulleit Barrel Strength is sweet but not overly so; there are subtle notes of toffee and cocoa, but the sweetness gives way to spicy pepper and delicate rye. I detected bitter hazelnut that gave way to a smooth oakiness.
Balance, Body, Feel, and Look:
Bulleit Barrel Strength has a balanced aroma and flavor. It is rich, round, full, warm and a touch acidic. When “chewed” pepper spice explodes in the mouth. The juice has long clinging legs in the Glencairn which fall into a warm mahogany and henna pool.
FINISH:
I found the dry finish to linger on for quite some time. Bulleit Barrel Strength starts hot, then mellows into a viscous brown sugar creaminess complete with vanilla, rye spice and oak.
MY RATING: 89/100
Will I seek out this whiskey in the future? Yes
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.
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