According to the website, Bulleit Barrel Strength Bourbon Whiskey is distilled in Kentucky from the highest quality ingredients, this new variant is a barrel strength version of Bulleit Bourbon with the same high-rye mash bill.
The barrels selected to create Bulleit Barrel Strength were emptied and combined into a single batch without the inclusion of any additional water after the whiskey was removed from the barrels. Aged and bottled at the Stitzel-Weller campus in Louisville, Ky., this new offering allows bartenders and fans of great whiskey the opportunity to taste Bulleit Bourbon straight out of the barrel, uncut and non-chill filtered.
The alcohol by volume varies by batch because the bourbon is bottled straight from the barrel, uncut and unfiltered, but will generally range from 120-125 proof. Bulleit Barrel Strength is packaged in the iconic Bulleit frontier-inspired bottle, adorned with a black label and orange accents. Batch 8 comes in at 121.8 proof with an ABV of 60.9%.
Bourbon Review: Bulleit Barrel Strength
ABV: 60.9 (121.8 Proof)
Age: NAS (Believe to be 5-7 Years)
Mash Bill: 68% Corn, 28% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Distillery: Bulleit Distilling Co.
Location: Louisville, KY
The Nose: Surprisingly sweet that elicits an oooh from me as I expected some heat in the aroma. To start off there is a vibrant vanilla and caramel that rises effortlessly from the glass. There isn’t much in the sense of spice or rye though I expect that to change when I take my first sip. Secondary pulls from the glass remind me of grandma’s butter cookies with a touch of cherries in the background. This not what I expected at all.
The Taste: Ah, there we are! Some heat from the first sip warms the palate and the gut with an abundance of rye thrown in for good measure. Things calm down on the second sip with notes of oak and butterscotch that last for a heartbeat before a long mouth drying cinnamon and rye finish.
Conclusion: I’ve never really looked at Bulleit as a sipping bourbon. Their core boroubon has always been something I looked at as an ingredient. That bourbon got an 85 rating here on this website. Our opinion didn’t change with the Bulleit 10 Year Bourbon which only scored an 82. Despite those scores we couldn’t pass this up when the state controlled liquor store had this on the shelf.
The Barrel Strength Bulleit unfortunately showcases all things wrong with this bourbon for drinking it neat. Though I prefer it more then the 10 year, it doesn’t do enough to consider drinking this alone in a glass, neat. As much as I despise drinking bourbon on ice it does help open this up some and make it a tad more palatable. It’s rough around the edges and lacks any balances to relax with.
Score: 84
Price: $49.99 (750ml)
