Southern Star Paragon Bottled In Bond Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
50% ABV (100 proof) | 750mL | Aged minimum 4 years | 70% corn / 16% wheat / 14% barley — Southern Star Paragon Bottled in Bond is a wheated straight bourbon from Southern Distilling Company, Statesville, North Carolina: made in one distilling season by one distiller at one distillery, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at the bond-mandated 100 proof. The wheated mash bill (70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% barley) trades rye spice for softness — grain-to-glass whiskey from Pete and Vienna Barger's 2013-founded distillery. Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
The wheated recipe shows immediately: sweet corn and honey on the nose, a palate of caramel, vanilla custard, and soft wheat bread, and a clean 100-proof finish with warming oak and a gentle pepper flicker. Among bourbons, bottled-in-bond wheaters are a sweet spot of authenticity and value — The Daily Pour scored it 91, The Whiskey Wash 92. Neat or with a splash of water; a natural in a whiskey sour.
Tasting notes
Nose: sweet corn, honey, light oak. Palate: caramel, vanilla custard, soft wheat bread. Finish: clean and warming at 100 proof; oak, faint pepper. (Per Daily Pour/Whiskey Wash review notes.)
Why buy it from Del Mesa Liquor
- 50% ABV (100 proof) — 750mL, Bottled in Bond (aged minimum 4 years)
- Wheated mash bill: 70% corn / 16% wheat / 14% barley
- Made in one distilling season, one distillery — Southern Distilling Co., Statesville, NC
- Scored 91 (The Daily Pour) and 92 (The Whiskey Wash)
- Wheated bourbons trade rye spice for softness — this one keeps the 100-proof backbone
- Available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor
How to serve it
Neat or with a splash of water; the soft wheated palate makes an excellent whiskey sour or Gold Rush.
Frequently asked questions
What does "Bottled in Bond" mean?
It guarantees the whiskey was made in one distilling season by one distiller at one distillery, aged at least four years in a bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof.
What is a wheated bourbon?
A bourbon whose flavor grain is wheat instead of rye — softer and sweeter, with notes of honey, vanilla, and bread rather than rye spice.
How old is Southern Star Paragon Bonded?
Aged a minimum of four years; no more precise age is stated.
Where is it made?
Southern Distilling Company, Statesville, North Carolina — a grain-to-glass distillery founded in 2013 by Pete and Vienna Barger.