Blue Note Juke Joint is born from the Blues and named after the places where blues made its name.
While this is bottled in Memphis, Tennessee by B.R. Distilling, Blue Note Juke Joint is a Kentucky straight bourbon, and it’s a big one. That’s due in large part to being bottled at barrel proof, coming in at 58.75% ABV. The nose is fruit-forward, evoking freeze-dried strawberries, strawberry Blow Pop, cherry cobbler, pumpkin pie, and black tea with honey.
The palate is hot, but not to its detriment, and it’s wonderfully creamy throughout. Chocolate-covered cherries are at the fore, joined by lemon-poppyseed muffin, fresh-squeezed lemon, grated ginger, brown sugar-cinnamon oatmeal, and a hint of licorice. The finish is long, inviting you to take another sip. —Julia Higgins
Blue Note Juke Joint Uncut Bourbon Survivor Barrels
In June of 2019, the rickhouse that stored much of Blue Note’s inventory collapsed in a terrible summer storm, spilling thousands of barrels and millions of dollars into the muck and mud. Most of the barrels were destroyed by the incredible force of nearly 10 million pounds crumbling six stories to the ground.
We thought all was lost, but a special few somehow survived the disaster. Surviving the collapse, however, turned out to be only the beginning of the barrels’ journey.
For the next four months, the barrels were left exposed to the elements before the wreckage could be properly assessed and cleaned up. In these ensuing months, the sweltering summer heat bore down upon the barrels day after day, darkening the outside and forcing the bourbon inside incredibly deep into the oak. Several thunderstorms passed through as well, pummeling the barrels for days, causing their bands to later rust and break.
As summer faded into fall, the nights grew colder, forcing the whiskey back out of the now worn oak. After the wreckage was cleaned up and every barrel was assessed, the company found that indeed some had survived.
Like these barrels, we have all faced incredible hardships across the course of the pandemic as the safety, stability, and comfort of the shelter we took for granted collapsed all around us. In an effort to celebrate life and perseverance, we have curated from our special lot of survivor barrels a select few barrels to release to the market under our new Blue Note Bourbon Uncut label. Going forward, not every barrel of Blue Note Bourbon Uncut will be a survivor barrel.
All Blue Note Uncut barrels in the market to date are survivor barrels of the June 2019 summer storm that caused one of our storage facilities in Owensboro, KY to collapse. we encourage you to try a bottle of this year’s 2022 survivor barrel release.
About Blue Note Juke Joint Uncut Bourbon
- Aged: A minimum of three years
- Product Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Mash Bill: 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley
- Proof & Filtration: Variable Proof, unfiltered
- Crafted in Memphis, Tennessee
Tasting Notes
- Appearance: Amber.
- Nose: Nose: Sweet corn, allspice, and oak.
- Palate: Vanilla, allspice, apricot, and pear
- Finish: Allspice fades into lingering notes of oak, pear, and vanilla
For more information, please visit the Blue Note Bourbon website or on their social media sites at:
For more information, please visit the Whisky Advocate website at https://whiskyadvocate.com/ or on their social media sites at:
Sources & Photo Credits: Blue Note Bourbon and Whisky Advocate
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