Review: Bourbon de Luxe (2024)
After 113 years, the rumors of Bourbon de Luxe’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. Indeed, the storied brand is back under new ownership, with a label that harkens back to its early to mid-century glory days.
First, a quick history lesson, thanks in large part to bourbon historian and attorney Brian Haara. Bourbon de Luxe was originally a sourced brand founded by Texas whiskey merchant Milton Epstein. In the midst of Prohibition, the brand was sold to Kentucky’s R.E. Wathen Co. and absorbed into the American Medicinal Spirits Company. American Medicinal Spirits was then merged into National Distillers, which produced Bourbon de Luxe until 1987. That year, Beam acquired the portfolio and continued bottling the brand until the 2000s.
In 2023, Rolling Fork Rum founders Turner Wathen and Jordan Morris acquired the trademark; Wathen hails from the same family that formerly owned Bourbon de Luxe and scores of sister brands. Shortly thereafter, Wathen and Morris bought a stash of barrels they thought would be appropriate for the brand’s relaunch.
That brings us to the newest iteration of Bourbon de Luxe. This first re-launch is a three-barrel blend of 8 year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, distilled and aged in Bardstown from an undisclosed source. (Turner and Morris themselves operate out of Starlight, Indiana.) It’s a small release of just 528 bottles, though Wathen and Morris have stated they intend to release more batches in 2025.
This particular batch is bottled at a cask strength 119 proof. Let’s see how it tastes!
The nose begins with an herbal kick, flashy and fleeting before layers of more traditional bourbon scents take over: dark caramel, barrel char, toasted oak, burnt vanilla, and baking spice. That herbal opener — equal parts wet straw and fresh bell pepper — is back with every return sniff, though it becomes less pronounced as the nose acclimates to the sweeter, spicier elements. Light citrus oil builds over time, along with lighter vanilla ice cream. The whole nosing experience is vaguely like smelling a red pepper followed by caramel and then an orange Creamsicle. All the while, it noses decidedly below its 119 proof, and the ethanol never pushes out those other aromas. It’s a ride, for sure.
I had the slightest trouble nailing down the nose, but the palate experience is much more consistent. A first taste is sweet and creamy, with a tough-to-ignore viscosity that coats the full palate evenly and effectively. (It’s hardly a precise indicator, but the “legs” this whiskey leaves on the sides of a Glencairn are thick.) Bitter orange peel and cinnamon-infused simple syrup lead into a floral/herbal blend of saffron, rose water, and lemon drops. The citrus flavors once again shift to bergamot orange, coated in table sugar and bolstered by a little pipe tobacco. The finish stays sweet and fruity, punctuated by sprinkles of white pepper and Hungarian paprika.
Overall, this is bright, sweet, and only a bit tannic, a bourbon with scope and plenty to chew on (literally). The newest version of Bourbon de Luxe is hardly an oak bomb, but frankly, I’m relieved to taste a modern, quality Kentucky bourbon that doesn’t try to jam our palates head on with barrel staves.
119 proof.
A- / $65 / thebourbondeluxe.com
Bourbon de Luxe (2024)
$65
