Bulleit 12 Year 95 Rye Whiskey

VITALS:

- $50

- 92 Proof

- 12 Years

- Indiana

I've noticed what I hope is a growing trend in the rye section of my liquor store lately.  I've been seeing more and more ryes with age statements in, or at least approaching, double digits.  There are still only a handful out there, but Knob Creek has recently released its 10-year age-stated rye, and shortly before that Bulleit released this, their 12 year rye.

I'm an absolute sucker for aged rye, so this was a bit of a no-brainer for me to grab, particularly at a very approachable $50.  The proof isn't particularly high, but I'm willing to look past that when they're putting out products that were given a bit more time in the barrel.  Even if it is MGP rye, which is still somewhat plentiful, there still just isn't a whole lot of well-aged rye on the shelf, and I hope this is a sign of a trend in that direction!

The nose was fairly standard of what I've come to expect from MGP rye. It had a great cinnamon spice to it, as well as a sweet and soft vanilla undertone. And, of course, there was a bit of mint on the nose to tell you this came from Indiana. That said, these are all welcome notes that I've come to love in a rye.

Perhaps it's due to the lower proof, but when I took my first sip my impression was that this is sweeter than most MGP ryes I've had. Sure, the cinnamon spice and even a little bit of black pepper spice were there. It also had a familiar mint note to it. But, the sweetness took center stage. It had almost a vanilla icing note to it that, while not bad, kind of surprised me. 

That sweetness is what seemed to linger the most on the finish. Any cinnamon spice seemed to vanish, leaving just that sweet vanilla note and a hint of that initial mint note. The finish was fleeting, however, and didn't leave even those sweet vanilla notes to hang around very long.

All in all, I thought this was a very tasty, albeit sweeter rye. While I wish it were a bit more robust, I really enjoyed the flavor, and I feel like the age allowed those flavors to meld and work together more than they otherwise would have at a younger age.

Grade: B

Bulleit Mega Liquor & Crocker P/A Private Selection Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Whiskey

VITALS:

- $50

- 104 Proof

- NAS

- Barrel No. 1-B3-0636

- Kentucky

Anyone who is a bourbon hunter in even the slightest of ways probably has had a similar experience. You're away from home in another state for a few days, so of course you make a field trip to the local liquor store, or perhaps a few different stores, just to see what you might find.  I find myself in this situation every time I'm out of town, whether for work or pleasure.

I'm not looking for unicorns or the highly sought after stuff, but rather simply looking for stuff I can't get every day back home. Sometimes that's local craft whiskey, and sometimes it's whiskeys that don't get distribution in Illinois. More often than not, though, I find myself asking about store picks. And so, that was exactly the case when I was at a hockey tournament staying a weekend at a hotel in Niles, Michigan, just a one-block walk from Mega Liquor. The selection was decent, but mostly everything I see in Illinois. So, I took a shot at their Bulleit Single Barrel pick. What did I have to lose?

The nose was rich and sweet on this one. I got a good amount of dark caramel, perhaps closer to toffee. It had a mix of dark chocolate and hazelnut, however, to add a layer of richness and to temper the sweetness. I also got a tangy note of amaretto off the nose that I really enjoyed. 

The flavor seemed to turn in a bit of a different direction. Right away I got a lot of sweet cinnamon and vanilla. It was kind of like a frosted sugar cookie that was made with cinnamon. However, it had a bit of spice to it that I didn't attribute to the cinnamon. Rather, it was more of a black pepper spice.

The vanilla layer seemed to be pretty constant throughout, but I also got a sweet cloves flavor, perhaps a transformation of the cinnamon I got earlier on. It also seemed to sweeten up a bit with a brown sugar note, along with the cinnamon stick and black pepper notes

The finish was vanilla and peppery spice, primarily. That pepper seemed to stick at the back of my throat. The sweetness seemed to relax a bit, and in its place I got a light black licorice note that seemed to linger on my tongue. I'm not the biggest fan of black licorice, but I didn't find this too offensive.

I don't know if this is indicative of other picks that Mega Liquor has done, but I think if I find myself in Niles, Michigan again in the near future, I'd be willing to take a flyer on another store pick of their's.

Grade: B

Bulleit Bourbon Binny's Private Select Barrel #2 Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $50
- 104 Proof
- NAS
- Barrel No. LIB30053
- 36% Rye; Yeast 3
- Kentucky

It seems every product these days is getting the private barrel treatment. There is certainly no dearth of private picks to choose from at all of my usual liquor store haunts. What's available, however, seems to depend upon the distillery, though, as Buffalo Trace products and Four Roses single barrels seem to sell themselves.

