Yellow Bird Tennessee Whiskey landed on my desk at 90 proof, carrying a $34.99. At first blush we have alcohol vapor greeting our sinuses; its young, so this is to be expe price tag. Here is what I found.
Nose
The whiskey is smooth across the tongue, although a little watery for my taste. The mouthfeel is more sophisticated than it should be given the age, but still consistent for a new whiskey. We begin the banquet with baking spices and coffee acidity, before mellowing into black cherries and the citrus from the nose. Towards the finish we have the oak char and lingering caramel sweetness from the sugar maple charcoal filtering iconic to Tennessee whiskey. There is a sharp warmth to the chest, nothing worthy of a bad country song, but a reminder this is whiskey. On the exhale a wisp of cigar smoke emerges before disappearing. The finish is short and light.
Palate
I really like birds, and Im a sucker for a pretty label. Talking strictly about the whiskey, as of right now this bottle isnt going to be the next whiskey to become allocated. However, I do believe if you can find it (limited distribution) you should try it. The body of this whiskey is lovely, plenty of fun to go around.rnrnLetting this sit with the occasional sip is not going to unlock hidden notes and flavors. It is what it presents itself to be. A lot of new whiskeys are paraded as the next secret. But what I too often find is mediocre whiskey in a shiny bottle. Yellow Bird is a pretty bottle, but I dont believe theyre trying to blind you with the pinstripes here.rnrnSip it neat or put it in a cocktail, it may just earn a place on your bar cart. With a couple more years, and maybe a barrel proof, this whiskey can really (pardon the pun) spread its wings. I look forward to when it finally leaves the nest.
Finish
Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by Whiskeyful or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.
The Bottom Line
Yellow Bird Tennessee Whiskey is a perfectly respectable whiskey that does what it sets out to do. At $34.99. At first blush we have alcohol vapor greeting our sinuses; its young, so this is to be expe, the value is reasonable — it will not blow your mind, but it will not disappoint you either. A reliable choice.
