Those who keep an eye on the whiskey shelf of their local package store are likely aware that celebrity branded spirits are everywhere, and have been for years at this point. When it specifically comes to celebrity backed whiskey brands, though, it does often feel like many of those expressions–particularly when it’s bourbon–fall into a pretty narrow stylistic band. For one thing, almost all of them tend to be modestly aged or non-age-stated, pursuing a mid-shelf or accessible price point. Perhaps this speaks to the types of artists–country music stars, athletes–who have backed these brands, and what demographic they imagine their supporters would fall into. But the fact remains that you rarely see celebrity owned bourbon brands with specs that are legitimately all that intriguing to the whiskey segment’s geekier vanguard. And that’s one thing that immediately made Lazy K Bar Straight Bourbon Whiskey stand out, when I first perused its press release. Here we have an 8 year, age-stated Kentucky bourbon, at a respectable proof point and in a striking bottle, in a venture backed by one of the stars of Yellowstone. That feels like a marketing combo that could take a brand places.
And in fact, “8 year age statement” is actually underselling this at least a little bit, as the company website states that Lazy K Bar Straight Bourbon Whiskey is actually a blend of 8, 9 and 10-year-old Kentucky bourbon distillate. It also provides a mash bill of 74% corn, 18% rye and 8% malted barley, which the eagle-eyed among the bourbon geeks will recognize as the same basic bourbon mash bill of the Barton 1792 Distillery. There’s no confirmation of source, but that would be a more than reasonable guess. The product, which is a collaboration between Lazy K Bar Ranch owner David Lueschen and Yellowstone actor Cole Hauser, is bottled at 46% ABV (92 proof), but the advanced MSRP is where it might lose some folks: $100. Suffice to say, you’re paying a premium here for the connection to “bottled in Bozeman, Montana” and the admittedly handsome looking bottle, with its leather wrap on the top third and cannonball-like metal stopper. I rarely bother commenting on aspects such as bottle design, but this one does stand out nicely.
Consumers have to date only seen this product in its native Montana and a test market of Texas, but it’s now expanding sales nationally via direct online sales. That can also mean additional costs, unfortunately–the SRP may be $100, but typing in a sample address in Illinois, the website quotes me $117 for the bottle plus delivery. So that’s another factor to consider in this value proposition.
So with that said, let’s get to tasting this unusually luxe celebrity bourbon expression.
On the nose, Lazy K Bar Straight Bourbon Whiskey displays a pleasant stone fruitiness evocative of peach preserves, along with light caramel and crisp graininess. I’m getting mild rye spice and some delicate whiffs of smoke, and a slightly nutty/nougaty character. All of these notes are fairly mild, however, which gives it a slight air of drabness.
On the palate, the dominant impression here is light and sweet. I’m getting candied citrus and peach rings, along with distinctive vanilla pudding, light caramel candy and some of the nougat from the nose. Clove spice and mild rye spice offer a halfhearted sense of balance, along with a little honey tea. It drinks effortlessly, with low ethanol, but could actually benefit more from a stronger approach that would give it a more dramatic or memorable impression. There are absolutely no off flavors or unpleasant notes here, but I’m also not getting much of a suggestion of the level of maturity that the age statement would seem to suggest–perhaps the proof is just too low to access some of this spirit’s most engaging notes. Regardless, I would very much like to see if this became more assertive at 100 proof or beyond.
As is, Lazy K Bar Straight Bourbon Whiskey offers totally approachable and pleasant notes of fruit, vanilla and sweetness, but doesn’t really commit very hard to underlying herbal or spice layers that would have helped to justify its advanced proof point. This would be best recommended to drinkers who dislike higher proof points and want a lighter, very easy drinking experience.
Distillery: Lazy K Bar Whiskey (sourced)
City: Bozeman, MT
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
ABV: 46% (92 proof)
Availability: 750 ml bottles, $100 MSRP
Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident brown liquor geek. You can follow him on Twitter for more drink writing.