Bulleit Bourbon

History

According to Tom Bulleit, son of a preacher, great-great-grandson of original creator Augustus Bulleit and developer of the modern brand, the first batch of Bulleit bourbon was made around 1830. Augustus continued to produce it up until his death in 1860.

Tom Bulleit began distilling his version of Bulleit bourbon in 1987, with the whiskey first commercial produced under a 4,000-case contract distillation run at Frankfort's Leestown Company Distillery (now Buffalo Trace Distillery) in 1989. After aging, it first reached retail stores in the summer of 1995.

Seagram bought the Bulleit brand in 1997 and began distilling it in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky.

The brand was widely introduced to Australia, UK and Germany in 2000.

Diageo acquired various Seagram's assets, including the Bulleit brand, which was then produced by its subsidiary Kirin Brewing Company at the same Lawrenceburg plant.

On March 14, 2017, Diageo opened a new Bulleit distillery. The 300 acre $115 million facility is located just east of Shelbyville in Shelby County, Kentucky.

In June 2019, Bulleit opened its visitors' center at its Shelbyville distillery in Kentucky. The Visitor Experience includes guided tours, a cocktail bar and an opportunity for visitors 21 years or older to design a customized Bulleit label to apply to their own bottles.

Bulleit family dispute

Tom Bulleit's daughter Hollis left her position at Diageo in 2017 after 10 years, claiming she was being pushed out because she was a lesbian. A spokesperson from Diageo denies the claim.

Products

The current Bulleit bourbon whiskey mash bill contains 68% corn (maize), 28% rye, and 4% malted barley. It is bottled at 45% ABV.

Bulleit Bourbon Barrel Strength is a blend of barrels which are 5 to 8 years old. As it is being bottled straight from the barrel the proof varies by batch, ranging from 118 to 125 (59 to 62.5 ABV).

Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year is the only age dated Bulleit whiskey. It is bottled at 91.2 U.S. proof and has the same mash bill as the original Bulleit Bourbon. It won a Double Gold Medal at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Bulleit rye whiskey, introduced in March 2011, has a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. It is produced in Lawrenceburg, Indiana by MGP Ingredients and bottled at 45% abv.

Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon In 2025, Bulleit Frontier Whiskey released its first-ever Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, aged for seven years and distilled and aged entirely at the Bulleit Distilling Company in Shelbyville, Kentucky. This was a limited-time release, and Bulleit stated it will be available in the future only when the blending team determines it meets high standards of quality and character.

In Australia and the UK

Starting in 2008, Bulleit bourbon sold on the UK market is bottled at 40% alcohol by volume, which is re-exported to the Australia market. A 45% ABV version was introduced to the UK market in late 2014, under the label "Bulleit Frontier Whiskey".

Distilleries

Bulleit Shelbyville Distillery 3464 Benson Pike, Shelbyville, KY 40065

Bulleit Lebanon Distillery 100 Bourbon Drive, Lebanon, KY, 40033

Reviews

Proof66.com, a review aggregator for spirits, rates Bulleit bourbon in the top 10th percentile of the world's best whiskeys. The Bulleit Rye Whiskey is also rated a "Top Tier Whiskey". Proof66.com rates Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year as a "Tier 1" spirit with an overall rating of 551/904.

Bulleit Bourbon 10 Year received a gold medal in the Small Batch Bourbon up to 10 yrs category at the 2013 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.

Food critic Morgan Murphy said "This amber beauty, with its notes of spice, rye, and cedar, packs a stronger bite than its sweet aroma would imply."

References

References

1. [http://www.cocktailatlas.com/Bulleit_Bourbon/Bulleit.htm Bulleit Bourbon: The Most American of Spirits], Miller, accessed on 8 September 2007
2. [http://www.vinmonopolet.no/vareutvalg/whisky/usa/bulleit-kentucky-straight-bourbon/sku-9446201 Bulleit Kentucky Straight Bourbon] {{Webarchive. link. (2013-11-12 , Vinmonopolet (in Norwegian).)
3. [http://sweden.kcomposite.com/bulleit-bourbon-and-systembolaget/ Bulleit Bourbon and Systembolaget], March 13, 2009.
4. (2018-03-22). "Bulleit Bourbon: The Birth of a Brand {{!}} Booze Business: A Blog Dedicated to the Business of Spirits and Wine".
5. (1995-06-18). "A Dream Comes of Age". Lexington Herald-Leader.
6. [http://www.alcoholreviews.com/SPIRITS/bourbons-evan-bulleit.shtml Bulleit Bourbon and Evan Williams Single Barrel Bourbon] from Alcoholreviews.com, accessed on 8 September 2007
7. [http://www.diageo.com/en-row/ourbrands/categories/spirits/Pages/Whiskey.aspx#bulleit Diaego - Our brands - Whisk(e)y - Bulleit bourbon] {{webarchive. link. (February 16, 2011 , accessed on 8 February 2011.)
8. [http://www.bulleit.com/story.aspx About Bulleit Bourbon] {{webarchive. link. (July 23, 2015 , accessed on 22 July 2015)
9. AP. (26 June 2019). "Bulleit opens visitors' center at Shelbyville distillery".
10. Thompson, Shea Davidson. (2019-10-28). "Bulleit Legacy On The Line".
11. (2017-08-02). "Bulleit Bourbon maker responds to Hollis Bulleit's claims of discrimination".
12. [http://scotchhobbyist.com/2010/02/04/bulleit-bourbon-tasting/ A Bourbon Tasting with Tom Bulleit], Sctoch Hobbyist's Blog, February 4, 2010.
13. "Results Archive -- San Francisco World Spirits Competition".
14. [http://www.bulleitbourbon.com/Distinction.aspx The Distinction]{{dead link. (November 2016)
15. [http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bulleit-whiskey-expands-through-introduction-of-bulleit-rye-118376679.html Bulleit Whiskey Expands Through Introduction of Bulleit Rye], Diageo press release, PR Newswire, March 21, 2011.
16. Austin Hartman, [http://www.greenpointnews.com/entertainment/3096/booze-review-bulleit-95-rye Booze Review: Bulleit 95 Rye] {{Webarchive. link. (2011-05-10 , Greenpoint Gazette, March 27, 2011.)
17. (28 July 2014). "Your 'Craft' Whiskey Is Probably From a Factory Distillery in Indiana".
18. (2025-02-18). "Bulleit Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Release".
19. "Proof66.com awards summary page for Bulleit Bourbon".
20. "Proof66.com awards summary page for Bulleit Rye Whiskey".
21. "Bulleit 10yr Frontier Whiskey Bourbon".
22. "Archived copy".
23. (2014). "Southern Living Bourbon & Bacon: The Ultimate Guide to the South's Favorite Foods". [[Oxmoor House]].