BHAKTA 2013 Bourbon Review

Distillery: MGP

Proof: 100.6

Age: 9 years, 5 months

Mashbill: 99% corn

MSRP: $149

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Company

BHAKTA Spirits is a new whiskey brand launched in 2023 by the former founder of WhistlePig, Raj Peter Bhakta.

Production

According to their site, BHAKTA 2013 Bourbon is a limited-release, cask-strength 2013 Bourbon Whiskey, that has seen 10 Years of barrel age before receiving its signature cask finish in a freshly emptied Armagnac Cask, in which our exquisite BHAKTA 50 Armagnac blends previously aged. Single vintage; unparalleled complexity.

BHAKTA 2013 Bourbon Review: Flavor Profile

Nose – 3.75/5

Deep caramel, vanilla, brown sugar, dark chocolate, and oak. A touch of heat and ethanol rounds it out. I almost pick up a hint of rye which is strange with a 99% corn mashbill.

Palate – 3.5/5

Initial heat blast and heavy oak. Syrupy brown sugar with dark chocolate and a hint of caramel and vanilla rounding out the sip. The chocolate and caramel notes no doubt come from the Armagnac casks. I picked up a rye-like note here again. Overall, it’s far less sweet than I anticipated from a 99% corn bourbon.

Finish – 3.25/5

Hot and long finish that’s heavy with oak and chocolate notes. A touch of caramel comes later with some baking spice.

Value – 2.75/5

This is a really interesting bourbon. Being 99% corn, it’s far less sweet and has far more complexity than other high-corn or even wheated bourbons I’ve had.

At an MSRP of $149, I think the price is a bit too steep. Again, great bourbon overall with lots to love, but I don’t think it stands out quite enough to be over the $100 threshold.

BHAKTA 2013 Bourbon Review…The Verdict

3.31/5

We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.

Scoring System:

• Platinum – 4.25 – 5
• Gold – 3.25 – 4.24
• Silver – 2.75 – 3.24
• Bronze – <2.75