Bourbon

Jeptha Creed Red, White & Blue Kentucky Straight Bourbon

$74.99

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Jeptha Creed Red, White & Blue Kentucky Straight Bourbon

by Nino Kilgore-Marchetti
May 6, 2024

Tasting Notes:

About:

Kentucky bourbon distilled from three corn types, malted rye, and malted barley, before being aged at least four years; bottled at 100 proof and priced at $74.99.

Appearance:

Some very warm golden, amber colors are in the glass, touched by a slight bit of cherry red. Leg structure and viscosity are spot-on in quality.

Nose:

As soon as the glass draws near, a distinct sweet creaminess hits the nose, reflecting the three-corn nature of this mashbill. Aromatics include lush vanilla interplaying with warm baking bread, slight hints of black pepper and coriander, super subtle oak, and a dabble of blackberry.

Palate:

This plays nicely on the palate, offering some deep and varied notes highlighted by sweet corn and a slight spice punch. You’ve got some creme brulee, strawberries, a nudge of vanilla, oak, a smile of caramel, and a lingering sea salt.

Finish:

The finish on this is sharp and crisp, a surprising contrast to the other elements of this tasting. It brings that creamy sweetness to the back throat in a pop-up way before a drawn-out fadeaway.

Comments:

The multi-grain mash bill here, including the three corn types, makes it difficult to balance flavors when crafting a good bourbon. With just a few minor things, Jeptha Creed has this American whiskey dialed in very well.

Jeptha Creed Red, White & Blue Kentucky Straight Bourbon review — We review Jeptha Creed Red, White & Blue Kentucky Straight Bourbon, distilled from three corn types, malted rye, and malted barley, before being aged at least four years. (image via Jeptha Creed)

Editor’s Note: We received a review sample of this whiskey from the brand. However, in accordance with our editorial policies, this has not influenced the outcome of our review in any way.

Jeptha Creed, introduced in 2016, is a small Kentucky craft whiskey distillery that is unique in this busy bourbon landscape in several ways. Owned and operated by Joyce and Autumn Nethery, a mother-daughter duo, Jeptha Creed is deep into using heirloom corn in its bourbons, with a particular focus on Bloody Butcher Corn grown on the over 1,000-acre Nethery family farm.

In addition to the corn they grow, the family-run farm distillery sources from other farms in the area for different needs, helping them hold to what they describe as a ground-to-glass concept that strongly supports local agriculture. Joyce Nethery is the master distiller here, having previously earned a Master’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Louisville’s Speed Scientific School and for 15 years working as a process engineer in industrial-scale distillation.

The portion of the farm dedicated to the distillery is 64 acres, and it is covered in crops that produce the grain, corn, fruits, and other ingredients used in Jeptha Creed’s spirits, which, besides the whiskey, include vodka, moonshine, and brandy made from fresh, locally grown pawpaw fruit.

Located along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour, Jeptha Creed Distillery is open to visitors and offers tasting experiences and tours. Its name comes from the Jeptha Knobs, where the Nethery family farm is located.

What’s in the bottle

The bourbon being reviewed from their lineup here is the Jeptha Creed Red, White & Blue Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Aged at least four years, it is distilled from red bloody butcher corn (25%), heirloom white corn (25%), Bruce’s blue corn (a varietal Joyce’s husband, Bruce, came up with – 20%), malted rye (20%), and malted barley (5%). It is bottled at 100 proof and priced at $74.99.

This bourbon is noted as being an annual tribute to veterans, with a portion of sales donated to local veteran organizations.

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Nino Kilgore-Marchetti

Nino Kilgore-Marchetti is the founder of The Whiskey Wash, an award winning whiskey lifestyle website dedicated to informing and entertaining consumers about whisk(e)y on a global level. As a whisk(e)y journalist, expert and judge he has written about the subject extensively, been interviewed in various media outlets and provided tasting input on many whiskeys at competitions. He also maintains a large private collection of whiskey from which he continually educates his palate on this brown spirit type.

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