NOSE:  Fresh Cut Grass  |  Ripe Red Fruit  |  Butterscotch

TASTE:  Almond  | Black Pepper |  Juicy Fruit Gum

FINISH: Medium finish with bitter tannins and an oak chaser.

SHARE WITH:  A Jack Black or Jim White drinker that wants a more structured whiskey under 4 years of age.  Old Tub fans should try this one too.

WORTH THE PRICE: At $29.99 MSRP, it is less expensive than many craft whiskey products and a better body than many bottom shelf products.

BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST: Bottle.  This is a little too young for me to drink often but this is a promising pour.  At three years+ this has a better mouthfeel and body than many other young whiskeys but needs some more time in the wood to be a neat pour at my house.

OVERALL: The first time I experience a new whiskey, I look for authenticity in the label and something other than creative writing and graphic design to justify the cost of a pour at a bar or the MSRP at a retail store.  I appreciate the bottle design and a synthetic cork with a simple label concept that is not ostentatious.

Blue Note Juke Joint Whiskey, however, is distilled in Kentucky but “crafted in Memphis” by B.R. Distilling Company.  The label doesn’t explicitly state where aging occurred, but B.R.’s website indicates they offer bottle storage in Memphis.

The MSRP and design are attractive, but I still want a few more years on this product before I seek it out for regular rotation on my home bar.  The mouthfeel and viscosity are what really separates this product from similarly priced competitors, but it is still too much of a one note product, even if that note is blue. Given the age, I would assume this is a contract distilled by Castle & Key or Bardstown Bourbon Company

This is on par with the well-received Old Tub product by Beam and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed with $30 for this one.  I’d stock this one as a cocktail base next to a Rittenhouse Rye as a solid well bourbon.

Learn more about Matt's whiskey preferences and check out more of his reviews…