Bulleit Bourbon: a frontier whiskey that reeks of America

So that I wouldn't have to drink through my scotch whisky collection, which would be expensive to replace, I decided to drink cheaper American bourbon instead. This way I wouldn't feel bad for having an evening drink. I honestly don't know much about bourbon or how it is different from scotch. However, it's still whiskey, so I might as well give it a shot.

I chose Bulleit Bourbon. It seemed reasonably priced but not so cheap that it'd have a sickly taste. Most importantly, it came in a cool bottle that labeled it as "frontier whiskey." I could definitely see this bottle in an old saloon near the banks of the Mississippi or Ohio Rivers back in the early 1800s, when this heavily forested territory was the westernmost part of the United States. The whiskey has a high rye content and is aged for 6 years. According to the modern creator, Tom Bulleit, his great-great grandfather, Augustus Bulleit, created the first Bulleit bourbon in the 1830s. Tom resurrected the bourbon in the 1990s.

I'm still not very good at picking out flavors in whiskey, but here's my best attempt. I couldn't get much of anything from the nose. There is a strong caramel and oaky flavor. In the whisky tasting map, I'd place this bourbon close to the rich and delicate sides, away from the smoky and light sides. That would make it similar to Glenlivet 18 Year. Now, if only I had a bottle of that to confirm my hunch. It is a good late evening whisky to drink while reading a leather-bound book by a fireplace in winter. Then again, I think every whisky is good with a book and a fireplace.

Here's some tasting notes I read online. The nose has strong hint of vanilla, caramel, and spice (one taster said, "It will challenge you, especially if you are new to bourbon. It reeks of America!"). The taste had pear, rye, caramel, tobacco spice, and cinnamon (the same taster I just mentioned said, "This stuff is gasoline for the soul. While probably not for the faint of heart, it is not an uncivilized and wooly barbarian... though there must be one in the ancestry."). Personally, I'm not sure what rye tastes like so that I can know whether or not it is in this drink. Also, I didn't taste any tobacco, probably because I don't smoke. However, I could sense some cinnamon.

Overall, I would buy this bourbon again and recommend it to anyone who likes strong, rich, and oaky whisky.