Honey | Baking spices | Cinnamon apple | Light oak | Fresh dinner rolls | Muted vanilla bean

Vanilla | Dull oak | Green peppercorn spice | Light butterscotch hard candy | Faint brown sugar | Touch of grilled peach

Charred oak | Black peppercorn spice | Leather | Dry & chewy

World Whiskey Society (WWS) was established in 2020, and according to the company’s website, “comprises an ultra-premium collection of rare expressions previously unavailable to even the most sophisticated whiskey enthusiasts.” WWS seeks out whiskeys from around the world, noting they have “a singular goal in mind - uniqueness - before selecting a distillery partner to join WWS.” For their latest release, however, the focus is less on the whiskey in the bottle and more on the bottle itself. The company states that Kentucky Green Code is “packaged in an eco-friendly, fully recyclable bottle boasting an 84% lower carbon footprint than traditional glass and five times lighter.” The bottle even comes with pictorial instructions on how to remove the bottle liner and recycle the paper shell.

The sip opens on a high note with a fairly bright overall aroma consisting of honey, baking spices, cinnamon apple, and a nice touch of fresh dinner rolls and oak. The oak carries over to the palate and dominates, which makes it harder for the underlying cast of supporting flavors to shine, which is unfortunate since once you get past the oak, it’s a pleasing combination. The finish strips away the prior sweet notes, instead focusing on charred oak, black peppercorn spice, and leather, which allows the sip to end on a dry and chewy note.

Overall, Kentucky Green Code provides for an average sip that most will be fine with; however, the spotlight is less about the liquid inside and more about the bottle it comes in. Additionally, long-term storage in glass has been proven over decades and centuries, while plastic is unknown. The concept is similar to boxed wine, just in the shape of a bottle. Data supports the fact that this packaging format produces less of a carbon footprint than glass, due to recycleability, weight, and other factors, however it’s yet to be seen if bourbon consumers will seek out bottles like this or avoid them, which could make it difficult to get the concept off the ground in a meaningful way.