Baking spices | Tree bark | Dried orange rind | Dash of cherry | Light grated cinnamon | Light ethanol

Cinnamon powder | Rye spice | Vanilla syrup | Oak | Faint marshmallow

Leather | Rye spice | Orange rind | Faint cinnamon | Lingering spice

Fathertime Bourbon is a new company and brand created by comedian Jim Gaffigan in partnership with Stu Pollard, a college friend of Gaffigan’s. Launched in the spring of 2024, the brand sources bourbon from an undisclosed distillery(ies) in Kentucky and bottles it in Bardstown. Each batch is denoted with a name and a story from Gaffigan explaining why it displays the moniker it does.

For the “Middle Child Mystery,” the company is focused on the theory of middle child syndrome. Does the middle child follow birth order theory and, as a result, not receive enough attention, or are they actually just like all their other siblings and given equal attention? While the debate is endless, what’s not debatable is the fact that this bourbon is a high proof affair, or as Fathertime Bourbon calls it, “Empty Nester Strength.”

Fathertime Bourbon Empty Nester Strength “Middle Child Mystery” leans into its “Empty Nester Strength” label and delivers a proof-forward pour. It starts with a nose that pulls in intriguing scents of baking spices and grated cinnamon, along with tree bark, dried orange rind, and a dash of cherry. Light ethanol is present that plows forward into a palate that is full of cinnamon powder, rye spice, and a vanilla syrup note. As the bourbon concludes, the oak found in the midpoint is swapped for leather while familiar notes of rye spice, orange rind, and faint cinnamon pull forward, culminating in a lingering spice note. It’s a good bourbon overall; however, for the price, consumers expect more, both in flavor profile and also background information.