James E. Pepper Decanter Bourbon Whiskey

James E. Pepper Decanter Bourbon Whiskey

James E. Pepper Decanter Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey is a recreation of a historic bottle produced at our distillery in 1945. It was designed to highlight the rich color of the whiskies we produce due to our lower barrel entry proof and use of the finest cooperage.
Unique blends of our oldest stocks & distinct mash bills, consisting of Corn, Rye, Malted Barley & Malted Rye; Aged in new toasted & charred barrels made from Kentucky Oak, air seasoned a minimum of 18-24 months; Water source from the historic distillery well. Distilled & bottled at the historic James E. Pepper Distillery (DSP-KY-5) in Lexington, Kentucky. Average age of whiskies is 5.5 years; bottled straight from the barrel, uncut & unfiltered.

 

 

Product Description

James E. Pepper Decanter Bourbon Whiskey

James E. Pepper Decanter Barrel Proof Bourbon Whiskey is a recreation of a historic bottle produced at our distillery in 1945. It was designed to highlight the rich color of the whiskies we produce due to our lower barrel entry proof and use of the finest cooperage. Unique blends of our oldest stocks & distinct mash bills, consisting of Corn, Rye, Malted Barley & Malted Rye; Aged in new toasted & charred barrels made from Kentucky Oak, air seasoned a minimum of 18-24 months; Water source from the historic distillery well. Distilled & bottled at the historic James E. Pepper Distillery (DSP-KY-5) in Lexington, Kentucky. Average age of whiskies is 5.5 years; bottled straight from the barrel, uncut & unfiltered.
Nose: Toasted oak, walnuts, syrup, marzipan, anise
Front-palate: Oak and dried dark fruits
Mid-palate: Front end carries through with some extra notes of toasted oak and citrus peel
Finish: Medium-long with strong notes of creamy vanilla and clove/nutmeg

This vintage decanter style bottle is certainly eye-catching, and its sip has just as much to say.

Who doesn’t love a bourbon that comes in a great looking bottle? It’s one of the major selling points producers use to direct a customer’s eye towards their product. Rightfully so, some are suspicious of such practices as they tend to think a producer is over-compensating for a lack of quality of their whiskey, hoping to make it up with style over substance. James E. Pepper Barrel Proof Decanter Bourbon is definitely one of the better looking bottles released in 2023 and backs up its looks with substance. The company also doesn’t try to hide the fact that they want you to reuse the bottle as a decanter as it’s right there in the bourbon’s name.

The bourbon is distilled by James Pepper Distilling Co. and contains a blend of their bourbons, which most notably includes their oldest stock. Balancing youth and age in just the right amounts, the bourbon is bright and fruity throughout with just enough age and barrel influence without it coming across as overly grainy. That’s evident right from its nose, as its aroma of apricot, white grape, French vanilla ice cream, and light charred oak is quite effective. The palate is equally pleasing, with strong cinnamon upfront that’s quickly contrasted by a blend of golden raisins, stewed peaches, white grape, citrus, and light toasted oak. The finish is more on the simple side and dominated by rye spice, oak spice, leather, and dried dark fruits, yet still works well contrasting the rest of the sip. Overall, I expect many to thoroughly enjoy its pour and its great looking bottle, which is a throwback to the company’s original 1940s decanter. At $65, this has value written all over it.

 

Additional information

Size

750 ml

Brand

James E Pepper

Spirits Type

Whisky

Country

United States