Sweetheart of the Rodeo Bourbon Review (2026)

 

Founded in 2012 by Troy and Michelle Kooper in Austin, Texas, Koopers Family Whiskey came about despite neither having an inside edge in the spirits industry. Troy had a background in design. Michelle was a full-time homemaker and mother of two, who made everything for the family that she could, including soap and toothpaste!

 

The idea came while they were sharing a pour of whiskey at the kitchen table. It is unclear if that was Scotch or Rye, but the type didn’t matter.

Troy and Michelle trained as distillers under Dr. Robert Birnecker at Koval Distillery in Chicago. Koval gave the Koopers their start by allowing them access to unaged distillate while they were building their plans for their own distillery. 

 

Troy made his first two stills in that family kitchen. He tinkered with them until he discovered the “right” way to make whiskey. However, for the quantities required, he found that task daunting and, instead, he and Michelle decided to become blenders and leave the distilling part to the seasoned pros.

 

However, making their dream happen required a ton of money and time. Troy kept working his regular full-time job and also acted as a whiskey maker. Michelle did the same. In 2015, Koopers Family Whiskey’s first batches were available for purchase.

 

“Texas Independence, experimentation, and iterative refinement are central to how Koopers approaches whiskey production. We emphasize taste and compositional decisions over promotional stories or cultural mythologizing.” – Koopers Family Whiskey

 

Today I’m exploring Sweetheart of the Rodeo Bourbon, which is a blend of three sourced, straight Bourbons. The actual distillers remain undisclosed, although a previous release was rumored to be MGP. Two of the component whiskeys were four years old, the third was six years old. These Bourbons were aged in Ledbetter, Texas, and if you’re familiar with that climate, you know it’s very hot and humid, with wild temperature swings. Those qualities force much interaction between the whiskey and wood.

 

Sweetheart of the Rodeo Bourbon is packaged at 45% ABV (90°), and has a suggested price of $47.00, although an online search indicated prices as low as $36.00. You can purchase it via their online store.

 

How does it taste? Thankfully, Koopers Family Whiskey provided me with a sample of Sweetheart of the Rodeo Bourbon in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover where this goes!

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Undisclosed (Aged and blended by Koopers Family Whiskey)
• Age: 4 years
• Mashbill: A blend of 70% corn, 21% rye, and 9% malted barley + 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley + 70% corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted barley
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 45% ABV (90°)
• Price per 750mL: $47.00

 

Appearance: I used a Glencairn glass to explore this Bourbon neat. Its color was light, with plenty of orange and less amber. A medium rim produced tightly-packed, thicker, slow tears.

 

Nose: I allowed Sweetheart of the Rodeo about 15 minutes to breathe. While waiting, the air was filled with smells of peaches and plums. When I began handling the glass, I found aromas of toasted pecans, corn, orange zest, and a ton of vanilla. Drawing the vapor through my lips brought a sensation of more pecans.

 

Palate: With the first sip, I experienced a soft, delicate mouthfeel and a palate-shocking hit of charred oak. The second revealed notes of corn, peaches, and orange zest on the front of my palate. Midway through, I tasted butterscotch, milk chocolate, and cedar. The back included flavors of dried tobacco leaves, toasted pecans, and charred oak.

 

Finish: Toasted pecans, tobacco, charred oak, and bold butterscotch remained. Toward the very end, I tasted clove. The finish was exceedingly level and lasted 1:25, placing it in the longer, medium-duration venue.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Sweetheart of the Rodeo was atypical of many Texas Bourbons. It was neither hot nor harsh, nor overly oaked. Troy and Michelle correctly proofed this whiskey; it possessed enough character without those off-putting notes. I appreciated the fruits, nuts, spices, and oak.

 

Were I taking a guess, I’d assume 53-gallon barrels were used for aging, or perhaps one of them was smaller cooperage. The cedar note threw me off; it is normally indicative of it.

 

Overall, I found Sweetheart of the Rodeo Bourbon to be a very easy sipper; one that would appeal to many who don’t want the heaviness of higher-proofed Bourbons. It is priced well at $47.00 and is a pretty good bargain at $36.00. I liked it; I believe you will, too. It would be challenging not to offer 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.