Review: First West Explorer Bourbon

Once bottled as part of the 15 Stars empire, First West just spun itself out into its own brand (though “crafted by 15 Stars” still appears on the label in small print), complete with different branding and a weird-looking bottle that reminds me of a fish. (Turns out these are also historically inspired by the bottles of yore.)

While the corporate branding is its own — First West being a reference to how Kentucky was the first stop on the westward expansion into the frontier — the production process is really the same: Like 15 Stars, these are sourced Kentucky whiskeys, at least for the most part. The brand now contains four expressions, of which we received one: Explorer. With Explorer, its a four-grain blend of Kentucky straight bourbon at least 5 years old that is “blended with our own baby black corn bourbons for improved flavor.” It’s unclear what those black corn bourbons refer to here, or who produces it, but I suspect there’s little to be gained by speculating on that front, anyway.

Let’s taste it.

First West Explorer Bourbon Review

After a somewhat brash attack on the nose, Explorer manages to air itself out a bit and tame what feels like a bit of a beast. Unfortunately, what’s left behind is a little scattered — butterscotch and caramel corn, quite sweet, backed up by lumberyard and black pepper aromas, some earthy greenery ringing the edges.

The palate is a contrast: All corn, or nearly all corn, anyway. Here the caramel corn finds loads of fresh-popped popcorn folded in, first coming across as quite savory before the whiskey’s natural sweetness grows anew and evolves further into candied territory, evoking peanut brittle dipped in cinnamon syrup. The midpalate is otherwise indistinct, showing a bit of mint and some cherry Sucrets notes, before a somewhat short, slightly underdeveloped conclusion. Ultimately this winds up as one of those whiskeys that feels mostly harmless and otherwise indistinct, though nothing at which I’d turn my nose up at happy hour.

95 proof.

B / $50

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