Bulleit '87 Frontier Whiskey
45% ABV (90 proof) | 750mL | High-rye mash bill: 68% corn, 28% rye, 4% malted barley | Kentucky — Bulleit '87 Frontier Whiskey honors the year it all started: 1987, when Thomas E. Bulleit Jr. — a lawyer and the great-great-grandson of 1830s Louisville tavern-keeper Augustus Bulleit — launched Bulleit Frontier Whiskey to revive the family's bold, high-rye recipe.
The same 90-proof bourbon that made the brand famous: a rich, thick nose of warm spices, toasted oak, and toffee; a smooth yet assertive palate of vanilla, baking spices, English toffee, and a dash of pepper; a smooth, drying finish with lingering toffee. Old-timey bottle, burlap-sack attitude — "rough around the edges" by design, and one of the fastest-growing whiskeys in America — available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
Tasting notes
Nose: rich, thick — warm spices, toasted oak, toffee. Palate: smooth yet assertive — vanilla, baking spices, English toffee, dash of pepper. Finish: smooth, drying, lingering toffee.
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- High-rye mash bill — 28% rye for extra spice (68% corn, 4% malted barley)
- The '87 story — revived in 1987 by Tom Bulleit Jr. from his ancestor Augustus Bulleit's 1830s recipe
- A bartender's favorite for cocktails that need backbone
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
The high-rye profile was built for cocktails — reach for it in an Old Fashioned or Manhattan. Neat or on a cube if you want to taste the founding recipe straight.
Frequently asked questions
What does the '87 mean?
1987 — the year Tom Bulleit Jr. founded Bulleit Frontier Whiskey, reviving his great-great-grandfather Augustus Bulleit's high-rye bourbon recipe from the 1830s.
What is the mash bill?
68% corn, 28% rye, 4% malted barley — a notably high-rye bourbon, which is where the extra spice comes from.
Is this the same as regular Bulleit Bourbon?
Yes — this is the standard 90-proof Bulleit Bourbon, with '87 branding honoring the founding year.