Tobacco Barn Distillery Bottled-in-Bond Single Barrel Bourbon Review (2025)

The Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland has played a significant role in the production of American whiskey. Long before Kentucky or Tennessee became states, people were distilling spirits in Maryland. It wasn’t until the late 1700s that Maryland distillers began heading south to Virginia, and from there, to Kentucky and Tennessee.

 

Scott Sanders is a retired US Navy admiral. In the 1970s, while still in high school, Dan Dawson had mentioned his farm and the fact that his family had a distilling license to Scott. Sean Coogan, a former US Marine, had the business acumen. The trio came together to form Tobacco Barn Distillery in 2014. The goal, aside from an obvious desire to produce whiskey, was to revive distilling in this historic area.

 

While the corn is grown on their farm, they source the rye grain from the local Mennonite community. The water comes from the farm’s aquifer. All of the materials used are recycled, from the cooling water to the spent mash, which is given away to local farmers. Those processes earned Tobacco Barn Distillery the Sustainable Leadership Award by the Maryland Green Registry in December 2023, along with being named the #1 farm-based distillery in the United States by the American Craft Spirits Association during its Heartland Whiskey Competition that same year.

 

“There are reasons each of our batches taste a little different. There are reasons the proof on each of those batches is different. There are reasons some of the labels are a little crooked or there’s an air bubble. We do it all from the farm, we truly do it by hand one single batch at a time and we do it all for you. We are family, we are friends, and we are neighbors. You deserve our best efforts, and Tobacco Barn Distillery will always strive to bring them to you.” – Tobacco Barn Distillery

 

I discovered Tobacco Barn Distillery purely by chance. In July, I served as a judge for the 2025 Heartland Whiskey Competition, held in Westfield, Indiana. Tobacco Barn Distillery was a returning contestant. While I couldn’t tell you if I tried one of their whiskeys (they had several entries), I was understandably interested in trying something from a distillery that had been named the best in a previous year.

 

Once the competition was over and the votes were tallied, the judges were given the option of taking some bottles home with them. One of a pair that I chose was Tobacco Barn Distillery’s Single Barrel Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon.

 

Now that you know the background of the distillery and how I acquired my sample, it is time to #DrinkCurious. Let’s do this!

 

• Whiskey Type: Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon
• Distiller: Tobacco Barn Distillery
• Age: 7 years, 1 month, 23 days
• Mashbill: Non-disclosed, but contains at least 51% corn, about 25% rye, and assumed malted barley
• Cooperage: 53-gallon, new, charred oak barrels
• Entry Proof: 52.5% ABV (105°)
• Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
• Price per 750mL: $85.00
• Barrel #: 1801902

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to sip this Bourbon neat. The Bourbon color was that of a newish penny. A bold rim released thick, crazed tears.

 

Nose: After allowing time for the Bourbon to breathe, I brought the glass under my nostrils and inhaled. I found plenty of corn on the nose. There was also floral rye, tobacco leaf (no pun intended), fresh leather, toffee, and lightly charred oak. Drawing the aroma through my lips, I encountered dried cherries.

 

Palate: As I took my first sip, I discovered a creamy, full-bodied mouthfeel. The second revealed corn, dried cherries, and tobacco leaf on the front of my palate. I tasted caramel, toffee, and leather on my mid-palate, while flavors of barrel char, clove, and soft rye spice were on the back.

 

Finish: Slightly spicy with notes of charred oak, clove, and rye spice, the finish also included notes of ancient leather, tobacco leaf, and dried cherries. The duration ran just 1:02, making it medium-short, but that offered another sipping opportunity that much sooner. 

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I know some people loathe the term smooth when describing whiskey. Sometimes, it is a necessary descriptor. Tobacco Road’s Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon is one such example. That texture was utterly enchanting. During my exploration, I would have been content if I didn’t have to swallow.

 

Yet, of course, I did, and found this Bourbon to be well-balanced. Although it is Bottled-in-Bond, if you hadn’t told me the alcohol content, I could have guessed it at about 92° or 94°. It was everything you’d want in an easy-sipping, flavorful example of America’s native spirit.

 

With my initial exposure, I’m very impressed with Tobacco Barn Distillery. I am so happy that I brought this expression home. I hope I have the opportunity to try other whiskeys from the distillery. Oh, yeah, I got so caught up here I almost forgot to rate it. Do I even need to say Bottle? 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.