Blue Run "K&L Exclusive" Cask Strength Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml)

We’ve long been fans of the Blue Run brand. In fact, I’m fairly confident that K&L was the first retailer to sell the product after their impressive DTC launch. They did a lot of stuff right and ultimately became the darling of the industry when it counted most. Now the brand is owned by Coors and we can offer this crazy deal due to their vast resources, but the heart and soul of Blue Run remains the same. Killer bourbon hand curated by our dear friend Jim Rutledge and bottled in the now iconic butterfly bottle. This single barrel has a stark white emblem emboldened on the bottle, contrasting the rich amber color of the bourbon. This barrel was picked out by the staff in Los Angeles from a large batch of casks while I was travelling in Kentucky and while we don’t have a lot of information beyond the mashbill, which is already mysterious, I love this style and I’m proud of their choice. Let’s taste it! The color is a shimmering chestnut (1.2). I poured this and walked away for 25 minutes, but when I made it back the nose was full of superb fruit and fresh rich wood character. There’s some spicy nuance behind that, but mostly we’ve got tons of sweet, tinned peaches, vanilla fudge, candied apricots to balance the twinges of cinnamon. The palate offers a core of sweet caramel with a building baking spice character as the high proof builds on the palate. It’s not hot or overly spicy and the fresh vibrant fruit translates nicely on the palate. Hard to say where this is coming from, but likely this is some of the old Rutledge distilled Bardstown or Castle & Key stock. In any case, it’s a fabulous refreshing take on the American classic in a beautiful bottle. Superb selection from the LA team.