Old 55 Single Barrel Bourbon Review

By Father John Rayls

Rating: B+

Old 55 Single Barrel Bourbon
(Credit: John Rayls)

Having lived much of my life in Indiana, it always seemed to me there should have been a much larger whiskey representation in both distilleries and retail product. Kentucky and (southern) Indiana have much in common culturally, but the whiskey part never got much of a footing north of the Ohio River.

Of course, it is widely known that just north of the river, what is now called MGP produces some large quantities of notable whiskey (both branded and generic) that is consumed all over the world. Many consumers don’t even realize they’re drinking Hoosier whiskey under any one of countless labels, despite the discrete tagline indicating it was distilled in Indiana.

However, craft distilling has come to Indiana too, and in the west-central part of the state is a small distillery starting to make a name for itself, Old 55 Distillery of Newtown. Old 55 Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey, bottled at 80 proof, is quirky much like Old 55 Distillery. It’s made from Hoosier-grown corn and wheat in what was the local elementary school, now closed and repurposed. The whiskey itself is aged underground, in a cellar if you like, beneath the old school gym.

The Bourbon
My bottle number was 161 from Batch 1563. It had a faint brown coloring with some hints of coppery gold. The appearance was closer to a Scotch than bourbon amber, and seemed slightly darker in the bottle. The highlights were a very bright gold. The legs were thin leaving large droplets suspended around the glass.

The nose was of a light intensity and hinted at sweet corn with light fruit on top, while the palate had a light to medium mouthfeel with much of the action at the back of the mouth. There were flavors of sweet corn, light fruit accompanied by some light earthiness. Some of the activity migrated to the tip of the tongue and onto the lips prior to the finish. The palate experience lingered to the point I thought it was done and then the reluctant finish began. It was of medium intensity continuing with the corn and fruit, but with some nice warming.

This bourbon was a quiet drinking experience, if not actually subtle.

The Price
I found it on sale for $57.00, but the suggested retail will probably be higher.