Review: Blue Note Special Reserve Bourbon 2025
Based in Memphis, Tennessee, Blue Note has been a steady presence in bourbon’s blending scene for the past several years. While many of their releases have featured whiskey sourced from both Tennessee and Kentucky, they currently have a partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Company, so we’re likely to see more of that contract-distilled liquid come of age down the road. All their casks are aged just north of downtown Memphis, near the intersection of the Mississippi and Wolf Rivers.
Today, we’re looking at one of Blue Note’s higher-end, limited offerings: Special Reserve Bourbon, part of the brand’s Cask Finishing Series. The annual release numbers about 2,000 bottles for 2025, with a suggested retail price of $225. This year’s Special Reserve is a blend of both Tennessee and Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys, ranging in age from 4 to 19 years.
But more arresting than the age range is the blend of finishing casks, and the ultimate blend contains 10 different bourbons from 9 different varieties of secondary barrels. Hold on to your seats, because this is a breakdown that might require a second read.
Cognac, 5%, 19 year old Tennessee bourbon
Madeira, 3%, 5 year old Kentucky bourbon
Madeira, 18%, 6 year old Kentucky bourbon
Sherry, 4%, 12 year old Tennessee bourbon
Port, 5%, 11 year old Tennessee bourbon
Triple Sec, 10%, 4 year old Kentucky bourbon
Apricot brandy, 17%, 4 year old Kentucky bourbon
Amontillado, 13%, 4 year old Kentucky bourbon
Vanilla Cognac, 15%, 4 year old Kentucky bourbon
Vio de Maranja, 10%, 6 year old Kentucky bourbon
The Kentucky bourbons all come from a mash of 70 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and 9 percent malted barley. The Tennessee bourbons all come from mashes of 84 percent corn, 8 percent rye, and 8 percent malted barley (the 19 and 11 year old components) and 70 percent corn, 22 percent rye, and 8 percent malted barley (12 year old component). The final blend is bottled at 116.3 proof and does not undergo any filtering.
Will these liquid streams harmonize, or will we have discord in a glass? There’s only one way to find out.
That old Tennessee bourbon comes through immediately on the nose, full of barrel char, toasted oak, and burnt peanut skins. Almond and black walnut extracts come next. Those are in turn followed by equal (but not quite opposite) rushes of vanilla creme and leather recliner, the sweet and tannic elements merging nicely after my third sniff. Fruit is more muted than I expected, and with light traces of that apricot brandy finish coming through more like charred peaches and orange curaçao. Those are nice punctuations, though ultimately dark wine tannins and very old oak dominate the range of aromas.
The first taste is sweeter than the nose suggests, immediately viscous on the tongue. Sweetened orange curaçao and vanilla ice cream lead, quickly evolving into dark cherry syrup and blackcurrant jam. There’s plenty of dark fruit influence here, and though the nutty Tennessee bourbon lingers in the background, it’s not as pronounced compared to the nose. A thread of Cognac hits right before the midpalate, along with a hit of robust wood spice I’d guess comes from the influence of European oak. More citrus peel and vanilla accumulates toward the back palate, a good counter to what might be otherwise overpowering wood notes.
Given the proof, blend, and cornucopia of cask finishes, I expected the finish to weigh heavily. Instead, we’re left with remarkably light lingering flavors: orange marmalade and apricot jam, various dark berry jellies, and lightly bitter aged brandy. Creamy peanut butter and semi-burnt caramel wrap things up on a remarkably elegant note.
Blue Note’s latest Special Reserve release might read like a word scramble at first, but there’s a reason to the rhyme that clearly pays off. Its stumbling blocks are tiny, and there are points on the palate and finish where the whiskey oh-so-nearly touches greatness. I’m excited to see if the Blue Note team will continue to hone the blend. This is a good whiskey that implies something really great just a percentage point or two away.
116.3 proof.
A- / $225 / bluenotebourbon.com
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