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Bulleit Barrel Strength


Richnimrod
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I just let myself get talked into a bottle of the Batch #4 Bulleit Barrel Strength. 

Not inexpensive; but, I guess not that bad for a 123.4 proof, and a rather limited availability (at least around here). 

I'll probably crack the seal on this puppy this weekend.    I'll post my impressions here, when I do.

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I haven't been a huge fan of their standard bourbon, but consider myself a fan of their rye.  The bourbon always has notes of licorice, which I hate, and is why I've avoided their special bourbons.  However, with my recent enjoyment and palette changing experience of Kentucky Owl Rye, I may have to revisit the bourbon.  

 

How's this compare to their regular stuff?

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Well, I did open up this bottle (Batch #4 Bulleit Barrel Strength) this afternoon.     I like it quite well, even at the relatively steep price (about $60 OTD). 

It has the usual and expected profile (much like some 4-Roses SB's), and is a decent value when compared with many (most?) barrel proofers in a similar range (123.4-proof).  

Really, at that price/quality/proof, it compares fairly well with many of the 4-R picks, and not much to give away when compared to most batches of Bookers.

It had a decently complex nose and palate, with a nicely long and mellow finish.    Very good whiskey, to my tastes buddies.

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I don't care for regular Bulleit bourbon but K&L had the batch #2 barrel strength for under $30 so I bought one and was glad I did.  Very nice pour, especially after the bottle had been open for a week or two.  Nose and flavor reminded me of WT Rare Breed. 

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  • 2 months later...

I picked up a bottle of batch 5 for $50 today. If I had this blind I would have told you it was a 4 Roses SBPS. This is great news, as I've been seeing in on the shelves at numerous local stores, and I can only get 4RSBPS bottles online.

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I really like the 10 year (which is from 4R) so I am thinking I would like this to if it's the same whiskey.  Now the standard Bulleit I do not care for at all, in fact I don't know if I am yet convinced that it is/was from 4R.  But then again 4R's SmB is nothing to write home about so maybe it is.  Sooner or later Bulleit is going to start bottling their own distillate, so maybe I ought to pick one of these up.  Can anyone who has had the 10 year tell me how this compares ?  Is it the same flavor profile ?

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On 1/27/2018 at 9:27 PM, Richnimrod said:

Well, I did open up this bottle (Batch #4 Bulleit Barrel Strength) this afternoon.     I like it quite well, even at the relatively steep price (about $60 OTD). 

It has the usual and expected profile (much like some 4-Roses SB's), and is a decent value when compared with many (most?) barrel proofers in a similar range (123.4-proof).  

Really, at that price/quality/proof, it compares fairly well with many of the 4-R picks, and not much to give away when compared to most batches of Bookers.

It had a decently complex nose and palate, with a nicely long and mellow finish.    Very good whiskey, to my tastes buddies.

I really like the 10 year (which I know  is from 4R) so I am thinking I would like this also if it's the same whiskey.  Now the standard Bulleit I do not care for, in fact I don't know if I am yet convinced that it is/was from 4R.  But then again 4R's SmB is nothing to write home about so maybe it is.  I ought to pick up one of these before the 4R juice starts getting blended with something or Bulleit runs out of it, if they havn't already.  Can anyone who has had the 10 year tell me how this compares ?  Is it the same flavor profile ?

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I’m leery of this. Why pay $60 for a mystery FR when I can pay $60-$70 for actual FRBP with an age statement and a recipe I like? Plus I don’t have to wonder if Bulleit switched the contents or blended it or whatever. Not sure I want to support the company either. 

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29 minutes ago, Charlutz said:

I’m leery of this. Why pay $60 for a mystery FR when I can pay $60-$70 for actual FRBP with an age statement and a recipe I like? Plus I don’t have to wonder if Bulleit switched the contents or blended it or whatever. Not sure I want to support the company either. 

My sentiments exactly !  Have you had the 10 year ?  I loved that and you could taste 4R positively.  I don't know of a 4R Barrel Proof is there one ?  Bulleits outright dishonesty leads me to not want to buy their product but the 10 year is great stuff.

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The FR private select bottles are bottled at barrel proof. You just need to find a store that buys barrels from them and hopefully in a recipe you like. There are a few four roses cult threads around that explain the recipes. Maybe even their website though I haven’t looked. 

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44 minutes ago, Charlutz said:

The FR private select bottles are bottled at barrel proof. You just need to find a store that buys barrels from them and hopefully in a recipe you like. There are a few four roses cult threads around that explain the recipes. Maybe even their website though I haven’t looked. 

