Bulleit Bourbon
Bulleit Bourbon is a 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof), built on an unusually high-rye recipe — 68% corn, 28% rye and 4% malted barley — with Kentucky limestone-filtered water and the house's special yeast strains. That rye weight gives Bulleit its signature register: bold and spicy up front, then smooth and clean through the finish, in the frontier style Tom Bulleit revived from a family recipe the brand dates back over 150 years. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Mash: 68% corn, 28% rye, 4% malted barley (high-rye)
- Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, no age statement
- Water: Kentucky limestone-filtered
- Origin: The Bulleit Distilling Co., Kentucky (Diageo)
A Frontier Recipe, Heavy on the Rye
The Bulleit story starts with Augustus Bulleit, a Louisville tavern keeper who in the 1830s set out to make a bourbon unlike any other in Kentucky — and with his great-great-grandson Tom Bulleit, who revived the family recipe in the late 1980s and built it into one of America's defining high-rye bourbons. Where a typical bourbon mash carries around a tenth rye, Bulleit's runs near three times that, and the spice shows in every sip. The brand's own honours list includes Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 95 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. Explore the rest of the house on the Bulleit vendor page, or browse the wider shelf in our bourbon whiskey collection.
Tasting Notes
The distillery describes a medium-amber bourbon opening with gentle spice and sweet oak; the mid-palate is smooth with maple, oak and nutmeg, and the finish runs long, dry and satiny with a light toffee note — bold and spicy, yet clean.
How to Enjoy
The high-rye spice makes this a natural Old Fashioned and Manhattan bourbon, and it holds its own neat or on a single cube. More cocktail bourbons are in our whisky collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Bulleit Bourbon?
Bulleit Bourbon carries no age statement — the brand publishes no minimum age for the flagship. It is a Kentucky straight bourbon, bottled at 90 proof in 750mL.
Why does Bulleit taste spicier than most bourbons?
Its mash is unusually heavy on rye — 28%, against roughly a tenth in a typical bourbon recipe — which the brand credits for its bold, spicy character and clean finish.
What proof is Bulleit Bourbon?
90 proof (45% ABV), made with Kentucky limestone-filtered water and aged in new charred American oak as a straight bourbon must be.
The high-rye original — order Bulleit Bourbon online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
