McKenzie Straight Bourbon landed on my radar the way most interesting bottles do — someone poured it for me without saying what it was, and I found myself reaching for the bottle to check the label. That's always a good sign. At 45.5% ABV and sitting around the £38 mark, this is a bourbon that positions itself in that sweet spot between everyday sipper and something you'd actually want to show off to mates who think they know their American whiskey.
For those unfamiliar, a Straight Bourbon designation means this has been aged for a minimum of two years in new charred oak barrels, with no added colouring or flavouring. The 'straight' label is one of the most consumer-friendly guarantees in American whiskey law — it tells you exactly what you're getting. McKenzie carries no age statement, which in bourbon terms usually means the distiller is blending barrels of different ages to hit a flavour profile rather than a number. I've got no issue with that approach when the result in the glass backs it up.
The 45.5% ABV is a detail worth noting. It sits just above the legal minimum of 40% but with enough proof to carry real weight on the palate. In my years behind the bar, I learned that bourbons in this range — not cask strength monsters, not watered-down easy-drinkers — often make the most versatile bottles on the shelf. There's enough backbone here for cocktail work without needing to wrestle it into submission, and enough character to sip neat without feeling short-changed.
Tasting Notes
I'll be honest — I'm not going to fabricate a grocery list of flavour descriptors here. What I can tell you is that McKenzie sits firmly in the classic bourbon wheelhouse. At this proof and with new charred oak doing the heavy lifting, you can expect the kind of caramel, vanilla, and baking spice character that defines the category. The lack of an age statement suggests a younger, more vibrant profile rather than something deeply tannic and oak-forward. That's not a criticism — some of my favourite pours are bourbons that lean into that grain-forward energy rather than trying to taste like furniture polish.
The Verdict
At £37.95, McKenzie Straight Bourbon represents solid value. You're paying a fair price for a properly made American straight bourbon that doesn't cut corners on proof or hide behind marketing gimmicks. Is it going to rewrite your understanding of the category? Probably not. But it doesn't need to. What it does is deliver an honest, well-constructed bourbon at a price point that means you won't wince when you use it in cocktails — and you won't feel like you're slumming it when you pour it neat after dinner. I'm giving it a 7.5 out of 10. It earns that score by doing the fundamentals right and not pretending to be something it isn't. In a market flooded with overpriced, overhyped bourbon, that counts for a lot.
Best Served
This is a bourbon that was practically built for an Old Fashioned. The proof is ideal — strong enough to stand up to dilution from the ice and the sweetness of the sugar, but not so aggressive that it bulldozes the drink. Two dashes of Angostura, a barspoon of demerara syrup, a good stir over a large ice cube, and an expressed orange peel. McKenzie's classic bourbon profile will slot right into that template beautifully. If cocktails aren't your thing, try it with a single large ice cube and give it five minutes to open up — you might be surprised how much it has to say once it gets comfortable.
