Jeptha Creed Bottled in Bond Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B+

Jeptha Creed occupied a special spot for me for a few reasons before I got hold of their new bonded bourbon. They were the first new distillery I visited upon returning to the United States from my long sojourn abroad; they were among the first (and are engaged in a protracted argument over just who was the first distillery in America) to start using Bloody Butcher corn in their mash in modern times; and they are the only female-owned and -operated distillery in Kentucky.

To that, we can now add their bonded bourbon, because it is some delightfully good stuff, delivering on the bright promise of using something other than distiller’s corn to make bourbon. All that red corn is estate grain, grown on their own farmland within 10 miles of the distillery. That mash is 75% Bloody Butcher corn, 20% malted rye and 5% malted barley. Creed itself has been operating for less than 5 years, so the age on this bourbon is the statutory minimum of 4 years; as a bonded whiskey, it is bottled at 100 proof.

The Bourbon
On my nostrils, Jeptha’s bonded bourbon came across as licorice stick candy served on a platter of wet, unfired clay. The flavor took a pretty expected foundation (for a bourbon made with malted rye, rather than just plain rye) of rich, earthy caramel and nutmeg, and sprinkled a punch of ash across the top. The finish ran on for a middling length of time, starting out with a run of the sweet side of oak (vanilla) before fading down to and out with the spicier, woodier, earthier side of oak.

The surprise of this bourbon is the earthiness of it. That is a note that runs through the entire experience, but is always just a note and not an especially strong one at that. I pin this to the Bloody Butcher corn, seeing as how that is noted for its nutty flavor when used in bread. Heretofore, my reaction to Bloody Butcher bourbons has been “meh,” because while I could pick up on the difference in flavor to a similar whiskey made with yellow dent corn, it was nothing to merit the hype. This bourbon, on the other hand, has the maturity to finally showcase what was promised.

The Price
What is more, it comes at a very reasonable price of $53 per bottle. Go pick one up!