Larrikin Single Barrel 7-Year American Light Whiskey 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 committed to upholding 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 guarded by a gigantic inflatable kangaroo. He’s transparent about his operation.

 

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

 

Larrikinism was a reaction to rules imposed by British officials on the young country of Australia. Our whiskey reflects this bold spirit of good-natured irreverence, and relies on character, not ceremony.

 

You may not know Larrikin the word - but you do know these Larrikins;

Steve Erwin, Crocodile Dundee, Johnny Cash,  Sammy Davis Jr., Pete Mitchell and Annie Oakley.” – Larrikin Bourbon Co.

 

Its newest release is simply billed as American Light Whiskey. If you’re unfamiliar with the category of the same name, it has very different rules from Bourbon or Rye. Light Whiskey is distilled between 160° and 190°, and aged in either new, uncharred oak or used oak barrels.

 

The concept of Light Whiskey was a survival response to the growing popularity of vodka and gin in the 1960s. Whiskey had fallen out of favor to those categories. Light Whiskey would fill that void… except it didn’t. American Light Whiskey never gained traction, and distilleries, particularly Seagram’s, had warehouses full of the product. Instead of dumping the stocks, Light Whiskey was used in blends.

 

In 2016, High West Distillery offered a 14-year-old Light Whiskey distilled by MGP (formerly Seagram’s). It won awards and sold out quickly, to the point that High West followed up with additional releases. That's what garnered the attention of other distilleries and, in particular, MGP, which had been sitting on a ton of it. Suddenly, Light Whiskey was a commodity.

 

For the most part, I enjoy Light Whiskey. Some lovely ones are well-aged, and others are barrel-finished, which draws out flavors from the vintage oak. I’ve had others that have been dull and some that bordered on undrinkable.

 

That brings us full circle to Larrikin’s American Light Whiskey. It aged for 7 years in undisclosed cooperage. Larrikin bottled a single barrel that weighed in at a haz-mat 143.6°! Larrikin sourced it from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery. American Light Whiskey can be purchased from its online store for $99.00.

 

So, how’s it taste? Thankfully, Larrikin provided me with a sample for this #DrinkCurious opportunity in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s get to that, shall we?

 

• Whiskey Type: Single Barrel American Light Whiskey
• Distiller: Undisclosed Kentucky distillery
• Age: 7 years
• Mashbill: 85% corn, 15% malted barley
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 71.8% ABV (143.6°)
• Price per 750mL: $99.00

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this whiskey neat. Inside, it appeared as liquid butterscotch. A fragile rim formed widely spaced, thick, fast tears.

 

Nose: Considering the proof, I let the whiskey breathe for 15 minutes before I approached it further. The aroma opened with dried apricots, butterscotch, and apples. Beneath that, I found muted cinnamon. When I pulled the air through my lips, I discovered caramel-coated apples.

 

Palate: The mouthfeel of American Light Whiskey was thin and oily. Surprisingly, there was no palate shock. It was warming yet nothing as anticipated with such high-proofed selections. I tasted caramel, apples, and nutmeg on the front of my palate. Next came lemon peel and ginger spice. Flavors of oak, clove, and cinnamon were on the back.

 

Finish: Caramel, clove, cinnamon, and candied ginger carried through into the finish, and much like the mouthfeel, lacked any real expected burn. It was even-keeled and left the slightest tingle on the bottom of my tongue. The duration ran 2:53, sending it deep into very long territory.

 

For fun, I added two drops of distilled water to see how it would affect the smell and taste.

 

On the nose, I could only pick up caramel-coated apples. It was pleasant, but I missed the butterscotch when I smelled it neat. The whiskey’s texture became velvety, and the heat component intensified. There was plenty of nutmeg and candied ginger on the palate, along with clove, cinnamon, oak, and now, black pepper. Oak lasted the longest. The finish was more subdued than the mouthfeel, as was its length, which ran 1:46. I’d still consider that quite long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Between neat and with water added, I much preferred Larrikin’s American Light Whiskey neat. There was more character, and it was shockingly easy to sip. Water took away from the experience rather than enhancing it.

 

As far as quality is concerned, I found American Light Whiskey to be outstanding. Is $99.00 on the pricy side? Yeah, a bit. However, I believe there would be no buyer’s remorse here. Larrikin’s takes my Bottle rating, and may be one of the best Light Whiskeys I’ve had in 2025. 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.