Backbone Bourbon Prime
Backbone Bourbon Prime is a 104-proof (52% ABV), 750mL blended whiskey from Backbone Bourbon Company — the blender's answer to the straight-bourbon shelf. The proprietary blend combines different-aged straight bourbons with straight rye and a small measure of old light whiskey to boost strength and complexity (the brand's published recipe for its current batch: 62.5% straight bourbon 3–4 years, 17.5% straight bourbon over 4 years, 19.5% straight rye 18–36 months, and 0.5% 16-year light whiskey). Distilled in Indiana. It earned 89 points from Whisky Advocate (Batch 4). Order online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 52% (104 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Style: Blended whiskey — straight bourbons + straight rye + a touch of 16-year light whiskey (recipe varies by batch)
- Origin: Distilled in Indiana; blended by Backbone Bourbon Company
- Awards: 89 points, Whisky Advocate (Batch 4)
The Blender's Bottle
Most whiskey brands pick a lane — straight bourbon, straight rye, finished, done. Backbone Bourbon Company was founded to blend, and Prime is where that philosophy shows its full hand: multiple straight bourbons of different ages, straight rye for spine, and a whisper of sixteen-year-old light whiskey that lifts the whole blend without announcing itself. The result is bigger and spicier than a straight bourbon of the same age — cornbread and sorghum next to caramel and vanilla, in Whisky Advocate's words. Among bourbons on the shelf it's the outlier with the blending-knife edge, and that is the point.
Tasting Notes
Caramel, oak and dark cherry on the nose; the palate opens sweet vanilla, moves into bold spice — baking spices, black pepper, a flicker of habañero and jalapeño honey — and finishes smooth with an almost maple sweetness. Long and spicy.
How to Enjoy
Neat or with a splash of water to let the spice layers separate. It stands up to cocktails that would flatten a softer whiskey — a Prime Old Fashioned has real authority — and it pairs with anything grilled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Bourbon Prime a straight bourbon?
No — the brand describes it as a proprietary blend of straight bourbons, straight rye and a touch of 16-year light whiskey. It is a blended whiskey.
Does the blend change?
Yes — the recipe varies by batch (the published Batch #14 recipe is given above as the current example); describe the general composition, not a fixed formula.
Where is it made?
Distilled in Indiana and blended by Backbone Bourbon Company.
Where can I buy Backbone Bourbon Prime online?
This 750mL bottle is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor — it ships from San Diego, CA.
The blender's showpiece — bring home Backbone Bourbon Prime from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.