Bourbon

Popcorn Sutton Bourbon

$59.99

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Popcorn Sutton Bourbon

by Nino Kilgore-Marchetti
March 7, 2024

Tasting Notes:

About:

A blend of straight bourbon whiskeys blended from barrels sourced from undisclosed Tennessee and North Carolina whiskey makers; 100 proof; $59.99.

Appearance:

A typical golden-amber-brown color profile in glass showcases surprisingly vivid legs and nice viscosity.

Nose:

This blended bourbon is very sweet on the nose, reflecting vanilla, caramel, burnt sugar, warm butter, and some butterscotch aromatics.

Palate:

It’s very 101 going on here, with bourbon flavor notes showcasing vanilla, oak, caramel, a hint of leather, buttered popcorn, and some back notes of pepper spice.

Finish:

It closes moderately and decently on the back palate, leaving me with a bit of sweetness that floats away.

Comments:

This is an entirely okay bourbon; it’s neither super exciting nor overly dull. I understand putting this together from barrels associated with states Popcorn was in, but that aside, I’m not really sure of the point of this release.

Popcorn Sutton Bourbon review — We review Popcorn Sutton Bourbon, a blend of straight bourbon whiskeys blended from barrels sourced from Tennessee and North Carolina and made in honor of a legendary moonshiner. (image via Ole Smoky)

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was 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.

Have you ever heard of Popcorn Sutton? The legendary moonshiner, as the story goes, was born in 1946 in North Carolina and passed away in 2009 in Tennessee. He had an illustrious and long career making booze the not-so-legal way. His brand lived on after his passing with the founding of Popcorn Sutton Distilling, the distilling location (not the brand) of which was acquired by Sazerac in 2016.

Fast-forward to last year, and Pam Sutton, Popcorn’s widow, has revived the brand again through a partnership with Ole Smoky Founder Joe Baker to bring Popcorn’s original recipes to market. The collaboration is “one based on a shared goal of celebrating Appalachian heritage and paying tribute to the local whiskey icon.”

For those unfamiliar with it, Ole Smoky is a very popular Tennessee distillery known for its multiple locations and a huge range of moonshine. They also have some aged whiskey. This Popcorn Sutton project, however, seemingly takes a more personal level for Baker and Pam Sutton, with a mutual desire to “tell the story of the moonshiner’s life and ensure that future generations can connect with this important part of Appalachian history.”

“My husband was moonshine whiskey’s greatest ambassador and its greatest craftsman,” said Pam Sutton at the time of his announcement. “His spirit will live on thanks to Joe’s efforts to share Popcorn’s life and the hard work he put into perfecting his craft.”

Two products have been initially released for this, one being a moonshine derived from Popcorn’s original moonshine recipe. The other, which I’m reviewing here, is Popcorn Sutton Bourbon. It is a 100-proof blend of straight bourbon whiskeys blended from barrels sourced from undisclosed Tennessee and North Carolina whiskey makers; both states that Popcorn called home.

Bottled at 100 proof, Popcorn Sutton Bourbon is available for sale directly for $59.99 through Ole Smoky.

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