Thirsty Thursday Eve - Bird Dog Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
A nearby liquor store had a sale on Bird Dog Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I’m a sucker for trying new things and this brand had apparently won some awards. Seems like as good a reason as any to pick up a bottle (or two) and try it.
Name: Bird Dog Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Source: Bird Dog
Style: Bourbon
ABV: 42%
Price: $20 (for two)
Volume: 750ml
Price per oz: $0.35
I was running low on distilled spirits, so I ran by the liquor store to pick up at least a bottle of something. Originally, I grabbed a fifth of Jim Beam Black because they had a sale that brought the price down to $11.99 for a fifth. I grabbed a bottle, but I continued to peruse for a minute just to see if anything else caught my eye.
Sure enough, as I was meandering up the bourbon aisle, I noticed a big sticker on the Bird Dog box that read “2 for $20” as opposed to the standard price of $14.99 per bottle. I had never heard of Bird Dog, but that was cheap when it comes to bourbon. Specifically, it was a big discount from the sticker price. Cheap bourbon and decent bourbon for cheap are two ENTIRELY different things. If this brand had apparently won some awards (as the box suggested), it couldn’t be THAT bad.
I find it prudent to underscore at this point, this was a BOX of bourbon. Yes, there was a bottle inside the box, but spirit manufacturers don’t waste time or money on a box unless they’re adding something besides the beverage itself. I wasn’t quite sure what else came with this bottle of bourbon, but that curiosity absolutely played a part in deciding to pick it up. Sure, it was cheap, but it also came with some mystery add in. That’s even better.
Turns out, the box contained a 750ml bottle of the regular 84 proof Bird Dog, but it also had two mini bottles of their 7 year aged “small batch” bourbon. I call that winning. Not only did I get to try a new brand of bourbon that I had never tried before, I also got to sample one of their more premium variants. Try ALL the bourbon!
I opened the corked bottle (yes, corked) and poured a finger neat. The nose was typical of bourbon, but I’ll confess I’ve never been able to anticipate a good or bad bourbon based on the scent. The first sip was… muted? The best way I can describe it was that it didn’t have a ton of flavor. My first sip of any new spirit straight is always bracing for that inevitable astringent sensation of pure alcohol. There’s the burn of a higher proof, sure, but the cheap stuff always feels a little more aggressive.
Bird Dog didn’t have that, which is a compliment. But similarly, it didn’t have an overwhelming amount of anything. I poured a small amount of Evan Williams Black for comparison, and sure enough, my senses were not deceiving me. Where the Evan was… call it “big,” the Bird Dog paled in comparison. Evan is genuinely good bourbon, and it has a big bourbon flavor. Bird Dog is undeniably drinkable, but it doesn’t scream “bourbon” at you.
After drinking the Evan for comparison, I figured I may as well hit my palate with one of the “small batch” mini bottles. Similarly, it was very quiet. The burn was effectively nascent, only noticeable on the tail end of the sensation. And the smoky, sweet sensation of bourbon is there, just not at all intense. The biggest difference between the standard Bird Dog and the small batch variant is the mouthfeel, in my experience. Small batch had a very silky smooth sensation, reminiscent of a more premium spirit. They’re both good, but small batch has the texture to match.
I would hesitate to recommend Bird Dog for any application that intends to feature the bourbon itself front and center. Something like an old fashioned that is supposed to be BOURBON with some supporting flavors, I just don’t feel like Bird Dog would come through to the finish. The flavor is too subtle to really cut through the filler in that case.
Don’t take that as an assertion of weakness or a downside, though. Some people don’t love bourbon for the sake of bourbon. I think Bird Dog is perfect for those people. Say you’ve never had bourbon, or you aren’t much of a drinker. Bird Dog is simultaneously smooth enough with the lack of astringent burn, but also subtle enough to simply grace your palate with just a suggestion of what bourbon can be. Bird Dog is a rare bourbon that is novice-friendly, affordable, and honestly still pretty good. That is not a common combination.
At the price point of two fifths for $20, plus an additional 4 mini bottles of the small batch bourbon, I think the package was a steal. The original sticker price of $14.99 per box is a little less competitive, though. Is a fifth of Bird Dog and two mini bottles worth $3 more than Jim Beam Black? I couldn’t tell you for sure. They’re both good, and I think it might genuinely come down to the company I keep. If I’m having a cookout with a bunch of people who aren’t huge bourbon drinkers, I might be more inclined to pick up the Bird Dog bourbon at full price. Bunch of old pals that enjoy the flavor of bourbon might better appreciate the Beam. There are too many situational variables to definitively rank Bird Dog against more common bourbon brands.
In short, Bird Dog is good in any case and stellar at the price point I grabbed it. It’s quiet and beginner-friendly, but it’s still good stuff. At a discount, it’s a clear winner. At sticker price, it’s still very good, just not as obvious of a choice. If you’ve never had it, I would absolutely recommend trying some.
