Duke - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
$49.99
Duke – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 88
Age: Minimum of 5 Years
Distillery: O.Z. Tyler Distillery / Bottled by Duke Spirits
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: Unknown
Website: Duke Spirits
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Very light and sweet on the nose. Vanilla, Butterscotch, Custard, Whip Cream, Honey, a tiny bit of Oak, and Nutmeg.
Taste/Palate: I notice Cherry for a second then Char and Honey comes forward first followed by Vanilla. You also get very muted Pepper in the Midpalate.
Finish: The finish circles back to Honey again after the minor alcohol burn and muted Pepper fades. It finishes just as sweet as it presents itself in the Nose and Palate.
Verdict: The back of the bottles says “Duke Bourbon is crafted utilizing John Wayne’s love of a Bold, Smooth, Full-Bodied bourbon from a recipe that until now was unknown-created from handwritten notes and bottles preserved for over 40 years in the family archives.” If the goal was to deliver a BOLD, smooth, FULL-BODIED bourbon I do believe this bottle missed the mark. If you are looking for a sweet bourbon that’s a blend of Butter Scotch Schnapps and a toned down version of Bärenjäger Honey Liquor this might be for you. Is it bad? No, it’s not bad. It’s just not what I was expecting given what I read on the back of the bottle. It tastes more like a liquor than a bourbon. This was too sweet for me and way too Honey forward. There was a brief sweet to non-sweet and back to sweet moment, but it came and went so quickly it was hard to notice.
The Story: I first saw a “white label” bottle of Duke Bourbon on the shelf in MI. I have no idea what batch it was or what proof or age statement, I just know I had never heard of the brand before. I asked what the cost was and the reply was “$99”. I passed, not willing to pay that price for something I knew nothing about.
Fast forward to this week I was traveling out of state. There was Duke (with the White Label) on the shelf with a $39.99 price tag on it. Ok, I’ll give it a go. That’s $10 below MSRP. Again, I have no idea if it was the same age or proof “white label” bottle, but I’m glad that I didn’t purchase the other bottle for $99, because to me $39.99 seemed too high.
The Distillery’s Story – My Take: When I look on Duke Spirit’s website there is only a “white label” bottle that lists 110 proof and 9 years. This is NOT that. See below there is obviously an error on the site. From what I can gather John Wayne had recipes that were hand written before he passed in 1979. His son Ethan
I don’t know the story behind the mystery recipe that was in the handwritten family archives. What I do know is Bourbon is hot right now and we’ve slapped another celebrity name and/or endorsement on a bottle and pushed it to market. Metallica, Peyton Manning, Matthew McConaughey, GWAR, Nick Offerman, Terry Bradshaw, Bob Dylan, Scottie Pippen, Jamie Foxx, and the list goes on getting in on the action. If I have a word of advice… if there’s a celebrity attached to a bottle read a review first just like anything else. I can honestly say I didn’t know Duke Bourbon was attached to John Wayne since he passed over 4 decades ago and when I buy a bottle I do my best to not read the bottle (which clearly says “John Wayne” upon further inspection) that might possibly influence my review. I don’t want to know the tasting notes from the distillery or what any other review has to say. I obviously knew that John Wayne went by The Duke, but the word Duke in itself is not unique to him.
There are other options in the Duke Bourbon line and I’m intrigued to try them in the future, but I’ll be trying them by the single pour instead of jumping on a bottle. Especially since the other bottles in the line have a higher MSRP.
Here’s a couple bottle facts since I’ve peppered in my opinion in excess. This was distilled in Owensboro KY and bottled by Duke spirits. It appears to be distilled by O.Z. Tyler which might be partly owned by John Wayne’s son Ethan. I’m not sure why the distillery and production bottle have a different name. This appears to be the flagship line “Duke”.
I do have to clarify I’m not knocking this entire brand or the distillery itself, this bottle just didn’t fire on all cylinders to me. I’ll actually search out other product in the future and hopefully there is a redemption.
***After further investigation into the Duke Spirits Website it looks like they didn’t put much care in the spirit profiles they put out there. The description for the Duke – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is the EXACT same as the 2 times more expensive Duke – Grand Cru Bourbon Founders Reserve. I think the tasting notes might be specific to each bottle, but I can’t confirm. Screenshots from the public site below. Maybe Duke Spirits will catch their error and update in the future.***
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Average. Not bad, but not special.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
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