Nulu Straight Bourbon Whiskey is produced by Prohibition Craft Spirits, in Louisville, Kentucky, and was founded by Keith Hazelbaker in 2016 with the desire to “get back to the basics” with a very meticulous hands-on approach in everything they do. Their line up of spirits include tequila, rum, vodka, gin and — the subject of our review — bourbon. The current bourbon on offer is sourced from MGP while they wait for their own distillate to age.

We got a hold of the House of Bourbon store pick of Nulu Single Barrel Straight Bourbon Whiskey for this review. Noteworthy is how each bottle is hand-scribbled in sharpie with the proof (112.2), abv (52.1%), age (5 years, 9 months), barrel (#1392), and bottle (#48).

So let’s roll up our sleeves and get a handle on what this bourbon has to offer.

Ethanol hits the nose first. It takes some patience for the raisins and cherries to rise from underneath — even emerging as dark chocolate covered raisins and dried cherries. After settling in the glass for a spell, the musky dark chocolate and richness of dried fruits are more prominent.

The palate is a cinnamon bomb that fizzles about the tongue (like Pop Rocks candy), followed by dry, leathery notes, before finishing with more of those chewy raisin notes. The initial heat settles down, but then emerges again for the longer haul with a lingering warmth in the back of throat, just shy of an uncomfortable burn. Sweetness is always present throughout, though it comes not from a sugary base but rather from the rich complexity of the dried, honeyed, or brandy-poached fruits. Cinnamon is definitely the spice hero here; with a smidge of thyme and sage for the tiniest vegetal accent that eventually gives way to woodsiness of a peanut shell. On the back end, the finish also presents a pleasant bitterness of citrus peel that coats the palate.

This is a bourbon with great personality. It’s light in body but robust and complex in flavor. Perhaps not for the newer or occasional bourbon drinker, but for those looking for something a little different, it is well worth exploring; especially as the world awaits for PCS’s self-produced expressions to make their first appearance.

112.2 proof.

B+ / $65 / prohibitioncraftspirits.com [BUY IT NOW FROM FROOTBAT]

Nulu Single Barrel Bourbon

$65

8.5

Rating

8.5/10

BUY IT NOW

About Post Author

Monica Uhm

Monica is an incurable dilettante, who is relentlessly curious about books, brews (the coffee kind) and bourbons.

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