Seasoned oak | Vanilla custard | Toffee | Nougat

Buttercream frosting | Honey | Pie crust | Nutmeg | Leather | Charred oak | Brown sugar

Baking spices | Caramel | Leather | Tobacco | Seasoned oak | Brown sugar | Lingering rye spice

Named for “Circle City,” the longtime nickname for Indianapolis, which originated from Monument Circle at the center of the city’s original 1821 plan, Circle City Whiskey Company is based in Indianapolis, Indiana, and was founded in 2023 by Drew Black. Black previously ran a large Indianapolis-based whiskey club that was focused on private barrel selections, ultimately leading him to Circle City Whiskey Company via a more non-traditional whiskey enthusiast route. The company sources whiskey and blends stock from different distilleries with as much disclosure as their agreements allow, upholding their motto, “Great Whiskey | End of Story.”

Birds of a Feather is part of the company’s 50/50 Club line, which blends whiskeys from different distilleries in equal 50/50 ratios. While the company is prohibited from disclosing the source of the bourbon from Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, the mashbill, flavor profile, and nickname point to Wild Turkey. The final 101 proof blend may also be a quiet nod to Wild Turkey, not to mention its 50.50% ABV, which is a subtle and strangely satisfying evocation of the 50/50 Club brand.

Birds of a Feather is very simply an enthusiast’s bourbon. It brings in all the elements enthusiasts want – detail on age and blend, including age and mashbill right on the label, bottled at cask strength (despite being low at only 101 proof), and it’s priced in expected territory for what it is. It’s hard to go wrong with (presumably) Wild Turkey plus Bardstown Bourbon Company – a combination that most likely shows up in BBC Discovery Series Blends with the same veiled disclosure. The end result here isn’t groundbreaking in terms of a wildly unique flavor profile. Instead, it’s a bourbon drinker’s bourbon with enough proof, flavor, savory, and sweet notes to satisfy just about any enthusiast sipping neat, falling much in line with what enthusiasts might describe as a honey barrel. Only in this case, it’s a blend of two. Circle City Whiskey Company might be small, but if they’re not on your radar yet this release proves they should be.