Oh yes I forgot about them. Don't have many big LS in my location that would have a private selection bottle.  And OBSV is all I have ever found in a private store label and few of those.    Like you, I think I am going to pass on this Bulleit BP.

Edited by Cranecreek
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On 4/5/2018 at 2:35 PM, Cranecreek said:

.......... in fact I don't know if I am yet convinced that it is/was from 4R.  But then again 4R's SmB is nothing to write home about so maybe it is......

It was.

Keep in mind that over time they acquired whiskey from others such as Beam, BF, Barton, and who knows where else. Then they blend it. The component parts of Bulleit are constantly evolving. 

The comparison of Bulleit to 4RSmB just because you don’t like them has no basis in what’s actually in them.

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42 minutes ago, flahute said:

It was.

Keep in mind that over time they acquired whiskey from others such as Beam, BF, Barton, and who knows where else. Then they blend it. The component parts of Bulleit are constantly evolving. 

The comparison of Bulleit to 4RSmB just because you don’t like them has no basis in what’s actually in them.

I wasn't actually comparing the two as much as I was saying that IMHO 4R small batch is fairly average whiskey.  Now their SiB I like very much.  They way I wrote my post did not convey that very well.  A gentleman here on SB put it much better than I. 

 

From Feb 2016 under another thread for Bulleit BP

  Tanstaafl2 wrote  :

 

"So far despite Bulleit being most likely Four Roses whiskey (although who really knows with Diageo. Might be a good place to mix in some past its prime 17yo bourbon that didn't get "accidentally" mixed in with 4yo corn whiskey...) it seems like not having Jim Rutledge available to help put together a good blend (I presume he at least had a hand in everything at FR from Yellow Label on up) has left Bulleit as an average whiskey at best despite the source, at least for me. Not sure a barrel proof version of an average whiskey is going to be anything more than, well, average.

Proof of course will be in the tasting I suppose and I will likely give it a shot if the cost isn't absurd. And knowing myself I probably will try at least one even if it is... :unsure:  "

 

 

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6 minutes ago, Cranecreek said:

I wasn't actually comparing the two as much as I was saying that IMHO 4R small batch is fairly average whiskey.  Now their SiB I like very much.  They way I wrote my post did not convey that very well.  A gentleman here on SB put it much better than I. 

 

From Feb 2016 under another thread for Bulleit BP

  Tanstaafl2 wrote  :

 

"So far despite Bulleit being most likely Four Roses whiskey (although who really knows with Diageo. Might be a good place to mix in some past its prime 17yo bourbon that didn't get "accidentally" mixed in with 4yo corn whiskey...) it seems like not having Jim Rutledge available to help put together a good blend (I presume he at least had a hand in everything at FR from Yellow Label on up) has left Bulleit as an average whiskey at best despite the source, at least for me. Not sure a barrel proof version of an average whiskey is going to be anything more than, well, average.

Proof of course will be in the tasting I suppose and I will likely give it a shot if the cost isn't absurd. And knowing myself I probably will try at least one even if it is... :unsure:  "

 

 

Bruce is correct that they blend in older whiskey.

He’s also correct that their blenders are not as good as Jim Rutledge. 

I like barrel strength Bulleit a fair bit more than standard. It’s not necessarily the same whiskey at a higher proof. They may put better whiskey in that blend. It also may be true that if the same whiskey that it just drinks better at a higher proof.

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I dislike regular Bulleit but liked the Barrel Strength batch 2 a lot.  Better than WTRB IMO. 

 

Fred

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On 1/29/2018 at 2:36 PM, fosmith said:

I don't care for regular Bulleit bourbon but K&L had the batch #2 barrel strength for under $30 so I bought one and was glad I did.  Very nice pour, especially after the bottle had been open for a week or two.  Nose and flavor reminded me of WT Rare Breed. 

Id be getting two for that price. Love my barrel proof bourbon. 55$+ though makes me hesitant but might just bite the Bulleit hehehehehe

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On 4/7/2018 at 10:14 AM, Charlutz said:

I’m leery of this. Why pay $60 for a mystery FR when I can pay $60-$70 for actual FRBP with an age statement and a recipe I like? Plus I don’t have to wonder if Bulleit switched the contents or blended it or whatever. Not sure I want to support the company either. 

I agree, if your local has FRPS next to Bulleit each for $60, I would go for the FR every time. Though Bulleit has a 10 year age statement, which is more than the typical 8-9 years of FR private selections these days.

