Bourbon

Bourbon Review: Belfour Small Batch Straight Bourbon

We review Belfour Small Batch Straight Bourbon, the latest release from the brand founded by NHL Hall of Fame goalie Ed Belfour.

OVERALL RATING

7
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Belfour Small Batch Straight Bourbon (image via Debbie Nelson)

Tasting Notes

About:

Mash bill of 60% corn, 30% wheat, and 10% malted barley; 50.25% alcohol by volume/100.5 proof; only 95 barrels were released; $99 for a 750ml bottle.
Appearance:
Dark amber, almost brown.
Nose:
Cinnamon and cloves up front, spicier than I expected. The sweetness comes through in the form of caramel, honey, and chewy brown-sugar cookies.
Palate:
For a young bourbon, this has a surprisingly lush mouthfeel. I taste walnuts, Ferrero Rocher hazelnut milk chocolates and spongy spearmint cake. The finish is moderate, with hints of vanilla and citrus.
Finish:
Comments:
Like the whiskies I tasted 17 months ago, the Small Batch is a quality pour. Clearly, Southern Distilling is doing a good job with the Belfour directives. I look forward to seeing where Belfour can take the brand when it’s bottling its own juice, but in the meantime we’re getting an indication that Ed and his family intend to make more than just a celebrity label.rnrnThe reservation I have is about price point. There are a lot of quality $99 bourbons, and I’d be hard-pressed to argue that Belfour’s is head and shoulders above many of the others.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Scott Bernard Nelson

Scott Bernard Nelson is a writer, actor, and whiskey reviewer based in Portland, Oregon. While currently working in higher education, he previously dedicated 22 years to journalism, covering impactful events such as 9/11 in Manhattan, crossing into Iraq with U.S. Marines, and contributing to The Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning coverage of abuse in the Catholic Church, which inspired the film "Spotlight." Since 2019, Scott has shared his insights as a whiskey reviewer for The Whiskey Wash.  

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