Unbridled Spirit Bourbon Review

By Richard Thomas

Rating: B

Although it defies the expectations of many denizens of internet’s whiskeydom, those of us with long memories or knowledge of history realize that just because the Bourbon Boom is over does not mean new companies and brands will not be forthcoming. Some of the most popular and well-established brands today were founded was the whiskey industry hit rock bottom in the 1980s.

Which is how we get to Unbridled Spirit, a new company with a Kentucky straight bourbon marketed as filling a champagne-like niche. Founded by India Robinson, the company is both woman- and African-American-started and operated, which could become one of the ways newcomers gain traction in a shrinking market. Those two slices of the demographic pie are certainly areas where one might find more newcomers to whiskey drinking, and the room least likely to understand how to appeal to them is one filled solely with white guys. She has the background too, having both worked with Jameson, Martell Cognac, and Perrier-Jouët, as well as the variety of having been a CMO in the NFL.

The name is inspired by one of Robinson’s ancestors, who was a cowboy. That figures into the packaging as well, with a stirrup attached to the bottle’s screw cap. It’s certainly an eye-catching package at that, with a spiraled and rippled bottle. The sourcing for the bourbon is unknown, beyond coming from Kentucky, and it is bottled at 100 proof.

The Bourbon
The pour takes on a bronze or light amber coloring in the Glencairn. The nose suggests a dry, cinnamon-dusted take on the vanilla and brown sugar benchmark notes of bourbon, a bit like a graham cracked coated with cinnamon, sugar and vanilla drizzle. The flavor doubles down on that character, with a light texture belying the 100 proof. This was so much the case that it was halfway to being reminiscent of Beam high rye bourbons, like Old Granddad or Basil Hayden, but only halfway. The finish also ran dry and spicy, but not woody.

The Price
The MSRP on this item is $59.99. At present, the whiskey is available Direct To Consumer (DTC).