Augustus Bulleit, a Kentucky tavern keeper, developed a high-rye bourbon recipe in the 1830s. His unique blend distinguished his product and lifted the entire industry to relevancy, but he disappeared in 1860, and the recipe was lost. The Bulleit brand was revived in 1987 by Thomas E. Bulleit, Jr., Augustus’s great-great-grandson, who recreated the original high-rye mash bill.
While Bulleit is always known for their consistency and quality, there haven’t been a ton of new or singular offerings. This new bottling is overdue in my mind, but delivered right on time.
Distilled in spring 2017 at Bulleit’s own Shelbyville, Kentucky facility, this isn’t just special because of its rarity. This is the first Bottled-in-Bond whiskey produced entirely at Bulleit’s dedicated distillery – a testament to their evolution from sourced whiskey to fully vertically-integrated craft producer.