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Big Easy Whiskey Review

Is Big Easy Whiskey the ultimate party hack? This 5-year bourbon infused with Old Fashioned flavors promises instant cocktails without the hassle.

OVERALL RATING

7
$34.99
  • Charles Steele is an attorney and whiskey enthusiast with a penchant for the peculiar.
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Tasting Notes

About:

The Big Easy Whiskey sits in a bit of a novel position in modern whiskey. It isn’t a straight whiskey, and it isn’t marketed as such. Marketing materials indicate, “Bold and boozy, bitter and sweet. Big Easy is a 5-year aged whiskey made from a traditional Bourbon mash. Infused with our Old Fashioned blend of herbs, spices, botanicals and fruit, the flavors needed to drink without pretension, or with it if you want.

Have a cocktail moment without the hassle, or impress your friends with the great taste you always knew you had. Be the life of the party. Being from New Orleans, we understand the need to do that.”

The key, to me, is “have a cocktail moment without the hassle.” Meaning we are leaning into the pre-made cocktail game without outright saying so. The world of whiskey and the whiskey market is everchanging. We are seeing in real time long-time players having to pivot from hyper allocated whiskey to more general supply. It’s hard to be a new face in the saturated market. I’m here for innovation and ready to see someone take a swing.

Vital Stats
81% Corn, 15% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
Appearance:
Yellow to a light copper with medium legs.
Nose:
Smells like an old fashioned, all I’m missing is a dried orange peel and a dash of bitters! The notes in total are mild but well blended. I discover some hay, juniper, marmalade, and herbaceous teas.
Palate:
Opening the palate I can find orange hard candies, a small undertone of juniper, angostura bitters, spring flowers almost roses but softer, and a back end of the nose of medicinal herbs.
Finish:
Watery mouthfeel with a candied softness, there is an aftertaste with recurrent hard candies. It doesn’t hold for very long, but leaves a clean profile.
Comments:
The Big Easy was a lovely departure from the traditional exploration of pre-made cocktails. It isn’t exactly a ready to drink cocktail and it isn’t a ready to drink whiskey. It sits in an interesting middle ground.

The herbal nature of the mid palate will certainly turn some drinkers away, while others are going to be asking for more. What I think makes this a fun bottle is it has the potential to turn any novice bartender into a hometown hero. I think with just a little flare you could really craft an excellent cocktail from this. As in, just adding bitters, burnt orange (dried orange, or orange rind), and maybe a single sugar cube, you’d have a really decent OId Fashioned.

Where I see this whiskey is actually on your bar cart. This is the bottle that you use as almost a cheat. It will get you 80% of where you need to be to make a nice drink to impress friends. In the time it would take to make one ‘correctly’ you can probably create a dozen with this. I think in the right hands this is a party cheat-code.

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.

Charles Steele

Charles Steele, a Portland-based attorney, is a native of the Pacific Northwest. His legal background provides him with an analytical approach to understanding whiskey and other aged spirits. Primarily a legal writer, freelancing for The Whiskey Wash offers Charles a unique opportunity to showcase his versatility as a writer. Although his preference lies with whiskey and whiskey-based cocktails, he has a profound appreciation for all unique and unconventional liquors, from Malört to Ojen - if it's peculiar, he's intrigued.

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