35 Maple Street is a company based out of Sonoma, California that produces the Masterson’s line of Rye, Wheat, and Barley Canadian whiskeys. Bib & Tucker is the company’s first step into the bourbon business, and it’s a very interesting one.
In an interview with WhiskyCast’s Mark Gillespie, 35 Maple Street’s COO Richard Zeller stated the juice being purchased for this bourbon was an 8-year-old whiskey from Tennessee. Upon its release, however, the bottle states a 6-year age statement and doesn’t mention any state (more from that write up here). If this is Tennessee whiskey that is between 6 and 8 years old, then most likely it came from Jack Daniels, Prichard’s, or the George Dickel distillery. If the 70% corn mash bill cited on Caskers is correct, then given the 80%+ mash bills that Jack Daniels and George Dickel sport, then my best guess is Prichards…but again, thats just a guess, and probably an uneducated one at that.
The other interesting thing about this bourbon is that it is aged in a #1 char barrel, the lightest of the traditional char levels. This makes for a surprisingly light but complex profile that is pretty unique in today’s market. Ok, I’m skipping ahead, onto the tasting.
Company: 35 Maple Street
Distillery: NDP (Undisclosed Tennessee distillery)
Location: Sonoma, California (bottled in Crestwood, KY)
Mashbill: 70% corn/26% rye/4% malted barley
Age: 6 years
ABV: 46% (92 proof)
Released: Ongoing
Price: $47
Color: Light amber
Nose: If you’ve ever finished mowing your yard and thought “man, I wish I had a bourbon that smelled like this moment”, then this is for you. The aroma of cut grass is front and center on this one, with quite a bit of corn behind it and maybe some green apple floating around in there too.
Taste: This is where that #1 char is obvious. Given the 6-8 years in the barrel, there is a small amount of the classic oak and vanilla notes here and in their place is sweet corn, rye spice, and a real earthy quality that I can’t quite nail down. If you’ve ever had the Michter’s Toasted Barrel Finish release, think of what that toasted barrel did to the bourbon, then subtract the traditional aging from the equation and boom, Bib & Tucker.
Finish: So, at my favorite Indian restaurant in OKC they have a bowl of stuff by the door that you are supposed to eat on your way out (or in, who really knows) and per some sweet research that just happened by a buddy of mine, it looks like it’s made mostly of fennel and anise seeds. That information is important to know because that’s what the finish on this whiskey tastes like. I don’t really like that stuff in the bowl, and I don’t love that flavor at the end of my bourbon either.
Overall: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this is an interesting bourbon. While it’s not my favorite bourbon on my shelf, it’s one I go to when I want something different, and for that I quite enjoy it. At near $50 it may be a tad pricey, but holy crap look at that bottle! I’m not being sarcastic, I think the bottle is awesome and I don’t care who knows it.
Rating: 3/5
Thanks for citing our interview with Richard Zeller, but please remember that that interview was done long before the brand was actually launched due to production delays with the bottles, and the original plans for the whiskey they intended to bottle may have changed during that time.
That’s exactly correct, which was why I brought it up. Just to note the original plans and what finally got released were different and I found that back story interesting. Thanks for the awesome site and podcast. Keep up the great work!
Understood…just making sure no one thought the 35 Maple Street guys were pulling a fast one. Thanks for the kind words…
Yeah, I just read that sentence again and could see how that could come across that way, but it was not my intention at all. I started to go into that more but then realized I was just duplicating your work so I figured I would just mention it and link to your interview for those that wanted the full story. I really appreciate your feedback, and will definitely keep it in mind as I’m trying to get better at writing/reporting.
All time favorite along with the Cortina Brothers 3 bottlings 35 years ago.
By the way we love this at Fujiokas Wine Times in Honolulu, Hi.
I really enjoy venturing out and tring various whiskey and came across the name as well as seeing the interesting bottle. Is your product distributed to Oregon anywhere?
Greetings,
I am the bar manager of Pike Brewing Company. I want to carry your Bib & Tucker Bourbon, however am having a hard time finding the distributor for Seattle, WA.
Any info would help, thanks!
I sipped a small glass before reading other reviews. I found the color to be a bit suspect (too light), perhaps because they’re using used barrels, but I definitely get the typical bourbon charred oak flavors of caramel and vanilla. However, there are also hints of chestnuts, leather, and earth/grass. While other reviewers found these flavors “off,” I found them quite pleasant and the finish long and smooth, lasting upwards of five minutes after my last sip. The fairly high rye content may be contributing to some of the more challenging effects on the nose and palate. Certainly, this is one of those boutique wanna-be bourbons that does not really belong at the Blanton’s and Bookers’ price point; however, it’s a nice addition to my liquor cabinet, especially considering the time and effort that went into producing the awesome retro bottle, which will long be stationed in my man cave after it’s emptied. I’ve been sipping bourbon since I was 13 years old. After nearly 50 years at the art and while I will probably never buy another Bib and Tucker, but I’m happy to have this for a few weeks to enjoy. In the future, if I want a top-quality rye-dominated “bourbon”, I’ll probably spend the $100 – $150 for Lock, Stock and Barrel Rye 13 or 16 year.
Thanks for the comment! With that palate and description it sounds like we might have some competition should you ever fire up a blog. Cheers!
Lock Stock and Barrel Rye is 100% rye sourced from Alberta Distilleries and bottled by Cooper Spirits. Their Hochstetlers Family Reserve 16 year 61.3% (ADL Sourced) is the finest 100% Rye I have ever tried.
I was given a bottle of Bib & Tucker by a close friend. It is now my favorite Bourbon.
Cheers, Frank
Great gift and great friend! Cheers!
It does have a reserved flavor but different than most. However a great aroma an flavor. My store had three bottles an I own two of them. Cheers to bib tucker.
I have a liquor store in Charleston SC. I would like to have Bib n Tucker on my shelves. The distributor came to me store and took all my info but nothing got delivered.
Can you help??
Unfortunately we cannot. We only drink and write about Bourbon and are not actually affiliated with any brands represented on this site. Good luck!
I’m not a Bourbon Critic, just a customer, that likes Bourbon. I won’t use a variety of adjectives, or colorful metaphors. I am brand loyal when I find something I like.
I really like Bib and Tucker Bourbon! One, at most two ice cubes in a low ball with two ounces and I am a happy camper. Give me a cigar and an open fire and I am at peace with the world.
I do miss the string on the bottle.
Bib and Tucker is one of my favorites, from time to time, we can find, Barrel Proof Bib n Tucker, at Total wine and More in Kentucky. At 130+ proof it’s even better, than the lower proof’s. Should you get a chance to sample some, don’t pass up the chance.