Bourbon 30 Blue and Black Label Reviews & Tasting Notes

 

If you’ve been around the world of American whiskey for the last several years, you’ve likely heard the name Jeff Mattingly. Mattingly is a Georgetown, KY-based blender, and a respected one at that.

 

“Master Crafter Jeff Mattingly and his five brothers and sisters grew up farming 600 acres of Western Kentucky in a tiny, unincorporated community not-so-coincidentally called Mattingly. Mattingly’s father, holding the position of mayor for many years, was a fourth-generation farmer, and an Early Times drinker, something that was also a Mattingly tradition.

‘Bourbon 30. It’s that time,’ was the all-clear signal that Mayor Mattingly was occupied, thus making it a perfect opportunity for the boys to dip into dad’s stash in the cooler tied to the bed of the pickup truck. Whether Mayor Mattingly ever knew is still up for debate, but the brothers enjoyed the mischief and still enjoy the laughs over a glass of Bourbon 30 spirits.” – Bourbon 30

 

Founded in 2010, Mattingly indicates he distills, ages, and crafts his whiskeys from Three Boys Farms Distillery out of Graefenburg, Kentucky. He also offers visitors a rather unique opportunity to choose their own barrels and create their own blends without having to purchase an entire barrel – it is sold a bottle at a time.

Today I’m reviewing two of his “core” offerings:  the 90° Blue Label and 100° Black Label. The mashbills and cooperages are undisclosed and both suggest they are “Barrel Crafted” which I’ll go out on a limb and say they’re simply a blend of barrels (but I’m willing to be wrong). I'd like to thank the Wisconsin distributor for providing me samples of both in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.

 

As I normally recommend people sample whiskeys low-proof to high, I’ll start with the Blue Label. It is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon that is “Proof Aged” and retails for $40.00.

 

Appearance:  Served neat in my Glencairn glass, Blue Label was gold in color. A medium-thick rim was formed that left sticky droplets on the wall. After some time, they started to fall back into the pool.

 

Nose:  The first thing I smelled was corn. I also picked out honey, apple, pear, very light, toasted oak, and nutmeg. When I drew the air into my mouth, corn and vanilla rolled across my palate.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel was thin but coating. Vanilla and corn were highlighted on the front of my palate. The middle was also corn. On the back, things became more flavorful with caramel, toasted oak, and white pepper.

 

Finish:  Medium in length, it began with the caramel and orange peel before the white pepper took over, and then, boom, the whole thing fell off.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  I’ve heard about Mattingly’s amazing skills and have had a few of his special blends and they were pretty awesome. I wish I could say the same for the Blue Label, but it almost matches my opinion of Johnnie Walker Blue Label – it is nice but completely unremarkable. If you want a simple Bourbon, then Blue Label will work for you. But, for $40.00, there’s a lot on the shelf that will give you a much better bang for the buck. I’ll throw a Bar rating at it, it wasn’t bad, but it was boring.

 

Next is Black Label, which is listed as a Small Batch. The suggested retail is $60.00.

 

 

Appearance:  This, too, was poured neat in a Glencairn glass. It had a slightly darker gold color than the Blue Label with an added hint of amber. It created a thin rim that yielded medium-weighted legs that slowly worked their way back down the wall.

 

Nose:  Again, corn was the first aroma to hit me. This time, it seemed dustier than the Blue Label. Vanilla wafted from the glass, which was accompanied by baking spice. When I pulled the vapor into my mouth, corn was the only thing I discerned.

 

Palate:  The mouthfeel on Black Label was nice and oily. It, too, coated my entire mouth. Honey, corn, and black pepper were on the front. The middle had more corn and cinnamon spice. The back was orange peel, a touch of dark fruit, clove, and charred oak.

 

Finish:  A blend of char, white pepper, and clove gave Black Label a long, intensifying finish that wouldn’t quit. As it began to fade, the char stuck around until the very end.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust:  Black Label had more dimensions to it than the Blue. The nose was lacking, but my experience also tells unimpressive noses often lead to a good palate. Black Label stuck to the rule of thumb. I found the finish enticed me to keep sipping, and that’s a signal of a great pour. I’ll give Black Label a Bottle rating, this can compete with other similarly-priced bottles on the shelf. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy to Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you do so responsibly.