Bourbon

Fierce & Kind Bourbon

$55

OVERALL
RATING

Whiskey Review: Fierce & Kind Bourbon

by Nino Kilgore-Marchetti
April 19, 2024

Tasting Notes:

About:

Distilled from a mash bill of sustainably sourced corn (75%), rye (21%), and malted barley (4%), it was aged for over two years in North Carolina in new American oak barrels that had been toasted and heavily charred (#2). It is bottled at 86 proof.

Appearance:

This shows in glass in a moderate golden amber color, supported by moderate legs and viscosity.

Nose:

The sweetness of the corn-heavy nose reflects youth, with hints of caramel, candy corn, pecans, light oak, and a little nudge of cotton candy.

Palate:

If this bourbon is intended for easy sipping and not too deep a complexity, the palate reflects this. Corn sweetness drops to the forefront immediately, with cotton candy, candy corn, oak, vanilla, a tiny rye spice, some coriander, and, strangely, a little applesauce kick.

Finish:

This finishes okay; it is a little sweet, a touch spicy, and a bit flat—a decent hanging out in the back throat before the fade.

Comments:

I genuinely love Fierce & Kind’s socially conscious consideration, but I mostly have to rate this bourbon on its merits as a standalone product. To that end, it doesn’t really do it for me. The tasting profile as a whole is missing something from start to finish—you’ll find it okay to sip on, but it’s probably better suited for cocktail mixing. With time I think this will get better in its taste profile.

Fierce & Kind Bourbon review — We review Fierce & Kind Bourbon, an over two-year-old whiskey made by a California-based, socially conscious driven spirits brand. (image via Fierce & Kind)

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.

Fierce & Kind is a socially conscious driven spirits brand that emerged in California in 2022. Co-founded by Cyndi Smith and Basem Harb, the company prides itself on being woman and minority-owned, offering up through an internal stock options program and equity crowdfunding campaign employee and consumer ownership.

In its drive to make a difference as an impact-driven brand, Fierce & Kind donates a quarter of the profit from each bottle sale to its The Fierce & Kind Equity Foundation, which is described as funneling “energy, action, and capital into building economic opportunities and entrepreneurship in historically disadvantaged communities.”

What’s in the bottle

Fierce & Kind Bourbon, which is being reviewed here, is distilled from a mash bill of sustainably sourced corn (75%), rye (21%), and malted barley (4%). It was aged for over two years in North Carolina in new American oak barrels that have been toasted and heavily charred (#2), and it is bottled at 86 proof.

This high-rye bourbon, which garnered a silver medal at the 2023 L.A. Spirits Awards, is priced at $55.

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