Old Terrell Bourbon Reviews: Small Batch, BG1, BG2 & 1153 Single Barrels

 

Old Terrell Bourbon traces its history back to 1835 when Caleb Terrell began distilling operations on his Paducah, Kentucky family farm. It wasn’t a matter of, “Hey, I want to be a distiller”; rather, it was a similar story to many distillers for the previous 60 or so years: “How can I make money from my excess grains?”

 

Just shy of 50 years later, Sid Terrell, Caleb’s grandnephew, established and registered distillery number DSP-KY-34 and called it Old Terrell, making it one of Kentucky’s oldest legal distilleries. However, in 1916, there was a fire that originated in Old Terrell’s mailroom and spread to the rest of the distillery. Over 1300 barrels of whiskey were destroyed, along with the building itself. Damages were estimated at $150,000, which doesn’t seem like a lot until you convert it to a 2026 value of $4.6 million and some change!

 

Old Terrell didn’t make a comeback until 2023, when Sid’s great-nephew, Logan Davis, revived the brand and began harvesting corn, rye, and wheat that he grew on his Paducah family farm. In 2025, he began restoring the original Old Terrell distillery.

 

In the meantime, Old Terrell is doing what many brands do while they’re waiting for construction, distilling, and maturing to happen: sourcing its whiskey. That brings us to the subject of today’s review of four expressions: Old Terrell BG1 Single Barrel Bourbon, Old Terrell BG2 Single Barrel Bourbon, Old Terrell Barrel #1153, and Old Terrell Small Batch Bourbon.  

 

Old Terrell has been very transparent with these whiskeys. The first two have a mashbill of 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley and were distilled by Wild Turkey. The latter two have a mashbill of 60% corn, 36% rye, and 4% malted barley, and come from Kentucky Artisan Distillery. All four expressions matured for 8 years in 53-gallon, new, charred oak barrels.

 

You’ll notice in the review that the single barrels are priced between $75.00 and $90.00. That’s because they’re currently not sold individually – yet. They have not yet been claimed, so each one is available as a barrel pick if a store or club was interested. There are some single barrel bottles available for purchase at Abstraction Spirits’ gift shop in Paducah. The price of the bottle will depend on what the yield is from each single barrel. The Small Batch has a suggested price of $69.99.

 

Old Terrell Bourbon was kind enough to provide me with these four samples in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest review. Let’s #DrinkCurious and discover what they’re all about!

 

Oh, one more thing. I used a fresh Glencairn glass with each pour, and waited 15 minutes before I began nosing.

 

Small Batch Bourbon

 

• Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Kentucky Artisan Distillery
• Age: 8 years
• Mashbill: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 54% ABV (108°)
• Price per 750mL: $69.99

 

Appearance: In my glass, the Small Batch looked like liquid butterscotch. A medium-thick rim shed thin, lightning-fast tears; however, fat, sticky droplets were left behind that never seemed to fall.

 

Nose: There was a strong presence of whole peaches, and it took additional time to get past that. From there, I smelled orange peel, fresh tobacco leaves, and vanilla. When I drew the air through my lips, I found more peaches.   

 

Palate: As the whiskey crossed my lips and tongue, I encountered a thinner texture with a significant punch of clove. My next attempt helped me nail down tobacco, herbal tea, and stewed peaches on the front, followed by oak spice, new leather, and rye at my mid-palate. The back included clove, malt, and bittersweet chocolate.

 

Finish: Bittersweet chocolate, herbal tea, malt, and clove remained. There was a very brief glimpse of stewed peaches. The finish started bold and remained so for its entirety, which lasted an incredibly long 2:47.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The Small Batch punched well above its weight. My tongue and the roof of my mouth sizzled. It could easily pass for 125° or so.

 

Using an eyedropper, I added two drops of water to see what it might accomplish. The malty quality exploded from the neck of the glass on the nose. On the palate, it became super-fruity with peaches, bananas, apples, pears, and even a hint of cherries. The length of the finish evaporated. Frankly, I preferred how the Small Batch performed at its lower proof.

 

At 8 years old and 108°, it is a bit pricey. You’ll want to add water to this one, which, conveniently, will make the perceived value go up because you’ll take smaller pours.

 

Taking everything into consideration, my Bar rating seems warranted.

 

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Single Barrel #1153

 

• Whiskey Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Kentucky Artisan Distillery
• Age: 8 years
• Mashbill: 60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 56.7% ABV (113.4°)
• Price per 750mL: $75 - $90

 

Appearance: The Bourbon had a sierra amber color, and it formed a medium rim with widely spaced, thick, crazed tears.

 

Nose: The aroma included notes of roasted almonds, orange peel, shredded tobacco, and vanilla. With further exploration, I identified cherries and figs. When I inhaled the vapor through my lips, I tasted stewed peaches.

 

Palate: The first sip revealed a dense, creamy mouthfeel with a sweet flavor. The second brought roasted almonds, vanilla, and sweet corn on the front of my palate. The middle featured leather, cocoa, and a bit of toffee. On the back, I found oak, clove, and herbal tea.

