Larrikin Distilling Co. 8-Year Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon Review

 

What do you call an Australian who disregards conventional means of doing things? A larrikin.

 

Lt. Commander Greg Keeley served in the U.S. Navy and the Royal Australian Navy. Raised in Australia, he is a combat veteran who saw action in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Pacific. During his service, he became disabled, and after his discharge, he and his wife, Katie, founded Lawrenceburg Bourbon Co. in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, in 2021.

 

As a former member of the Australian Federal Police, Greg is big on honesty and integrity. He won’t tell you some grand story about how his grandpappy’s grandpappy’s secret whiskey recipe was found in a locker in an abandoned Australian warehouse. He’s transparent about his operation.

 

Earlier this year, he and Katie rebranded the distillery, which now operates as Larrikin Bourbon Co.

 

“Larrikin Bourbon Co. is the American Dream for an immigrant and U.S. Navy veteran. For me and Katie, it’s about respecting generations of distilling tradition, while adding our own touch of pluck and mettle. It’s a journey I hope will bring the larrikin spirit, exemplified by the late Steve Irwin, to the bluegrass. So, damn the torpedoes- let’s make some more bloody good bourbon.” – Greg Keeley, co-founder and distiller

 

So, why the rebrand?

 

“We realized when we founded the distillery, we had forgotten a crucial lesson learned from years of overseas service. A person is defined by who you are, not where you are. And candidly, we are fair-dinkum larrikins.” – Katie Keeley, co-founder

 

Larrikin Bourbon Co. offers various whiskeys in its portfolio, and today, you and I will explore its Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon. It is the first whiskey released under the new name. It is an 8-year-old Bourbon, and if you’re good at math, you’ve already figured out that it isn’t Larrikin’s distillate. The bottle suggests Sazerac Company of Bardstown, which translates to Barton 1792 Distillery.   

 

The Bourbon’s mashbill is 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley. Because it is bonded, it was distilled in a single distilling season by a single distiller at a single distillery, is packaged at 50% ABV (100°), and slumbered in a single warehouse under government supervision. The suggested price for a 750ml is $90.00.

 

In full transparency, I have a soft spot for Bottled-in-Bond whiskeys. That’s not to say they’re all fantastic, but they have an excellent track record with me. It used to be that Bottled-in-Bond was reserved for bottom-shelf dwellers. I’d like to believe my #RespectTheBottomShelf campaign I ran as a new whiskey reviewer had something to do with the change – because its resurgence followed shortly after that. But my head isn’t that swollen, and I know the timing is purely coincidental.

 

Anyway, before I get to the #DrinkCurious part, I must thank Larrikin Distilling Co. for providing me with a sample of this Bourbon in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured this Bourbon into my Glencairn glass to sip neat. It possessed a deep caramel color. The liquid produced a wide rim with tightly spaced, slow, thick tears.

 

Nose: Cinnamon and corn were the first smells I identified. Cherries, dry oak, and tobacco leaf followed them. The taste of red currants rode the air as I drew it into my mouth.

 

Palate: I found Larrikin’s texture to be incredibly creamy. It went down effortlessly. The front offered toasted cinnamon, vanilla, and and milk chocolate. Flavors of toffee, tobacco leaf, and leather formed the middle, and the back featured black pepper, cherries, and old oak.

 

Finish: The first notes on the finish were cherry and vanilla, which were quickly subdued by black pepper, ancient oak, old leather, and clove. It started easy and quickly built up until it crescendoed, then promptly dissipated. I timed it; the duration ran 2:06, placing it at the low end of a long finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: This Bourbon was classic Barton 1792 despite being distilled from a non-standard mashbill. It drank slightly under its stated proof, encouraging me to sip this faster than usual. The creamy mouthfeel didn’t help matters. The spice notes took complete control at the end, which was an attention-getter.

 

Is this worth $90.00? That’s a fair question. To compare, Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond is a 7-year-old expression, about $55.00 to $60.00. LAWS Whiskey House charges $80.00 for their 8-year-old bonded Bourbon. Old Fitzgerald’s Bottled-in-Bond 8-year-old had a suggested price of $110.00. New Riff has an 8-year-old bonded Bourbon for $68.00. Based on that, I’d say Larrikin is on the more expensive side of things.

 

I’m thrilled to have this in my whiskey library. It is delicious and well-balanced. However, I believe the price needs to come down $10.00 or so to bring it closer to what the market will bear. You should definitely try this Bourbon either at their tasting room or at a Bar, then decide if you’ll take one home. 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 to do so responsibly.