Whiskey Row Small Batch Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B-

When I first wrote about the latest bourbon brand to come to Kentucky, Avalon Spirits’ Whiskey Row, I made a brief, opening observation: given the lead time that goes into starting a venture like a whiskey brand, one rarely gets to choose the circumstances under which one gets started. For example, the same venture launched in the middle 2000s would have had the entire Bourbon Boom lying before them, but would still need to build up their brand in the four or five years before it started.

Since that observation was made in April, the softening of the whiskey market has become clearer and invited much speculation. That does not mean there isn’t room for a newcomer, but it certainly makes things more challenging. The one thing we can be certain of is that Kentucky Artisan Distillery must be glad to have the contract production work for Whiskey Row on their books. This is different from the previous version of Whiskey Row Straight Bourbon, drawing on stocks of bourbon finished in two separate cask types, plus the core new oak aging: Cognac and Pedro Ximenez Sherry.

Whiskey Row Small Batch is the flagship and entry level run of their three rung ladder, the other two steps consisting of a cask strength and a bonded bourbon. It’s bottled at 90 proof.

The Bourbon
My take on the look of the whiskey in my glass was dull, but clear mid-amber. I found the nose had the benchmark bourbon elements of candy corn, caramel and cinnamon, but with some butterscotch added in for good measure. The flavor offered no twists or turns, following in the same vein. The finish was a light touch, running with cinnamon and oak.

The Price
A bottle of this runs for $49.99.