Review: Bulleit ’87

Blending bourbon and rye used to be a wild novelty, but now it’s surprisingly commonplace, perhaps due to the runaway success of High West’s Bourye, which has become an annually released, prized commodity among those in the know.

The latest to jump into the blending game is Bulleit, whose new Bulleit ’87 is in some ways a throwback to the Reagan years. While the brand would take years to reach prominence, it was actually launched in 1987, well before the bourbon boom was on anyone’s radar.

This is a new core expression (the first since 2011) entering the permanent lineup, blending standard Bulleit Bourbon (from Kentucky) and Bulleit 95 Rye (from Indiana) in unstated proportions. Both the bourbon and rye are aged for at least four years, “finished separately in their original barrels with toasted American oak and French oak staves for four to six weeks, then blended together and bottled in Shelbyville, Kentucky.”

Let’s dive in.

Bulleit ’87 Review

My primitive thoughts on the brand from nearly 20 years ago aside, today’s Bulleit isn’t known for being an aggressive whiskey, and ’87 is probably the softest expression in the Bulleit arsenal to date. The nose is quite buttery, with immediate shortbread overtones, though a low-level smokiness slowly comes into view with time in glass. Rye spice elements make an appearance, with a whiff of cherry pits later. Cloves linger.

The palate again kicks off as quite soft and understated, more brown butter than fresh, some popcorn, caramel, and a dusting of spice. The whiskey never really picks up from there, as fruitier elements come into the picture — baked apples, sugared pears, and just a hint of golden raisins on the back end. As is the case with the nose, the rye-driven spice doesn’t appear much at all until the finish begins to near, with cinnamon and clove notes, punctuated with the occasional plump red berry, pop into the fore. None of it really lasts, though, the finish returning to those buttery, biscuity notes, with Bulleit ’87 ultimately fading from view with the impression of a cookie. A whiskeyish cookie, but emphasis on the latter.

The bottle’s a mixer, but a solid and versatile one, to the point where it feels like that was entirely the point in its creation. The name may confuse everyone who sips it. In a cocktail — of which I’ve had a few — the idea should come across with ease.

90 proof.

B+ / $30 [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

The post Review: Bulleit ’87 appeared first on Drinkhacker: The Insider’s Guide to Good Drinking.