Bulleit Bourbon Blenders' Select No. 001

A little underwhelming. Strong alcohol burn but light on the nose and flavor.

Has the Bulleit house feel and rye/spice forward palate, but more flavorful and a coating mouthfeel. Nice neat, and even better on the rocks to tame the 50% abv. More fruity than the current Bulleit Frontier whiskey, IMHO. Glad this is a spring whiskey, it’s one of the bright spots while sheltering in place. $40-45 for a fifth is not terrible, but Four Roses Single Barrel is a worthy competitor at that price.

They say that Four Roses is the distiller behind Bulliet, and I can definitely see the Four Roses DNA here, but if you think this is simply one of the FR products under a different label, it does exhibit some distinctions. Read on... On the nose getting cream soda, apple, barrel spices, mixed cocktail of citrus zest, and a hint of cedar. Palate opens with vanilla custard and ripe plum, leading to cinnamon and charcoal in the mid-palate. Flavors have a decent amount of richness. Not the most complex, but what's here is nice. Finishes with spicy peppercorn, oak, and cherry cough drop. Finish is enjoyably long for the proof. Mouthfeel is soft and delicate even when the palate isn't. Overall I enjoyed it and found this to be tasty, but at $50 there are better options available. Misses the 4.0 re-buy rating on price; would have made it if it was $35.