> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bourbonbanter.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Trader Joe’s Kentucky Bourbon Straight Whiskey Review
- URL: https://www.bourbonbanter.com/trader-joes-kentucky-bourbon-straight-whiskey-review/
- Published: 2017-01-04T06:01:01.000Z
- Updated: 2023-04-14T17:32:01.000Z
- Description: I am Mr. #RespectTheBottomShelf. I’m not afraid of “cheap” whiskey, and, in fact, when I see something super-affordable, it piques my curiosity.
- Author: Jeffrey Schwartz
- Tags: Bourbon Whiskey Reviews, Trader Joe's, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2023-03-13 09:32, #updated

## **BOTTLE DETAILS**

---

- ****DISTILLER:** Undisclosed, but evidence points to Buffalo Trace's [Barton 1792 Distillery](https://www.1792bourbon.com/distillery?ref=bourbonbanter.com) as the source
- ****MASH BILL:** Undisclosed
- ****AGE:** No formal age statement, but as a "straight whiskey" it is at least two years old.
- ****YEAR:** 2016
- ****PROOF:** 90 (45% ABV)
- ****MSRP:** $14.99

## **JEFF'S NOTES**

---

****NOSE**: Sweet Candied Corn | Marshmallow | Oak | Astringent 

****TASTE:** Young Oak | Spice | Cinnamon | Caramel 

****FINISH:** It becomes obvious this is a younger Bourbon. Despite the candied nose, there’s a burn, but it is a short burn. What follows is a cough syrup taste that sticks around and makes me do the bitter beer face thing. 

****SHARE WITH:** Friends who have been drinking a lot and you want to see if their taste buds are still working. You know, for a good laugh. 

****WORTH THE PRICE**: I’ve had much better for less. 

****BOTTLE, BAR OR BUST:** If you’re looking for something as a mixer where Bourbon isn’t the dominant ingredient, like a cola, this might be worth having. For the most part, I’d rate this a bust. For my fellow **Bourbon & Banter* writers, I took one for the team. 

****OVERALL:** While Trader Joe’s Kentucky Bourbon Straight Whiskey offers highly desirable appearance qualities, in the end, what counts is how whiskey engages with my palate. Adding a splash of water improved the experience, but even so, I found this Bourbon to be an overall disappointment and earns its position on the bottom shelf.

## **BRAND NOTES**

---

****Straight Whiskey. Priced Right.** When we decided it was time for Trader Joe's to have a Bourbon Whiskey with our name on it, we knew we had to go to Kentucky's best distillers to get it done right. And so, after tasting a number of different submissions, we fell in love with what would become ****Trader Joe's Kentucky Bourbon Straight Whiskey**. 

Produced for us in Bardstown, Kentucky (in Nelson County), our ****Bourbon** is sweet, fruity and spicy with hints of brown sugar and oak—it is aged for a minimum of two years in new (charred) white oak barrels. Its finish is long, appreciably spicy and dry, with accents of vanilla that linger on your tongue. 

We think ****Trader Joe’s Kentucky Bourbon Straight Whiskey** stands up well next to some very high-end Bourbons, and we're proud of our price of ****$14.99** for each 750ml bottle, significantly less than you'll pay for "big name" Bourbons of this quality.