Bluebird Distilling, located in Phoenixville, PA, describes itself as a “grain to glass distillery.” Relatively new on the scene, Bluebird was founded by Jared Adkins. Prior to his distilling career, Mr. Adkins purportedly worked in corporate manufacturing and engineering after college. Following a personal passion, he embarked upon a journey of discovery that resulted in opening Bluebird with his father and a close friend. Lets see how this journey ended with the Bluebird Distilling Four Grain Bourbon Review!

As the name implies, four grains constitute this bourbon as opposed to the standard three. Hence, the mash bill includes corn, rye, barley, and Red Winter wheat with no breakdown of the percentages. My bottle, batch # 31 and bottle # 435, contains no specific age statement. However, a note on the back states aging as “less than four years.” This is slightly perplexing as it leaves the real possibility of anywhere between 1 day and 4 years. The bourbon clocks in at 92 proof (46%). Anyways, lets see how this bird flies!

Bottle and Appearance

The bourbon evinces a deep red chestnut in the bottle that elevates the red aspect once in a drinking glass. Giving it a swirl allows thick, big droplets to form and display well-defined strong legs. The bottle itself maintains a stout, jug-like appearance. The label nods at classic Gothic styling with the font, and contains a picture of bundled wheat and scythe. Broadly speaking, the overall appearance captures a gentrified urban artisanal look – something that could be sold at a Farmers Market in Brooklyn.

Nose

Lifting the glass to the nose reveals…very little. The bourbon, surprisingly, puts forth very little and requires the end user to vacuum in anything that may be there. Eventually, after several attempts a slightly sweet cherry oat mix arises. Within, a blackstrap molasses faintly appears before a sheepskin leather effectively wraps it up. These notes require some work to extract, and a casual approach would likely yield very little.

Palate

As the whiskey enters the mouth, finally some signs of life start to emerge. A mixed effect of warming and astringency bears notes of sweet corn and rye. The malted barley imparts a general nuttiness to the profile, and a smoky sensation not unlike that found within roasted coffee also emerges. Though the palate is more forward leaning than the nose, a general murkiness continues to prevail. While not an unpleasant experience, some unanswered questions remain by the end.

Finish

By the finish, the palate generally carries over with no major distinctions. However, the roasted coffee on the palate gains additional resolution with a distant french vanilla hazelnut lurking. With a slightly bizarre twist at the very end, a fairly prominent bubble gum taste emerges and finally lingers. Overall, the finish continues the tradition of the nose and palate. It simply ends without much fanfare after a duration that’s neither long nor abrupt.

Drinkability

Bluebird Four Grain Bourbon walks a straight line that, while not offensive, does little to arouse excitement. This whiskey could easily make a nice gift for someone if said recipient enjoys micro distilleries and their preferred flavor profile remains unknown. Best drunk in a classy city bar, the bourbon undoubtedly looks good in a crystal glass over ice.

Food Pairing

This bourbon fits nicely with a seared steak. It looks good in a glass next to the steak, and allows the steak’s flavors to dominate while adding some additional support on the side.

Facial Hair Rating

This bourbon claims the clean shaven look. Appropriate and clean, you can take this bourbon home to meet mom and dad. While this look doesn’t boldly impart identity, it also leaves room for broad conjecture. Strange or anachronistic styles may elicit less than desirable reactions, yet also impart a level of genuineness. This, unfortunately, does the opposite.

Overall

To conclude the Bluebird Distilling Four Grain Bourbon review, it lacks a sort of vital essence. Perhaps the founder’s background resulted in a degree of over-engineering, and perhaps the production favored science over art. Certainly an acceptable bourbon emerged, just not one that elicits much reaction. A splash of water unlocks the flavors, which are fine when they actually appear. The best part of this whiskey is the appearance of the liquid and bottle, which certainly look good in a whiskey cabinet. There is nothing wrong with that, but ultimately we’re left yearning for a bit more.

Final Grade: B-

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