Blue Run Bourbon Overall Thoughts And Score
There is no question this Blue Run Bourbon is good. Its extremely aromatic and flavorful, but theres no lack of good-to-great bourbon in the market these days in the $80-$100 range and youll actually know where the whiskey came from. But then, Im not their target market. Like with the Off Hours Bourbon, the branding and messaging clearly show who theyre going after. Though instead of the Hollywood brunch crowd its the whiskey drinker with more dollars than sense and a healthy FOMO drive. And that aint me, or anyone I know.
Why else would they bury Jim at the bottom of their site, leave out or minimize whats actually interesting about their story, and give us 343 uselessly chewy words instead? Like so many brands emerging these days, the Blue Run Bourbon Whiskey isnt targeted at Me, or likely even You. You and I wouldnt spend $170+ on this, we know smarter ways to spend our whiskey budget. But you and I knowing that didnt prevent them from selling out their first run because, again, were not their target. Which is great for them, and Jim .
SCORE: 4.5/5
*Disclosure: The sample for this Bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.
Blue Run Bourbon Whiskey Review
Summary
Overall
Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Review
111 Proof
I hope you enjoy my Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Review!
This is a very exciting bourbon for Blue Run Spirits. Blue Run High Rye Bourbon was contract distilled at Castle & Key Distillery, with Jim Rutledge as the contracted Master Distiller. For their previous sourced bourbons, Jim Rutledge served as the Liquid Advisor, and approved the barrels which were selected and used. This time, he was actually in charge of the distillation. For anyone who may not be familiar with Jim Rutledge, he was a former Master Distiller at Four Roses and a member of the inaugural class of the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Of course, Four Roses is known for their high rye mash bills and this mash bill is certainly high rye. Its 65% corn, 30% rye and 5% malted barley, something Jim Rutledge is certainly accustomed to working with. So whats it like?
Tasting Notes
Lets taste it:
Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn
Nose: Baking spices with nutmeg noticeable, rich caramel, light honey, some Graham cracker, stone fruits like black cherries and dark plums, hint of anise and maybe a touch of ginger, light oak light medium alcoholTaste: Black tea, simple syrup sweetness, soft caramel, hint of light toast and ginger towards the endFinish: The flavors continue, some black pepper and char build black tea and sweetness lingers. Fairly long finish. Moderate burn
Summary
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Basil Hayden Toast
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Bourbon continues to rank among the most popular distilled spirits in the United States and its not just sales seeing a spike. As the number of producers in the country goes from strength to strength, so too does the range of styles in the category, with distillers turning to innovative fermentation and aging techniques, as well as left-field grains to stand out.
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Reviews & Tasting Notes
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Based on 0 votes, the average rating for Blue Run High Rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is 0.0/10.
Scroll down for all reviews.
Why people love it?
Blue Run High Rye Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey which is carefully distilled at Castle & Key Distillery is adored for its flavor notes.
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Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. California Oak Bourbon
Distilled in Kentucky, this high-rye release is finished using a mix of virgin French Oak staves and California Cabernet wine cask staves. The process has a noticeable and enjoyable influence on the final whiskey, imparting a prominent vanilla note and juicy red berry flavors. If youre a regular wine drinker looking to explore bourbon, this is the bottle for you. Average price: $31. Rating: 91.
Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
The eponymous release from the Buffalo Trace distillery, this expression remains among the most widely available and easily obtainable from the brand. That doesnt mean it should go overlooked, though. This is a solid entry-level bourbon with enjoyable caramel, brown sugar, and spice notes. It also performs valiantly when used in cocktails. Average price: $35. Rating: 91.
Hirsch Selected Whiskeys The Horizon
Hirsch combines a blend of two rye-forward Indiana-distilled bourbons for this release. The first, and majority component, is a little under 5 years old, while the second made from an even higher-rye mash bill is aged more than 6 and a half years. Unsurprisingly, rye is notable throughout, lending a black pepper spice to the nose and a sharp bite to the finish. Notes of red petals and dried cherries lend further complexity. Average price: $38. Rating: 92.
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Review: Blue Run Golden Rye And High Rye Bourbon 4 Years Old
Blue Run hit the scene with a splash in 2020, a collaboration between Jim Rutledge, the famed former master distiller at Four Roses, and Nike brand designer Devon McKinney. Since then, a smattering of whiskeys have been released by the brand, but theyve all had a catch: All were sourced, none had any of Rutledges real fingerprints on them.
Thats finally changing today. While Blue Run Golden Rye is also sourced, the new Blue Run High Rye Bourbon release was distilled at Castle & Key by Jim Rutledge himself, working as contracted master distiller for the batch.
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Blue Run High Rye Bourbon Batch 2 Hits The Market
Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Batch 2 is a small-batch whiskey and is the first Blue Run product with Bourbon Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge overseeing the production . Rutledge distilled this batch at Castle & Key Distillery.
This whiskey is distilled from a 65% Yellow Corn, 30% Rye, 5% Malted Barley mash bill.
Blue Run Whiskey Director Shaylyn Gammon oversaw the dumping and blending of 232 barrels. Batch 1 of BRKSHRB sold out in minutes online as stated by Blue Run. Each barrel was toasted to a #4 alligator char and aged in Frankfort and Bardstown, KY., proof clocking in at 111. MSRP is $99.
BUY ONLINE HERE . Sale debut March 10th.
For a four-year-old Bourbon, Im impressed with the quality of this release, and I look forward to evaluating the subsequent releases of these barrels after additional maturation, said Jim Rutledge.
TASTING NOTES BY BLUE RUN: On the tongue, Blue Run High Rye Bourbon is a caramel beauty full of baking spices and a toasted oak frame that crescendos with a stone fruit and black pepper finish. Each bottle features an iridescent coating on the brands signature gold butterfly to create a prismatic, rainbow-hued medallion, making it easily identifiable on any back bar.