Sipp’n Corn Bourbon Review – Bulleit Barrel Strength 2017

I was a big fan of the 2016 inaugural release of Bulleit Barrel Strength, which was a Kentucky-only release.   For 2017, Bulleit has expanded distribution to also include Texas, California, Oregon, Ohio, New York, Illinois, Colorado and Washington DC.  The proof of my sample of Batch 2 is virtually indistinguishable compared to Batch 1 (0.4 difference), but it has its own distinct characteristics, and according to Bulleit, other batches will likely range between 120 and 125 proof.

Bourbon:	Bulleit Barrel Strength (Batch 2)
Distillery:	Unstated
Age:	Unstated
ABV:	59.7% (119.4 proof)
Cost:	$59.99

Disclaimer: The brand managers kindly sent me a sample

for this review, without any strings attached. 

Thank you.

Tasting Notes

Appearance:

Golden-amber.

Nose:

Swirling intense aromas of rye, baking spice, gingerbread cookies, tobacco barn, and cinnamon candies tell me to get ready for some serious spice.  Air in the glass (and also after a week in the bottle) toned down these spicy aromas.

Taste:

The flavors hit high on the intensity scale with sharpness and the predicted rye spice, balanced out by spring grasses, toffee, maple syrup, and oak.  Air time resulted in more creaminess on the palate, so I suggest giving it time to breathe.

Finish:

Medium finish, overall dry, and gives the oak its turn to shine.

Bottom Line

The 2017 edition of Bulleit Barrel Strength is destined to be a crowd-pleaser.  Bartenders and fans of cocktails that retain Bourbon’s flavor without getting lost in the ice and mixers should flock to this, but it’s also great for sipping by the campfire this summer.  Bulleit’s profile begs for barrel strength, so I’m glad that Tom and his team gave us another year of this expression.

Score on The Sipp’n Corn Scale:  3.5

The Sipp’n Corn Scale:

1 – Swill.  I might dump the bottle, but will probably save it for my guests who mix with Coke.

2 – Hits the minimum criteria, but given a choice, I’d rather have something else.

3 – Solid Bourbon with only minor shortcomings.  Glad to own and enjoy.

4 – Excellent Bourbon.  Need to be hyper-critical to find flaws.  I’m lucky to have this.

5 – Bourbon perfection.  I’ll search high and low to get another bottle of this.