 

Finish: French vanilla ice cream demanded my attention. Then came roasted almonds, clove, herbal tea, and oak. The sweetness seemed well balanced with the spicier notes. As the spice took control, the intensity rose to a crescendo at 0:58 and completely fell off at 1:12, making for a medium duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I chose Barrel #1153 as my second pour because it was the same mashbill as the Small Batch. While there were some similarities, I found Barrel #1153 to be far easier to sip. It drank well below its stated proof; this could easily pass for 100° or so.

 

Barrel #1153 was a completely enjoyable pour from start to finish. Priced between $75.00 and $90.00, it is worth the investment, particularly at the lower end of the spectrum. My Bottle rating is solid.  

 

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Single Barrel #BG1

 

• Whiskey Type: Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Wild Turkey
• Age: 8 years
• Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 58.9% ABV (117.8°)
• Price per 750mL: $75 - $90

 

Appearance: The golden amber liquid formed a medium-thick rim while discharging randomly-spaced, thicker, syrupy tears.

 

Nose: The nose was dessert-like, with a blast of pecan pralines, roasted almonds, leather, toffee, honey, and milk chocolate. Pulling that aroma into my mouth brought flavors of peaches and cream.  

 

Palate: The first sip deployed a creamy texture with a tidal wave of candied apricots. I tried again, and this time I tasted butterscotch, apricots, and creamy vanilla on the front. My mid-palate plucked leather, pecans, and milk chocolate, while the back was bold with notes of sweet oak, blanched almonds, and pastries.

 

Finish: What was left after the swallow? Well, there was butterscotch, pecans, milk chocolate, baked pastries, honey, and oak. It was most assuredly sweet! Completely level from beginning to end, the finish offered no heat during its 1:18 run.    

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Admittedly, I’m a late adopter of Wild Turkey’s Bourbon. There was a time when I actually found it unpalatable. Can you believe that? Since then, I’ve done about a half-dozen Russell’s Reserve barrel picks over the years and learned why it is such a revered distillery.

 

Barrel BG1 is, in a word, stunning. It is one of those lovely pours you can enjoy after a meal instead of more food. It drank nowhere near its published proof, and is so easy to sip that it falls into that dangerous category of whiskeys: those that you don’t realize how much you’ve imbibed until you stand up.

 

Would I pay $75.00 for it? Yes. Would I pay $90.00? In a heartbeat. Barrel BG1 is everything you love about Wild Turkey. Hey, Old Terrell, don’t blend this one! Oh, yeah, the rating. Do I really have to say it takes a Bottle?  

 

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Single Barrel #BG2

 

• Whiskey Type: Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon
• Distiller: Wild Turkey
• Age: 8 years
• Mashbill: 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon charred oak barrels
• Alcohol Content: 58.65% ABV (117.3°)
• Price per 750mL: $75 - $90

 

Appearance: BG2 had a definitive, classic amber color. The whiskey produced a very thin rim with patient, crowded, thin tears.

 

Nose: I found a nutty aroma that included pecans, almonds, peanuts, and hazelnuts. Beneath those were brown sugar, toffee, and maple syrup. And, hidden under those was oak and a kiss of rye spice. Taking the air into my mouth exposed me to toffee and orange zest.

 

Palate: A thin yet silky texture unloaded a palate shock of cinnamon and toffee. The next sip unveiled flavors of toffee, brown sugar, and maple syrup on the front of my palate. Pecans, hazelnuts, and vanilla followed, which were quickly overshadowed by oak, cinnamon, and rye spices.

 

Finish: Between the oak, cinnamon, and rye spices, it was challenging to determine which dominated. At the same time, the pecans, brown sugar, and maple syrup countermanded those while also fighting for the spotlight. It was definitely yin and yang. The 1:09   duration made for a pleasing, level finish.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: BG2 had character. There was a battle between sweet and spice, yet each seemed to complement the other, making for a talented balance. While BG2 drank a handful of points beneath its stated proof, there was enough oomph to remind me of its potency. It was, most assuredly, captivating.   

 

BG2 is a Bourbon drinker’s Bourbon; it ticks all of the boxes. It is priced fairly and deserves my Bottle rating.

 

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Final Thoughts: While Wild Turkey and Kentucky Artisan Distillery are both established, well-respected Kentucky distilleries, that’s the only thing they have in common. That’s not a knock. These mashbills weren’t even close in comparison. What’s unusual is that Kentucky Artisan’s low malt content was “meltier” than Wild Turkey’s much higher component.

 

Ranking these was easy: There was BG1 and then the rest. Several lengths behind was a neck-and-neck race between 1153 and BG2, with the Kentucky Artisan distillate beating the Wild Turkey by a nosehair. The Small Batch was fourth.

 

Overall, today was a great experience, and I thank Old Terrell Bourbon for the opportunity. 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.