Distillery: Undisclosed—Label bears the address of Bayou Rum Distillery
Proof: 113.6 (58.8% ABV)
Age: Blend of Four, Five, Eight and Nine Years
Mashbill: Undisclosed
MSRP: $400
A serious pour. Serious price point. Lofty expectations. Low Value.
Kentucky Owl has positioned itself in the premium bourbon category as a blending brand. Originally founded by Charles Mortimer Dedman in the late 1800s and revived in 2017. Operating without a single distillery identity. Instead, each release showcases a unique mingling of sourced whiskey.
Batch #13 continues the line of limited editions. Bottled at 113.6 proof, the whiskey has no stated mashbill or age statement, leaving enthusiasts to evaluate it entirely on the whiskey itself—which is how it should be. At a suggested retail price of $400, it places expectations high up on any scale—not only for depth of flavor but also for balance, complexity, and authenticity.
Kentucky Owl Batch #13 Bourbon Review: Tasting Notes
Nose – 4.25/5
Deep caramel. Molasses. Heavy oak. Orange peel.
Strengths: Significant layers of sweetness. This is a Nose that rises straight out of the bottle and lands before you get close to your nose. First impression drives a sense of mature whiskey.
Why It’s Not Higher: A faint sharpness pulls your focus away from brighter sweeter notes.
Rating Justification: Complexity is impressive. Proof doesn’t overwhelm.
Palate – 4/5
Brown sugar. Toffee. Cinnamon. Charred oak. Espresso bitterness. Peppery heat.
Strengths: Bold structure. Chewy texture. Commands your attention.
Why It’s Not Higher: Heavy on the oak. Espresso bitterness tends to crowd out the sweetness and overrides any nuances in the flavors.
Rating Justification: Richness is strong. Mouthfeel is substantial. An imbalance that leans bitter.
Finish – 3.75/5
Espresso. Char. Bitter cocoa. Molasses.
Strengths: Lengthy. Powerful, and leaves a strong final impression through the final exit.
Why It’s Not Higher: A tannic dryness tends to dominate.
Rating Justification: Length and strong impact places it above the “average” Finish. Still, the dryness holds it back.
Value – 2.5/5
Kentucky Owl Batch #13 lands at a significant premium. While the whiskey delivers a bold layered experience, a similar complexity and proof strength can easily be found in cask strength releases from other legacy distilleries, and at less than half that cost. With no age statement or mashbill transparency, the price rests on brand reputation and limited availability.
Rating Justification: The quality justifies consideration. But the “price-to-performance ratio” drags the score downward. At this tier, the Value must stand alongside Nose, Palate and Finish.
Kentucky Owl Batch #13 Bourbon Review: The Verdict
Kentucky Owl Batch #13 offers an oak-driven, bold bourbon that has flashes of dark sweet notes. Its chewy mouthfeel and long Finish make for a memorable pour. For enthusiasts who collect Kentucky Owl releases, it carries prestige. For those who judge it solely by the whiskey quality, it lands short of the lofty expectation placed by the price point. Shop now.
Verdict – 3.6/5
We score each bourbon based on nose, palate, finish, and value.
Scoring System:
- Platinum – 4.5 – 5
- Gold – 4 – 4.5
- Silver – 3 – 4
- Bronze – <3
Mike Long is a staff writer at Bourbon Inspector and has an Executive Bourbon Steward designation from the Stave and Thief Society. He’s a former “wine guy” who discovered his love for bourbon years back at a spur-of-the-moment bourbon tasting he attended. He also loves traveling throughout America with his wife of over 37 years, Debby.
