Bell Rock Lighthouse American Whiskey Review

Contract distilling is nothing new. If you’re unfamiliar with the term, contract distilling is when a brand employs a third-party distiller to make its products. Some brands use standard mashbills, while others have exclusive recipe relationships. Regardless, there are a variety of distilleries out there doing contract distilling. Many, like Bardstown Bourbon Company, you’ve heard of. Others, including List Distillery, you probably have not.

 

I mention List Distillery because it is the contract distiller for Bell Rock Lighthouse. Located in Fort Myers, Florida, it was founded in 2015 by Thomas and Renate List. Ranate’s family created, among other things, Jägermeister. List’s house brand is Mr. Tom’s Spirits (presumably, after Thomas).

 

Bell Rock is named to honor the world’s oldest operating sea-washed lighthouse. Located in Angus, Scotland, Bell Rock Lighthouse was built by Robert Stephenson in 1807 to such high-quality standards that its masonry remains unadulterated! If his name sounds familiar, his grandson, Robert Louis Stephenson, authored books such as Treasure Island.

 

The brand is owned by Global Spirits, which claims to be Europe’s largest international alcohol company. Under its umbrella are two Eastern European distilleries: Odesa Cognac Factory and Khortytsa Distillery, both in Ukraine. As far as whiskey is concerned, the only other brand it has is Cumberland Falls Bourbon. Bell Rock produces an American Whiskey, an Apple & Honey Whiskey, a Butterscotch Bourbon, and a Cinnamon Whiskey.

 

Today, we’ll explore Bell Rock American Whiskey. There’s not much information; the mashbill is undisclosed beyond being “100% American Spirit from all-natural local ingredients.” It was aged three years in oak; whether that’s virgin, vintage, charred, or not is unspecified. It is packaged at 40% ABV (80°) and is affordable at $16.99 for 700ml. I purchased my bottle from the same brand-new liquor store I found Beyond Bourbon, which I reviewed on December 31^st.

 

Is Bell Rock Lighthouse American Whiskey an opportunity to #RespectTheBottomShelf, or did I blow my money? The only way to know for sure is to #DrinkCurious. Let’s do that.

 

Appearance: I  poured this whiskey into my Glencairn glass to experience neat. The yellow-gold liquid reminded me of apple juice. It created a bold rim with thick, fast, watery tears.

 

Nose: I smelled butterscotch – and a lot of it. Beneath the butterscotch was industrial ethanol and oak. After encountering the industrial ethanol, I let the whiskey rest for another ten minutes, which allowed me to discern barrel char.

 

I pulled the air into my mouth and found sweet vanilla.

 

Palate: Bell Rock’s texture was dense, and the first thing I tasted was charred bread, similar to wood-fired pizza that was slightly overcooked. There was roasted corn on the second sip. A third sip revealed nothing further; there was no difference between the front, middle, and back.

 

Finish: The flavors of charred bread and roasted corn remained in my mouth for 1:18, a medium duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I didn’t want to finish what was in my glass. Perhaps "and Coke" would help? I love smoky whiskeys, peated or not, but Bell Rock Lighthouse American Whiskey was dull with a side of off-putting. Would it make a good cocktail base? Potentially, but I don’t drink or buy whiskeys for mixing potential. As such, this one earns my Bust rating.

 

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.