Bulleit Frontier Whiskey sets out to conquer the bourbon frontier.
Ah Bulleit. Just a few years ago, this bourbon was a small-time, rookie brand that was hardly on anyone’s radar. But seemingly overnight, it’s skyrocketed in popularity and is now competing for bar shelf space alongside heavyweight champions like Maker’s Mark, Evan Williams, Jim Beam, and Woodford Reserve. But don’t be fooled – this bourbon is hardly the underdog that it claims to be.
In 1987 Tom Bulleit started distilling Bulleit as an homage to his great-great-grandfather – the original distiller of the family. But over the next 13 years, the brand was bought and acquired twice by two major spirits powerhouses: Seagram and Diageo. While the Seagram ownership was fleeting, things seemed to stick with Diageo. The owner of major brands like Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan, Guinness, Tanqueray, Crown Royal, and Smirnoff’s, it’s safe to say that Diageo knows a thing or two about marketing. And that’s exactly how a no-name bourbon got a reputation as, “Frontier Whiskey.”
While, yes, the original recipe may date back to somewhere on the frontier (wherever that is), this isn’t a historic bourbon steeped in tradition. Although Bulleit wouldn’t be the first to stretch the facts for a good marketing lead, the level of stretching and resulting success is still pretty remarkable.
Although the company claims to still be using the original family recipe, it was pretty well known that the brand was supplied through Four Roses for years. That contract was rumored to have ended, while Bulleit started up their own distillery aka “The Bulleit Distilling Company.” But in the transition after Four Roses, and even now, it’s difficult to find a clear answer on who even distills Bulleit. Yet, the bourbon continues to win awards and expand with a Bulleit Rye, 10 year bourbon, and barrel strength bourbon.
So how does this frontier famous bourbon stack up? Bulleit bourbon begins with a largely sweet scent of vanilla, citrus, and a bit of smoke and leather. The high rye contents of the mashbill become evident in the flavor with pops of pepper, notes of oak, and some caramel sweetness. The pepper and oak conclude the show into a flat finish. The consistency is unfortunately a bit thin and watery, which muddles the ending flavor and finish. It’s not a terrible bourbon by any means, but it’s definitely underwhelming and under complex.
Now all of this would be fine if Bulleit was still the “bargain bourbon” it was originally marketed as. However in most cases, its direct competition is priced similarly, if not better. Bulleit continues to populate the shelves of bars and liquor stores, as a mixing bourbon disguised as a middle-tier whiskey. Sure, it’s a fine mixer, but for us it needs to be priced as such before we’d consider buying it over something like Wild Turkey 101.
Despite the frontier fantasy, Bulleit hasn’t managed to wrangle us as fans.
STATS: Bulleit Bourbon
- Price for us: $35 for 750 mL
- Proof: 90
- Aged: NAS
- Distillery: Bulleit Distilling Company, owned by Diageo
- Recommendation: Mixer
