Review #187 - Nulu Toasted Small Batch Bourbon
Bottled by Prohibition Craft Spirits, this Nulu bourbon is actually MGP distillate from Indiana. It's a small batch bourbon, and this batch is specific to the Indiana market (batch IN1). While the minimum age of the whisky in the batch is 4 years, details on the back label describe that it's a blend of 4 to 6 year old bourbon barrels.
This bourbon is finished in toasted barrels, but one point of interest here is the length of the finish - it's a surprisingly short 1 to 4 weeks. How much of an influence will the toasted barrels have with such a short time spent in them?
Nulu Toasted Small Batch Bourbon
USA - Bourbon
Price Paid: USD 75 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 75 (2023)
Age Statement: 4 Years
Strength: 57.7% ABV
Cask Makeup: Toasted barrel finish
Details: Batch IN1
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 3 months; bottles at 100%, 80% (blind tasting), and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Strong and oaky - toasty, sweet spices of cardamom and brown sugar, sharper spices of nutmeg and cinnamon, and some coconut. There's a nutty side, adding walnuts or pecan turtles; later on, pepper and nutmeg grow stronger and spicier.
Palate: Medium-thick mouthfeel, and it's a bit hot and sharp. Oak flavors are again dominant - brown sugar, sawdust, pepper, and cardamom. There's a nice subtle banana flavor in the mid-palate, along with some corn, and later, both sweet vanilla and spicy red pepper flakes.
Finish: Medium-long, warm, and still oaky. There's a little bit of creamy vanilla, even a horchata note, and then some dry spice like nutmeg. Later on, an aftertaste of old furniture oak lingers.
Final Note: Well, that toasted finish does actually manage to peek through despite the very short maturation time - the nice toasty coconut in the nose, banana in the palate, and creamy horchata in the finish were subtle, but present. Overall, quite a strongly-oaked bourbon for 4 to 6 years old, and it drinks a little hot, but it was pleasant to explore. Value is oak - not the cheapest, but we've seen rising prices on MGP-sourced products for a while now.
Our Average Rating: 6.3 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.01