However, a while back I recalled reading announcements from MGP and Bulleit, both only a couple days apart, that they would be starting a private barrel program, and as a fan of both, I was excited for both.  Binny's finally got a few different bottlings in earlier this year, and although the particular staff member I spoke with hadn't tried any, he related that another customer bought a bottle of this "Barrel #2" and loved it so much that he came back to the store to buy two more. So, that's the one I went with.

The nose is relatively soft and a little feint, but nonetheless good. It had a decent amount of cinnamon, as well as a light and inoffensive oakiness. I also got a light smokiness on the nose as well. Those notes were sweetened up a bit by a nice honey note, as well as notes of maraschino cherry and dark chocolate. At times I got a nice vanilla or sweet creme note, which I wished were a bit more prominent.

I found the flavor to be very amaretto and allspice forward. It had that rich, tangy quality that I get from those flavors. At times it reminded me of cherry pie.  There was also a decent amount of cinnamon spice, which I expected given the high-rye recipe.

As I worked my way through, the allspice notes seemed to dominate. I also got a nougat note that was really good, perhaps a transformation or development from the pie crust flavors I was getting. However, I also started getting something a bit more earthy, more of an umami flavor.

At first I couldn't quite place that umami note, but towards the end of the bottle, I found that that note, mixed with the allspice note, reminded me a lot of pumpkin pie. It had that sweet, spice, and yet earthy note that I love in a good pumpkin pie. All I needed was the whipped cream!

The whiskey had a nice, buttery viscosity, and I think that went very well with the flavors I was getting. I thoroughly enjoyed this whiskey in multiple ways, whether neat, over ice or even in a cocktail (it made for great whiskey sours). It held up every way. While it didn't blow me away, it was nonetheless a very good pick by the Binny's staff.

Grade: B+

Bulleit 12 Year Straight American Rye

VITALS:
- $50
- 92 Proof
- 12 Years
- Indiana

It's been a while since I've been genuinely excited for a non-allocated release, but when I found out that Bulleit was releasing a 12 year old version of their rye, I was going to make sure I snagged one right away. Bulleit Rye (sourced from MGP) has always been one of my mainstay ryes, and I loved the idea of an older version.

So, the day it hit the shelves I made my way to Binny's and grabbed a bottle, brought it home and put it on my shelf. And for some reason, that's where it sat, unopened, for almost two months. I can't really explain why, I just sort of never got around to it.  Apparently there were other bottles that took priority. But they shouldn't have. I love rye, and in particular I love MGP rye, and once I finally did open this bottle it wasn't long for this world.

One of the first notes that I got on the nose was butterscotch. I can't say that I ever got such a note out of other MGP ryes, so it kind of stuck out to me. I also got the familiar pine and cinnamon notes, though the cinnamon was somewhat faint. I also smelled apple cider, and all of these flavors blended together very well to provide a nice, complex and delicious aroma, yet it didn't come off as pungent. It was light and inviting (perhaps due to the proof).

On the palate I immediately noticed that familiar, sweet pine and cinnamon profile. In fact, these two flavors really dominated. Sweet pine seems like an odd description, even as I type this, but I think anyone familiar with MGP rye might understand what I'm getting at. The cinnamon was prominent and immediately noticeable on the tip of my tongue.

I also got some of the traditional toffee and vanilla notes, which added some richness and sweetness to the flavor. On later pours, these flavors seemed to blend together to just a straight brown sugar flavor, which balanced well with the cinnamon and pine notes.

On the finish, I got a sweet, lingering caramel note that seemed to coat my mouth from front to back. Despite the lower proof, this had a surprisingly long finish, which was capped off by a sweet, cooling mint note that I absolutely loved. In fact, I found I couldn't help but go back for that next sip right way in order to keep replicating that flavor and sensation.

While all of this is good, I did find that there was a light woody note to this rye. More age will do that, certainly.  However, this seemed to impart a tannic bitterness that, while I enjoy wood notes and even a bit of tannin in some whiskeys, simply didn't work in this one. This note stood apart from the other flavors and just detracted from the flavor.

That being said, I think I got what I expected out of this rye. It hit all those notes I love in a rye, with a bit of added complexity. I would have preferred this at a higher proof, especially at barrel strength (a girl can dream!), but for what it is, it met all of my expectations.

Grade: B+

Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $50
- 119.2 Proof
- NAS

I've been wanting to try Bulleit Barrel Strength since it came out, but just had never seen it in my area. So, when I made a recent trip to Louisville I made it a point to grab a bottle to bring back with me (and actually to share with my fledgling whiskey club which I'm not allowed to talk about). Of course, now that I brought a bottle back, I'm seeing it on the shelves all over the Chicagoland area. But, that fear of missing out (or "FOMO") made certain that I got a bottle sooner than later, at least.

