Bulleit Frontier Whiskey has revealed its first bottled in bond bourbon that was distilled and matured at Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville, Kentucky. It was distilled in Spring 2017, the year the distillery opened, aged 7 years, and bottled at 50%. Bulleit Bottled in Bond maintains the brand’s signature high-rye mashbill of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley. The first bottling is available nationwide at a suggested retail price of $55, with further batches to be released annually, differentiated by the distilling seasons on the label.
Lead whiskey blender Delicia “Dee” James is the woman behind Bulleit’s latest expression. The bottled in bond release is positioned between the classic 90-proof Bulleit bourbon and Bulleit Barrel Strength. James studied chemistry and joined Bulleit Distilling Company 12 years ago, following the liquid from her initial position as a quality control specialist to her present role as lead whiskey blender. Distillation at Bulleit’s carbon-neutral sister facility in Lebanon only started in 2021, so while James doesn’t rule out a bottled in bond edition from Lebanon one day, the bourbon will come from Shelbyville for the foreseeable future.
Given the historical origin of bottled in bond and its association with quality and transparency, there’s a lot of honesty in a whiskey that can only be made by a single distiller in a single season at a single distillery and matured in a federally bonded warehouse.
Editions are expected to maintain consistency and quality of course, but James acknowledges that discerning palates may pick up seasonal differences between bottlings as weather and barrel variation introduce subtle natural differences in the development of flavors. James and her team have been monitoring the quality of these barrels since the spirit turned 2 years old. She created trial blends as the whiskey reached 4 years old, recognizing the need to wait a full 7 years for the bourbon to reach the sweet spot in the Bulleit profile where the bold, rich character she was looking for was most pronounced. According to James, the aromas in Bulleit bottled in bond are warm and spicy, with notes of maple, nutmeg, dark fruit, and toasted barrel, and on the palate, it’s sweet and creamy with a butterscotch note like a Lindor truffle.
How does Delicia James suggest experiencing Bulleit Bottled in Bond? “I like it neat, I like to taste my liquor,” she affirms, “but I put ice in there during the summer.” James loves an Old Fashioned with the new addition to the range, and also recommends making a Bulleit Bottled in Bond Manhattan. “Here in Kentucky, they do a lot of sweet tea with Bulleit,” she explains. “We’re in the South, so sweet tea is always around. People take lemonade with Bulleit, and I’ve also seen people try it with ginger beer.”
The Bulleit train has been picking up speed in recent years with the addition of an American single malt, 12 year old rye, and 10 year old rye to the portfolio. As they give bottled in bond their best shot, Bulleit finally seems to have all the bases covered.
