Sandalwood | Blackberry | Wildflowers | Mixed nuts | Roasted corn | Earthy

Blackberry cobbler | Plum | Seasoned oak | Black cherry

Spearmint | Black candy licorice | Kola nut extract | Apple crisp

Beyke’s Blue Straight Blue Corn Bourbon was created by Brian Beyke, known online by @Abandonbourbon, and also for his work with Seelbach’s and Pursuit Spirits. Beyke’s Blue was born out of a memory he had as a kid seeing his family’s crops get delivered to Charles Medley Distillery in Owensboro, Kentucky. The idea of his family’s produce being shipped off to be transformed into another product, in this case, whiskey, stayed with him. Being a purveyor of whiskey, he had a fascination with heirloom corn varietals, especially blue corn (which indeed is very blue in color).

Blue corn differs from yellow corn and is often less sweet and much more earthy in smell and taste. There have been a few distilleries working with blue corn, notably Balcones, Jeptha Creed, Smokeye Hill, and Starlight. Given the limited number, there is certainly room in the market for another producer.

It is a sense of ironic fate, Owensboro distillery is now Green River Distilling, and the new company reached out to Beyke for help in producing a new bourbon mashbill for the company featuring blue corn as its main ingredient. The result is what you’d expect given blue corn’s general qualities, but what Beyke’s Blue offers beyond that is what makes it truly unique.

Even from the start, you’ll instantly know that Beyke’s Blue is anything but ordinary. Sandalwood starts the aroma, but it’s the following scents of blackberry, wildflower, mixed nuts, and roasted corn that give the aroma such an earthy composition. The palate then dishes up blackberry cobbler, plum, seasoned oak, and black cherry. Not to be outdone, the finish layers in sharp spearmint, black candy licorice, kola nut extract, and apple crisp.

It’s safe to assume that Beyke’s Blue Bourbon isn’t going to be for everyone. Its flavor profile is near alien to anyone who’s ever sipped a bourbon before. That in itself is an accomplishment, given the number of whiskey products on shelves nowadays and the wide range of gimmicks many implore. Beyke’s Blue Bourbon is for the adventurous type who’s bored with traditional tasting bourbons or the near-constant wine and Cognac finishes that litter the landscape. It’s a bold tasting whiskey with flavors that sometimes clash with each other and refuse to play nice. Though earthy, it refrains from being smoky and instead offers up a mix of dark and brooding fruits. With so few direct comparison points, Beyke’s Blue Bourbon is in a universe all to its own. Though it has some faults, its unique and boundary-pushing flavors make it a one-of-a-kind pour.

The bottle in review is from batch 01.