Distilled By: Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.
Location: Distilled in Louisville, KY; Bottled in Bardstown, KY
Parent Company: N/A
Class: KY Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 100 (50% ABV)
Age: NAS (at least 4 years)
Mash bill: 78% Corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
J.W. Dant bottled in bond bourbon is named after Joseph W. Dant, who started distilling at the age of 16 the mid-1830’s. The Dant family has a long history of distilling, however, the J.W. Dant brand name was sold to Heaven Hill in the 1990’s. Joseph started out distilling using two halves of a hollowed out log that was filled with fermenting mash and had copper steam pipes running through the log to start the distillation process. This family history has inspired Joseph’s great-great-grandson J.W. “Wally” Dant to announce in the Summer of 2019 his purchase of 220 acres to build Log Still Distillery on the old property that was most recently home of Gethsemane Distillery (shut down in 1961). Due to Heaven Hill’s J.W. Dant brand name ownership, his name isn’t expected to ever show up on a bottle produced by the new Dant family distillery.
BSG REVIEW:
Color: Amber
Nose: Heavy oak, sweet corn, citrus zest, hint of banana
Palate: Caramel, corn, heavy oak
Finish: Long, black pepper, oak, slightly medicinal
J.W. Dant is a budget-friendly offering coming in around $15 for most consumers. It starts with a nose that is heavy on the oak with some sweet corn trying to come through. There is some citrus zest and a hint of banana as well once the big oak aroma passes. The taste brings some caramel and corn flavors but still with that big punch of oak dominating the palate over everything. This bourbon finishes pretty long with some black pepper spice to go along with all that oak. I did pick up a slight medicinal note that pops out at the very end that could be off-putting for some people. Though I find this bottle to be a decent everyday budget bourbon offering, I do believe I would give the edge to another comparable Heaven Hill product, Evan Williams Bottled in Bond (White Label).
BSG Score: 78/100
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