It’s an exciting time for bourbon. American whiskey is gaining ever stronger domestic loyalty, earning international market traction against Irish, Canadian and Scotch whiskeys, and spreading like wildfire further and further from its Kentucky epicenter. But while many whiskey drinkers are avid connoisseurs, some need a leg up.
Which brings us to blending. For many fine brands (Ballantine’s, Chivas Regal, Johnnie Walker) blending is a high art form, allowing the master blender to hone in on an exact set of flavors they aim to highlight. While the American whiskey community is still learning to embrace blended whiskey, Hillsboro, Ore.,’s Big Bottom has seized the practice as a means of developing a perfect entry point for fledgling bourbon drinkers. Their Barlow Trail American Blended Whiskey is a blend of three well-aged whiskeys, and hits home at first sip: a nose of woodsy caramel and trace milk chocolate precedes a wave of pronounced vanilla backed by a whisper of spice. It’s light enough for anyone to enjoy, yet it’s unmistakably a great bourbon, complex enough to stand up to the test of time.
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