Blue Note Juke Joint Whiskey Review

BOTTLE DETAILS

• PRODUCER: B.R. Distilling Company, LLC
• DISTILLER: Undisclosed
• MASH BILL: 70% Corn | 21% Rye | 9% Malted Barley
• Batch Size: 20 Barrels
• AGE: A minimum of three years
• YEAR: 2020
• PROOF: 93 Proof (46.5% ABV), Unfiltered
• MSRP: $29.99
• BUY ONLINE: Wine-Searcher.com

MATT'S NOTES

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.

BRAND NOTES

AGED: A minimum of three years

PRODUCT TYPE: Kentucky  Straight Bourbon Whiskey

MASH BILL: 70% Corn | 21% Rye | 9% Malted Barley

PROOF & FILTRATION: 93 Proof, Unfiltered

Crafted in Memphis

NOSE:  Sweet Corn  |  Allspice  |  Oak

BODY: Viscous

TASTE:  Vanilla | Allspice |  Apricot and Pear

FINISH: Allspice fades into lingering notes of oak, pear, and vanilla

"Blue Note Juke Joint is born from the Blues and named after the places where blues made its name. A juke joint is a bar, tavern, or roadhouse featuring music played on a jukebox or live bands (associated with the blues) with space to dance.

Our bourbon barrels are cooked low and slow like Memphis barbecue as they age near the banks of the Mississippi River.  The deep Delta heat and humidity forge an unforgettable rich flavor resulting in a full bodied bourbon with bold notes of caramel, oak, vanilla, and spice that lingers on the palate.  At 93 proof, Blue Note Bourbon is not chill filtered, resulting in a rich, savory mouthfeel.

Blue Notes were born in the 1920’s on the streets of Memphis, Tennessee, and they have since found their way into almost every form of music. You feel a blue note almost as much as you hear one. They are twangy notes that give a blues song its edge, providing the beat personality, spirit and soul.

Blue Note Bourbon is artfully crafted to honor the Memphis Blues and its influence on music through the creation of rock ’n’ roll. Like the blues, the bourbon is bold, yet smoother than smooth."

-B.R. Distilling

Disclaimer: B.R. Distilling Company, LLC provided Bourbon & Banter with a sample of their product for this review. We appreciate their willingness to allow us to review their products with no strings attached. Thank you.