Name: Bird Dog Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Source: Bird Dog
Style: Bourbon
ABV: 42%
Price: $20 (for two)
Volume: 750ml
Price per oz: $0.35
I was running low on distilled spirits, so I ran by the liquor store to pick up at least a bottle of something. Originally, I grabbed a fifth of Jim Beam Black because they had a sale that brought the price down to $11.99 for a fifth. I grabbed a bottle, but I continued to peruse for a minute just to see if anything else caught my eye.
Sure enough, as I was meandering up the bourbon aisle, I noticed a big sticker on the Bird Dog box that read “2 for $20” as opposed to the standard price of $14.99 per bottle. I had never heard of Bird Dog, but that was cheap when it comes to bourbon. Specifically, it was a big discount from the sticker price. Cheap bourbon and decent bourbon for cheap are two ENTIRELY different things. If this brand had apparently won some awards (as the box suggested), it couldn’t be THAT bad.
I find it prudent to underscore at this point, this was a BOX of bourbon. Yes, there was a bottle inside the box, but spirit manufacturers don’t waste time or money on a box unless they’re adding something besides the beverage itself. I wasn’t quite sure what else came with this bottle of bourbon, but that curiosity absolutely played a part in deciding to pick it up. Sure, it was cheap, but it also came with some mystery add in. That’s even better.
Turns out, the box contained a 750ml bottle of the regular 84 proof Bird Dog, but it also had two mini bottles of their 7 year aged “small batch” bourbon. I call that winning. Not only did I get to try a new brand of bourbon that I had never tried before, I also got to sample one of their more premium variants. Try ALL the bourbon!
I opened the corked bottle (yes, corked) and poured a finger neat. The nose was typical of bourbon, but I’ll confess I’ve never been able to anticipate a good or bad bourbon based on the scent. The first sip was… muted? The best way I can describe it was that it didn’t have a ton of flavor. My first sip of any new spirit straight is always bracing for that inevitable astringent sensation of pure alcohol. There’s the burn of a higher proof, sure, but the cheap stuff always feels a little more aggressive.
Bird Dog didn’t have that, which is a compliment. But similarly, it didn’t have an overwhelming amount of anything. I poured a small amount of Evan Williams Black for comparison, and sure enough, my senses were not deceiving me. Where the Evan was… call it “big,” the Bird Dog paled in comparison. Evan is genuinely good bourbon, and it has a big bourbon flavor. Bird Dog is undeniably drinkable, but it doesn’t scream “bourbon” at you.
After drinking the Evan for comparison, I figured I may as well hit my palate with one of the “small batch” mini bottles. Similarly, it was very quiet. The burn was effectively nascent, only noticeable on the tail end of the sensation. And the smoky, sweet sensation of bourbon is there, just not at all intense. The biggest difference between the standard Bird Dog and the small batch variant is the mouthfeel, in my experience. Small batch had a very silky smooth sensation, reminiscent of a more premium spirit. They’re both good, but small batch has the texture to match.
I would hesitate to recommend Bird Dog for any application that intends to feature the bourbon itself front and center. Something like an old fashioned that is supposed to be BOURBON with some supporting flavors, I just don’t feel like Bird Dog would come through to the finish. The flavor is too subtle to really cut through the filler in that case.
Don’t take that as an assertion of weakness or a downside, though. Some people don’t love bourbon for the sake of bourbon. I think Bird Dog is perfect for those people. Say you’ve never had bourbon, or you aren’t much of a drinker. Bird Dog is simultaneously smooth enough with the lack of astringent burn, but also subtle enough to simply grace your palate with just a suggestion of what bourbon can be. Bird Dog is a rare bourbon that is novice-friendly, affordable, and honestly still pretty good. That is not a common combination.
At the price point of two fifths for $20, plus an additional 4 mini bottles of the small batch bourbon, I think the package was a steal. The original sticker price of $14.99 per box is a little less competitive, though. Is a fifth of Bird Dog and two mini bottles worth $3 more than Jim Beam Black? I couldn’t tell you for sure. They’re both good, and I think it might genuinely come down to the company I keep. If I’m having a cookout with a bunch of people who aren’t huge bourbon drinkers, I might be more inclined to pick up the Bird Dog bourbon at full price. Bunch of old pals that enjoy the flavor of bourbon might better appreciate the Beam. There are too many situational variables to definitively rank Bird Dog against more common bourbon brands.
In short, Bird Dog is good in any case and stellar at the price point I grabbed it. It’s quiet and beginner-friendly, but it’s still good stuff. At a discount, it’s a clear winner. At sticker price, it’s still very good, just not as obvious of a choice. If you’ve never had it, I would absolutely recommend trying some.
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