Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Review: Straight From the Barrel

By Sam Slaughter Published December 17, 2019

frontier whiskey — Image used with permission by copyright holder

As the story goes, founder of Bulleit, Tom Bulleit, spent the last year traveling around the country, debuting a new whiskey to bartenders.

Recommended Videos

His goal was to see what the bartenders thought about a new release that would be based on a higher proof as opposed to a new flavor, finish, or anything else that has come to define new in the whiskey world. What came of these travels is Bulleit’s newest release, Barrel Strength Frontier Whiskey.

This barrel strength whiskey is made from a high-rye mash bill (one-third rye, two-thirds corn) and distilled and bottled in Kentucky.

Nose: Like you might expect from a barrel-strength spirit, there’s a good whiff of alcohol on the front of the nose (it’s muted slightly by water, but still present). Underneath, the frontier whiskey has hints of spice, warm vanilla and oak.

Palate: A warming palate that has notes of butterscotch and toffee, bolstered by toasted oak notes. On the back end of the palate, there’s a hint of baking spice as well, though the spice is less prominent than in the nose.

Finish: The frontier whiskey has a fairly long finish, one that dries out the mouth quickly and effectively. In a way, it is like biting into the popsicle stick at the end of a popsicle, if the popsicle stick had been soaked in whiskey (to Popsicle and/or Good Humor: you’re welcome for the best idea of 2017). The oak flavor stands out the most with an undercurrent of sweet toffee to round everything out.

Final Thoughts: Barrel strength spirits are an interesting category to me. On one hand, these higher-proof spirits are good for showcasing the flavors of a specific liquor in a cocktail. The notes that the distiller intended to be there shine above the other ingredients that might be muted otherwise. On the other hand, there are just some days that require a good, strong whiskey with an ice cube (or no cube, depending on the day). Bulleit’s Frontier Whiskey falls into the latter camp for me. It’s backbone is there and the liquid warms the gums in a lovely way.

Bulleit Barrel Strength Frontier Whiskey retails for $49.99. You can also take a look at our Booker’s Bourbon review.

Topics

Auto Reviews

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Sam Slaughter was the Food and Drink Editor for The Manual. Born and raised in New Jersey, he’s called the South home for…

Food & Drink

Elijah Craig Adds Toasted Barrel Expression to its Range

A trio of whiskeys

There's been a lot of talk about toasted barrel whiskey, particularly bourbon, over the past few years. And like everything else concerning whiskey, there are fans on one side of this technique who love the flavor it brings to the mix, and detractors on the other side who say it does little or even ruins the taste. The basic concept is this -- by law, bourbon must be matured in new charred oak containers (which are virtually always barrels). But for a toasted barrel whiskey, the liquid is placed into a toasted (and sometimes also charred) barrel for a further period of time after the initial maturation. Why exactly? Brands claim that placing the already mature whiskey in these barrels infuses it with new layers of flavor and complexity, augmenting the characteristic notes of vanilla and caramel that are already present. Michter's has put out a few limited release toasted barrel finish whiskeys, including a bourbon, rye, and sour mash whiskey that are finished in toasted but not charred barrels. Woodford Reserve has its Double Oaked Bourbon, which is barreled for a second time in "deeply toasted, lightly charred" barrels. Then there are whiskeys that are matured entirely in toasted barrels (some of which are also charred), like Wilderness Trail, Coopers' Craft, and Jack Daniel's Heritage Barrel.

The latest toasted barrel release comes from Elijah Craig, a dependable bourbon brand produced at Heaven Hill in Kentucky. For this release, the mature bourbon, already aged in char #3 barrels, is put into "custom toasted and flash charred [char #1] new barrels made of premium American white oak air-dried for 18 months." The distillery worked with Independent Stave Company to come up with a custom toast that it says brings a hint of smoke and extra sweetness to the whiskey. Everything else is the same as regular Elijah Craig, like the mash bill and proof, but this process does indeed create a different flavor profile, with flavors of caramel and butterscotch that arrive with an extra pop. Whatever side of the toasted spectrum you fall on, give this one a try if you are already a fan of Elijah Craig, or even if you're not.

Food & Drink

Angel’s Envy Releases Special New Mizunara Cask Whiskey

Mizunara Cask Whiskey

In celebration of the tenth anniversary of Angel's Envy's Founder's Day on August 19, the distillery released a new bourbon finished in Japanese Mizunara oak casks. This blend of four-year-old and nine-year-old whiskey spent an additional two years in these new charred oak casks, made from 200-year-old trees, during which it picked up a bouquet of floral notes including sandalwood, coffee, and a bit of smoke. "We chose this release for the tenth anniversary because my dad, having taken on several consulting roles in Japan during his career, always had a deep appreciation for the country and its distilling community," said cofounder and chief innovation officer Wes Henderson in a prepared statement. "This release, finished in Mizunara casks made from this rare, 200-year-old wood, felt fitting for such a special milestone for Angel’s Envy.”

This is a first for the distillery, and it really stands out in terms of flavor from its core range that is finished in port and rum barrels. "When we set out on this project, we knew where we wanted to end up, but we also knew we might not wind up there," said Henderson in a recent Zoom meeting. His son and production manager Kyle detailed the difficult and lengthy process of getting ahold of these barrels, which he said are extremely limited and tightly controlled by the Japanese government. It took about five years in total to procure them, and 18 months of that time was spent on a waiting list.

Food & Drink

Wild Turkey Releases Two New Limited Edition Whiskeys

Wild Turkey is one of those Kentucky whiskey brands that doesn't really need to expand its core lineup. After all, what it's known for is quality and affordability, two things that sometimes can be hard to find together. In other words, master distillers Eddie and Jimmy Russell can confidently rest on their laurels. But over the past few years expansion is exactly what the distillery has been doing, with the ultra premium Master's Keep series and additions to the Russell's Reserve brand. Now you can look for two more whiskeys with flags flying under the Wild Turkey banner, one from the aforementioned Master's Keep series, the other a new barrel-proof rye whiskey that is part of the Rare Breed lineup.

Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond is the fifth release under this banner of pricey, limited-release whiskeys. It's a 17-year-old bourbon, and the second Wild Turkey release to carry the BIB designation (the first was the 15-year-old American Spirit released over a decade ago, according to the brand). “With our own Master’s Keep Bottled In Bond, we took the historic process and protocol of aging for four years to the next level and allowed the liquid to rest for 17 years,” said Eddie Russell in a prepared statement. “We aged and perfected this rare, 17-year-old bourbon in Wild Turkey’s Camp Nelson rickhouses. This expression is a nod to the past, both our own heritage and the heritage of American whiskey-making as a craft.” Per the BIB rules, the whiskey is bottled at 100 proof, at least four years old, and is the product of one distilling season from one distillery. It's rich and delicious, with a creamy mouthfeel and strong notes of tannin, cherry, chocolate, and prune on the palate. This bourbon was bottled just in time -- it might have gone south after another year or two in the barrel. But as it is, it's a winner. It's not cheap at $175 for a bottle, but for those willing to spend some cash on a high-quality, older-than-usual bourbon, it's certainly worth it.