Ship's Bell Blended Bourbon Whiskey Review (2025)

 

 

Today, we are exploring a new-to-market whiskey called Ship’s Bell Bourbon. Veritable Distillery produces it out of Stonington, Connecticut. When I suggest this is new, I mean new as of March 2025! Ship’s Bell is one of the first two expressions from this distillery; the other is Southwick’s American Gin.

 

“VERITABLE DISTILLERY produces authentic premium spirits using only traditional methods and natural ingredients.

Our spirits are produced with raw materials that existed or were commonly traded in New England as far back as the 18th century, the results are as close as possible to how spirits tasted in America 300 YEARS AGO.

We promote transparency by pioneering the voluntary disclosure of ingredients & serving facts on our bottle labels.” – Veritable Distillery

 

That’s their published ethos (or “character”), and it brings up a few interesting points regarding what’s on their label. It suggests that Ship’s Bell is a two-year-old whiskey, whereas the website suggests three years. The good news is that Veritable Distillery isn't skirting any legal issues as long as the bottle has a lower age statement. It merely must be at least two years old.

 

 

Veritable Distillery is ahead of the curve regarding requirements: as stated in the ethos, it lists the ingredients and nutritional information. Currently, this is only a proposed TTB requirement. My guess is it will pass.

 

 

I have one other question regarding the label. Ship’s Bell is listed as a Blended Bourbon Whiskey, made from Kentucky Straight Bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Veritable Distilling’s American Single Malt. That fits the legal definition; a Blended Bourbon must be 51% or more straight Bourbon – the rest can be any other type of whiskey so long as it lists the grains involved.

 

The stated mashbill puzzles me: 73% corn, 21% rye, and 6% barley. I’m assuming this refers to the Bourbon mashbill and not the entire blend; otherwise, it would imply that a teeny weeny amount of American Single Malt was used.

 

These questions have no impact whatsoever on my rating, nor should they. They’re curiosities more than anything else. Ship’s Bell is packaged at 43% ABV (86°), and a 700mL bottle has a suggested $24.99 price.

 

I’m an early adopter of American Single Malts and, for the most part, adore the category. I’ve been a fan of Bourbon for what seems to be forever. Veritable Distillery isn’t the first to market a blend of these two whiskey styles, but it excites me nonetheless.

 

So, how does it taste? You know how this works – we must do the #DrinkCurious thing. But first, I must thank Veritable Distillery for providing me with a sample of this whiskey in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review.

 

Appearance: I poured Ship’s Bell into my Glencairn glass and sipped it neat. Its color was like liquid gold. A bold rim formed and generated thick, fast, crazed tears.

 

Nose: The first sniff answered one of my questions above. The malt had a massive influence; it seems impossible that only 6% of the mashbill. I smelled chocolate, stewed peaches, pineapples, and pears. I delved deeper to discover what might be hiding beneath the malt, but familiar Bourbon notes appeared. I drew the air into my mouth and encountered apricots.

 

Palate: Ship’s Bell possessed a thick, creamy texture. Tastes of rich vanilla, peaches, and pears rolled across the front of my palate. The middle featured leather, tobacco leaf, and cocoa, while charred oak, clove, and cinnamon flavors dominated the back.

 

Finish: Charred oak, cocoa, leather, tobacco, clove, and cinnamon spice warmed my mouth and throat and had an unexpected drying quality. I timed the duration; it ran 3:09, placing it solidly in the “Energizer Bunny” venue. Meanwhile, the roof of my mouth tingled.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Ship’s Bell is a different whiskey. I was unprepared to have a lower-proof whiskey with such a commanding presence. It drank at least a dozen points higher! Could that be Bourbon’s youthfulness? Is it the American Single Malt spending two (or three) years in oak? The latter doesn’t need much time to mature, as does Bourbon.

 

The more I sipped on this blended Bourbon, the more I savored what was in my glass. It seemed well-balanced. I appreciate how affordable it is, too. I found Ship’s Bell to be quite an enjoyable experience. I’m happy to crown it with my Bottle rating. 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.