Bluegrass Sundown Bourbon Liqueur Review
By Jake Emen
Rating: B-
Bluegrass Sundown is a coffee and vanilla infused bourbon liqueur designed especially to produce a velvety, rich dessert beverage — the Kentucky bourbon coffee. Think of it as the bourbon counterpart to the Irish coffee we all know so well.
If you’re a fan of Irish coffees, hot toddies and everything else in that category — and really, who’s not? — you’ll immediately take to Bluegrass Sundown. While those beverages might be ideal for a cold winter or autumn evening, nobody said you couldn’t enjoy a few in the summer as well, so I was quite excited to break into this bottle and see what it had to offer.
The Bourbon
(Credit: Jake Emen)
With Bluegrass Sundown, the coffee is already infused with bourbon, so all you need is boiling water and a touch of heavy cream to complete the beverage. If you follow the instructions properly (provided step-by-step on the bottle’s label — see right) and pour yourself up a cup, you might do a double take to see whether or not somebody placed a pint of Guinness in front of you without your realizing it. That’s due to the heavy cream sitting on top of the Bluegrass Sundown and water, mimicking the foamy white head of a Guinness.
What really stands out with Bluegrass Sundown is the texture. It’s silky smooth over the tongue, and it certainly warms you up as you enjoy a cup, making it a fine choice as a chilly evening companion, as might be predicted. It’s also very aromatic, although the sweetness combined with the bourbon and coffee almost gives it a brandy-esque smell straight from the bottle, if you didn’t know what you were investigating.
As you pour the liquor into your cup, it’s actually quite similar in appearance to Kahlua, which is a coffee and rum infusion. However it’s more similar in texture and taste to Baileys, which is of course whiskey and cream.
It’s no secret that both Baileys and Kahlua are great to utilize in many different fashions, including straight up or with ice, and as a part of various cocktails. As such, it’s certainly worth giving Bluegrass Sundown a try on the rocks as well, as I did.
(Credit: Jake Emen)
On the rocks, Bluegrass Sundown is a little bit thick and syrupy — it’s definitely beneficial to have that boiling water thin it out when you make a hot coffee. I could still see it being used in similar fashion to Kahlua though, either mixed with milk and drank on the rocks, or used in Black and White Russians and the like.
Bluegrass Sundown is produced by Lyons Spirits, a division of Alltech Lexington Brewing and Distilling Co., based out of Lexington, Kentucky. It has a 20% alcohol content by volume, and designed to make 12 by-the-instructions Bluegrass Sundown Kentucky bourbon coffees from the 750 ml bottle.
The Price
The recommended retail price for Bluegrass Sundown is $32.33. As it the liqueur is not in widespread distribution yet, you may have to make a trip to Lexington to pick up a bottle. Or you could badger your neighborhood barkeep or premium liquor store into carrying it, whichever strikes you as easier.
Just sampled Bluegrass Sundown at the Town Branch Distillary prepared as on the bottle. It was incredibly smooth and yummy. All twelve of us at the tastings were in total agreement…highlight of the tasting. A must stop on the Bourbon Trail.
I sampled your Bluegrass Sundown and thought it was fantastic. I flew back to Florida so I had no room for a bottle. Where near Ft Myers can we purchase it?
According to Alltech, their beer and whiskey products are distributed in Florida by Cavalier (http://www.cavbeer.com/), so what I would do is ask them if any of your area liquor stores are serviced by them. Hope that helps!
I recently was in Lexington and sampled your Bluegrass Sundown. It was fantastic!
I live near Ft. Myers Florida and would like to know where I can purchase it.
I brought a case of Bluegrass Sundown home to Maryland! Well, wwe’re down to our last bottle! Where can I find it in Maryland or the surrounding states?
I don’t know what stores stock Bluegrass Sundown in Maryland, but the distributor in the state is Legends Limited. If you call them, they should tell you who gets it from them.
We bought this when we,did the bourbon trail. I just finished it, I live in PA. How can I get more.
We just opened our bottle today. We were there 3 weeks ago. Just wondering if you need to refrigerate the bottle after opening it?
We were in Lexington and did the tour. Awesome! Where in Alabama or Tennessee can Bluegrass Sundown be purchased?
Hey folks. The Town Branch website has a list of distributors and retailers. You can use that to figure out where Bluegrass Sundown is available nearest to you.
I live in the Utica, NY area and I was wondering how I could get some Bluegrass Sundown??
For my birthday in September of 2015, my husband and another couple and myself went in the Bourbon Trail. This was the first time we had visited this particular Distillery. I’m not a drinker so much of the samples in past on but I tried the Bluegrass Sundown and I was pleasantly surprised. It’s very pleasing. The mixture of strong coffee and of course the heavy cream, was very tasty. I bought a bottle and the special glass that you serve it in and on occasion I enjoy a delightful warming treat. It’s just right to warm your body and soul
Hi! We sampled your Bluegrass Sundown this past weekend at the Winter Beer Blast in Warren, Rhode Island. I’ve called several liquor and can’t find it?!! Could you please tell me where I can buy it in RI or who the distributor is locally for it?? Thank you!
I came on the Bourbon trail tour last month with my husband. I not a real whiskey drinker but I sampled the Bluegrass Sundown in the tour. Was pleasantly surprised! This is something I would have in the evening, maybe even 2. It is smooth and a good choice if if you don’t drink often. I bought a bottle and a glass. I’m sure to be another person looking for a distributor in my area.
Just came from a road trip with family – we began our bourbon trail in Lexington, Kentucky at Town Branch Distillary. The tour was terrific ( thanks Abby and Steve), a must visit if you are in the area. The Bluegrass Sundown Bourbon & Whiskey is a velvety liquor – coffee lovers will be delighted. The “summer” old fashioned Kentucky Ale will be a pleasant surprise too.
How long will bluegrass sundown keep after opening the bottle. Do you need to refigerator after opening
Good question, and I can only offer an educated guess at the answer. With an alcohol content similar to fortified wine, my guess is that it will do alright sitting out for three to six months, depending on the temperature and how much air is in the bottle.