The name John Wayne (The Duke) evokes different thoughts from different generations. To our grandfathers he was known to be in war movies, to our dads he was known to be in Westerns, to us he is known as an actor in old movies, and to the guy behind the counter, he was known as a nobody because he said he had never heard of him. Makes us feel old.
Today we are drinking Legendary Duke Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. We assume the Legendary part refers to Wayne because we have never heard of this stuff. From their website “His son, Ethan Wayne, remembers his father describing his dream to create his own liquor lines.” From the bottle, “a recipe that was until now unknown, created from handwritten notes and bottles preserved for over 40 years,”
Duke Bourbon sells for $40, is 88 proof, aged 5 years, and comes in a very tall and slender corked bottle. As to the mash bill, this specific Bourbon was not on their website, but they had a bottle that looked identical but was aged 9 years and was 110 proof. That mash bill was 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% barley.
Call us skeptical, but sometimes things can come across as a little gimmicky, and this seems that way to us. But on the more positive side, this is from their website “The Duke was often quoted as saying that if he was going to have a drink, “it had better be a good one.” So, there is hope. Wadiya say, partner, let’s drink!
NOSE
Todd: A good toasty nose of caramel and vanilla. Secondary scents are corn, nuts, acrylic, and fruits like apricots and cherries. Ice makes no difference.
Matt: Nothing really comes forward but still a lot of scents. Brown sugar, almonds, vanilla, citrus, rye, and walnuts. Weirdly, I get a little whiff of chlorine that disappears with ice.
TASTE
Todd: Smooth neat with the same caramel, vanilla, and nuttiness that I got on the nose. Also get some barley, raisin, and a bit of a floral taste. Interestingly, I lost the fruit that I got on the nose. Ice lessens all the above but added to the overall enjoyment.
Matt: Woody vanilla upfront with slighter tastes of anise, caramel, pepper, and fruit. Ice brought out some sweetness and more fruitiness.
FINISH
Todd: Medium-sweet finish that almost feels chewy.
Matt: Easy, medium short with nothing specific to remark on.
OVERALL
Todd: I like it, while no flavor or scent really jumps out at me, I still get a lot of both. Priced a little high for what you get.
Matt: Not bad, but at that price it won’t be a staple at my house. It is better than Jim.
Todd: If by that you mean Jim Beam, I would stop drinking Bourbon if that was my only choice.
Nose 4 out of 5
Taste 7.25 out of 10
Finish 3.75 out of 5
Total score 15 out of 20 barrels.
Well, the jury was a little divided today, but we do agree that Duke Bourbon is a little on the pricey side. Maybe they have to pay royalties to the Wayne family, we don’t know. In the end, is it a gimmick, yes but still has a decent nose and taste.
If you are an avid Bourbon collector, you should probably have a bottle of Duke Bourbon. Also, it could be a nice gift to a dad or granddad who still has fond memories of John Wayne. Or maybe you are a fan of Wayne yourself, in that case, grab a bottle. And if price means nothing, give it a try. For the rest of you, we recommend passing on this Bourbon.
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