Yellow cake | Light vanilla | Touch of oak | Faint caramel | Light

White peppercorn spice | Light vanilla | Oak | Faint corn syrup | Thin mouthfeel

Dash of rye spice | White peppercorn | Dull baking spices | Short

Larrikin Bourbon Company is located in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, and began as Lawrenceburg Bourbon Company. The company was founded by LCDR Greg Keeley, which stands for Lieutenant Commander and hints towards the founder’s background, which is noted by the company as “a Service-Disabled Navy Combat Veteran. Greg has the unique honor of commissioned service in both the United States Navy and the Royal Australian Navy, with combat roles in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Pacific. Raised in Oz, he also served with the Australian Federal Police.” The term “Larrikin” is Australian slang, meaning “a person who disregards convention; a maverick.

Larrikin Small Batch Bourbon delivers a straight-to-the-point sip in incredibly short order. It starts with a light aroma highlighting yellow cake and faint scents of vanilla, oak, and caramel. Its thin mouthfeel is concentrated around white peppercorn spice and sweeter notes of light vanilla and corn syrup before transitioning to an incredibly short, slightly spicy finish. While Larrikin’s Bottled in Bond or Rose Water offerings stand out, the same can’t be said for the company’s small batch offering. Thin and short, this no-age-stated bourbon is underproofed and overpriced.