The nose is spicy, much like the regular Bulleit Bourbon. It's not the traditional rye spice, but rather a sweetened spice, an interesting combination of caramel and black pepper. It also had a light woodiness to it, telling me this is older than standard Bulleit Bourbon, though a quick Google search of other reviews indicates it's a blend of 5-8 year bourbons.

On the palate it's a lot of cinnamon spice, telling me that it's a rye-heavy mashbill. That spice is balanced very well with the traditional bourbon notes of toffee and vanilla, however, along with some light chocolate notes. It made me think of a cinnamon Heath Bar, if only such a thing existed! Up front this bourbon really is delicious.

On the finish it left a bit to be desired, however. With so many barrel strength bourbons, they tend to have a more viscous texture, leaving an almost oily residue that causes the flavor to linger for a much longer time. Not the case wit this one. It's on the watery end in texture, and it had a very short, surprisingly short, finish to it. As soon as I swallowed that was it, no lingering flavors whatsoever.

At 119.2 proof, the alcohol is present. However, it does fade fast and, as indicated, the flavor comes through very well up front. In addition to the cinnamon and toffee notes that predominate, a light woodiness as well as a light smoke flavor thrown in somewhere in the middle. While it is bold in flavor, at least on the front end, I wouldn't call it complex.

It's a very tasty bourbon, and a good buy for the price. It hits all the right notes to make it one of my favorites, at least in flavor. It's a nice mix of cinnamon spice with the vanilla and toffee. The watery texture and notably short finish, however, were difficult for me to get past. I seemed to linger on that flaw, much like I wished this bourbon would linger on my tongue a bit more. I wanted to love this bourbon at first sip, but that immediate potential was never going to be realized.

Grade: B

Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $30
- 90 Proof
- NAS

I've had the Bulleit rye before, and I see Bulleit bourbon frequently used in cocktails on Bar Rescue (a show sponsored by Diageo). Yet, I had never tried Bulleit on its own before. I guess it had to happen eventually.

I didn't really expect a whole lot going in, figuring it would be sort of a "baseline" bourbon, good enough to pass as bourbon, but nothing special (hence the common use in cocktails). Accordingly, even before I had a sip, I had it in my mind that it would be on the same level as Jim Beam, Wild Turkey, Knob Creek and so on.

I will say this, I went through this bottle about as quick if not quicker than any other bottle that I can remember recently. I'm not sure if it was merely a matter of circumstance or what. It was certainly a very drinkable bourbon, but I did not notice anything special about it.

This is a simple, sweet bourbon with a decent spicy kick to it.  It was very warming (perhaps why I went through it so quickly in the last of the cold Chicago Spring days). The standard toffee and vanilla flavors were there, with a bit of cinnamon or clove, and the distinct peppery spice.

Interestingly, what I liked most about this bourbon was the nose. Though not an overly complex bourbon, it had a nose that I couldn't stop sniffing. It smelled incredible, with the perfect vanilla, caramel and cinnamon blend that I just want to package up as potpourri.

Ultimately, though, it remains on the same tier as the other standards (regardless of how quickly I finished off the bottle).

Grade: C

Bulleit Small Batch Rye Whiskey

My wife and I got into watching Bar Rescue. For anyone that follows the show, you'll know that for each bar they rescue, they come up with signature cocktails for the bar to sell.  Inevitably, where a recipe calls for rye, it's Bulleit Rye they use.  So, I went into this one knowing it's frequently used as a mixer.

Rye often has so much flavor, however, that even the standard ryes such as Bulleit will have enough flavor and spice to stand alone.  Such is the case with Bulleit rye.

"Mixing" whiskies, I've found, tend to be thinner, less bold in flavors.  This is perhaps so as not to overpower the other flavors with which they are mixed.  Bulleit rye stays true to the typically boldness and spiciness of ryes.  It is tasty and sweet, with that kick of the spicy rye standing out.

It had a lingering mint flavor that I was not expecting and caught me a bit off guard.  As I progressed through this bottle, though, I kept getting stuck on something I was tasting but I couldn't quite place.  It wasn't until I was about 2/3rds through the bottle before I finally placed it.  I was distinctly tasting Southern Comfort.

At first I enjoyed the tang that the Southern Comfort flavor added to the rye.  Unfortunateley, though, by the end of the bottle, it just really turned me off, and I was yearning for a more traditional rye flavor, without the unidentifiable tanginess.

Overall, I would put this a touch below your average rye, somewhat disappointing, even when I wasn't expecting a whole lot going in.

Grade: C-