We have one Trader Joe’s in town, and it doesn’t sell alcohol, yet!  You better believe come October I will be going and buying a whole case of that Two Buck Chuck Cab.  Anyway, so, I can’t remember which trip I got this on… but, I’ve had it sitting around for waaaaaaay too long, and okay, I bought this on a whim to be funny, but also out of complete curiosity. Can Trader Joe’s pull off Bourbon, or whiskey, and is this really Bourbon?  (As far as my research says, yes.) I freaking love Two Buck Chuck, so cheap, so good after you’ve already had a glass, or two, or three… So, what about this Bourbon?  Is it worth the price because the price?

Let’s see, shall we…

Company: Trader Joe’s

Distillery: Bourbon Square Distilling Company (Rumored to be made at Barton 1792)

Location: The bottle says Louisville, KY (But, maybe Bardstown)

Mash bill: Unknown

Age: At least 2 years

ABV: 45% (90 proof)

Released: Ongoing

Price: $15

Color: Deep Blonde

Nose: Vanilla, light oak, refined sugar, sugar cookie, slight ethanol, a bit acidic pickle smell

Taste: Very light corn flavor, light vanilla, light everything really.  A bit of carmel-y sugar stands out, a bit of grassy earthiness, and a bit of tobacco.  But, you really have to search hard for some of these. There’s also kind of a weird soap flavor that’s a bit of a turn off.

Finish: Light sugary burn that sits and lingers on your tongue and lips. The flavor quickly dissipates with a dry mouth feeling.

Overall: Not a remarkable Bourbon, but not bad either.  And, trust me, I’ve drank some nasty ass whiskeys, I’ll mail you a sample of the nastiest one I’ve ever had, just send me your address!  I love making people drink it.  But, this is not that, this is actually surprisingly nice and easy to drink, it doesn’t have a lot going on flavorwise, but that’s okay because it cost $15.  I think this is an excellent Bourbon for the price, I repeat $15, and really an excellent Bourbon for newbies!  And, this is 100% the Bourbon equivalent to Two Buck Chuck, which is kind of awesome.  Well done. (But. What if all of those barrels that collapsed recently at 1792 were Trader Joe’s?!?)

Level: Beginner (& cheap!)

Rating: 2.5/5