 

Where I live we don't have any stores large enough to get FR private selections, so I have to find them on the internet (or drive to Chicago - just got a real nice OESQ at Binny's last weekend), which generally means they cost $80-100 a bottle shipped. OTOH, Bulleit barrel proof is $45-50 here in just about every store I go to. All in all, at about $50, it's certainly not a bad buy. I like it a little less than Stagg Jr or a good FRPS, about as much as an average FRPS or MGP store pick, and noticeably more than Bookers and ECBP, both of which are more expensive. Though Bookers and ECBP are generally not in my wheel house, just to keep things in perspective.

 

It will be disappointing if/when Bulleit switches out the FR stock for something else, but as long as you pay attention to the batch number it's probably a pretty safe bet.

Edited by EarthQuake
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5 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

It will be disappointing if/when Bulleit switches out the FR stock for something else, but as long as you pay attention to the batch number it's probably a pretty safe bet.

A friend of mine just purchased an empty barrel from Four Roses. It was a 13yr old OESO (I think that was recipe) and it was dumped for Bulleit. So for the time being at least, there are still barrels for Bulleit in the 4R rickhouses.

 

Also - the 10 year age statement - have you seen that on the barrel proof? I only thought it applied to the Bulleit 10.

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1 hour ago, flahute said:

A friend of mine just purchased an empty barrel from Four Roses. It was a 13yr old OESO (I think that was recipe) and it was dumped for Bulleit. So for the time being at least, there are still barrels for Bulleit in the 4R rickhouses.

 

Also - the 10 year age statement - have you seen that on the barrel proof? I only thought it applied to the Bulleit 10.

I thought so too. One main reason for me to be skeptical of the barrel proof is the NAS status

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4 hours ago, flahute said:

A friend of mine just purchased an empty barrel from Four Roses. It was a 13yr old OESO (I think that was recipe) and it was dumped for Bulleit. So for the time being at least, there are still barrels for Bulleit in the 4R rickhouses.

 

Also - the 10 year age statement - have you seen that on the barrel proof? I only thought it applied to the Bulleit 10.

Oh sorry no, I must have mixed it up in my head with the regular 10 year.

Edited by EarthQuake
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  • 2 months later...

I had batch 2 of this. On opening it was difficult to taste much. After a week or two at the shoulders I get a lot of licorice, vanilla and pepper. Definitely better after the air time.

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  • 1 year later...

I realize I’m digging up an old thread, but I am curious.  A few weeks ago I found the batch 3 (bottled at 61.7%) at a local liquor store on sale for $35. That day, wanting something else and based on my memory of the entry Bulleit, I passed.  But it kept nagging at me, as we don’t see a whole lot of barrel proof whiskeys around here at that price.  So, of course, the following week I went back and got a bottle.  Now about half way through the bottle I can say that I have enjoyed it quite a bit.

Couple of questions.  And I realize information from Bulleit is lacking.  But, do the batch numbers correspond to a yearly release?  I have 3, I  have seen 4 on the shelf and have heard of a 5.  And, I can probably guess the answer from reading above posts, I am curious as to whether there is any new info as to the source of the whiskey? I can’t seem to find much.  I read some saying that it is now Beam.  Lastly I am curious if other areas are seeing a decrease in the price.  At $50 I probably would’ve passed it by and gone for the cheaper Rare Breed.  But for $35 I think it’s a solid buy and have no regrets picking it up.

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14 hours ago, KSJon said:

I realize I’m digging up an old thread, but I am curious.  A few weeks ago I found the batch 3 (bottled at 61.7%) at a local liquor store on sale for $35. That day, wanting something else and based on my memory of the entry Bulleit, I passed.  But it kept nagging at me, as we don’t see a whole lot of barrel proof whiskeys around here at that price.  So, of course, the following week I went back and got a bottle.  Now about half way through the bottle I can say that I have enjoyed it quite a bit.

Couple of questions.  And I realize information from Bulleit is lacking.  But, do the batch numbers correspond to a yearly release?  I have 3, I  have seen 4 on the shelf and have heard of a 5.  And, I can probably guess the answer from reading above posts, I am curious as to whether there is any new info as to the source of the whiskey? I can’t seem to find much.  I read some saying that it is now Beam.  Lastly I am curious if other areas are seeing a decrease in the price.  At $50 I probably would’ve passed it by and gone for the cheaper Rare Breed.  But for $35 I think it’s a solid buy and have no regrets picking it up.

We know that the bulleit 10 was four roses and we know that the bulleit rye Is mgp or Midwest grain products. They are owned by diageo. That’s what I can say assuredly. Someone else might have a better idea of their source for the standard bourbon and barrel proof bourbon.

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