Raspberry | Caramel | Butterscotch | Cherry | Burnt sugar | Toasted oak with a touch of char | Lightly floral

Roasted corn | Butterscotch | Blackberry | Cornbread

Mixed nuts | Mixed spices | Barrel char | Black cherry | Maple syrup | Slightly dry | Earthy

This release is Bluegrass Distillers’ first Blue Corn Single Barrel release since 2023. While the company’s original Blue Corn expression uses wheat as its secondary grain, this latest edition swaps in 21% rye, resulting in a distinctly different flavor profile. Unlike traditional yellow corn, which is used in most bourbons, blue corn often produces a softer, sweeter bourbon. According to the company, Bluegrass Distillers was the first Kentucky distillery to produce a blue corn bourbon, helping pioneer the use of heirloom blue corn in the state's modern craft bourbon industry.

The market is beginning to catch up with Bluegrass Distillers - or maybe it's proof that the company is onto something with blue corn distilling. With a number of companies, such as Jeptha Creed, Beyke’s Blue, and Still Austin, offering blue corn bourbon, the unique, earthy flavors of the corn varietal can be a refreshing change of pace.

Bluegrass Distillers Blue Corn Bourbon Single Barrels range in proof, but the 130 proof of this particular single barrel brings the heat. That intensity starts with the aroma, which hits hard and fast, with notes of raspberry, caramel, butterscotch, and cherry. The palate puts a roasted corn note upfront and offsets it with rich butterscotch and blackberry. The finish goes the traditional route of blue corn that is nutty and earthy.

Bluegrass Distillers Blue Corn Bourbon Single Barrel, with rye as its secondary grain instead of wheat, definitely gives the bourbon a spicier edge. The majority of the summer fruits found in the wheated version are replaced with blackberry and black cherry.  Although blue corn bourbons are said to be sweeter than their yellow corn counterparts, that isn’t entirely true here. Its butterscotch and maple syrup notes can only hold out for so long before spice and mixed nuts overtake the sip. That’s not a bad thing, but Bluegrass Distillers Blue Corn Bourbon Single Barrel is decidedly more earthy than traditional yellow corn bourbons. It’s a welcome variation, especially for those who feel more adventurous. With the ever-growing range of blue corn bourbons on the market, it's becoming a fun and offbeat flight for fellow bourbon enthusiasts.

‍The bourbon in review is barrel #9044, bottle #114.