Bulleit Blenders Select 001 making waves

Bulleit Bourbon this spring launched a new product in Blenders’ Select No. 001, a limited-edition release that – based on its name – promises many more variations to come.

The whiskey is already making waves; highly-respected bourbon expert Fred Minnick already has mentioned it as an early entry for Whiskeys of the Year. The product is part of Diageo's Craftswomen Today initiative, which aims to celebrate “the talented, bold and pioneering women who make some of the world’s most beloved spirits.”

Blenders Select 001 was created by Bulleit blender Eboni Major using three out of 10 whiskey types used to make the original Bulleit Bourbon, aged a minimum of nine years. Major hand-selected the blend from more than 100 distinct liquids to create the new blended bourbon.

Intended to be consumed neat, the bourbon is 100 proof and boasts notes of vanilla bean, honey, dried fruit and toasted oak. We also found a smattering of spice in a sample of this bold bourbon, leading to an uncommonly smooth and creamy finish that highlights the whiskey’s fruit notes.

Most importantly, Bulleit views it as being an outlet for the blender’s creativity.

“Bulleit is a frontier whiskey, meaning we are always looking for new ways to challenge convention,” said Major in a news release about the new bourbon. “Being given the creative freedom to take the traditionally higher rye experience that Bulleit is synonymous with and craft something brand new is an incredible honor and is also what makes my job so fun! Fruit-forward, rich and delightfully complex, Bulleit Bourbon Blenders’ Select No. 001 is a true expression of who I am as a blender.”