Light oak | Candied vanilla | Light marmalade | Salty ocean air | Tequila

Salty oak | Light caramel | White peppercorn | Thin vanilla | Rye spice | Prominent tequila influence

Black peppercorn spice | Dry oak | Rye grain | Dry vanilla powder | Short

Next Century Spirits is a company headquartered in Zebulon, North Carolina, which states that their “patented process optimizes the cask finishing of spirits. By carefully monitoring the conditions inside of barrels or oak containers such as new oak, bourbon, sherry, port, and others, [they] can help control and modulate the flavors imparted on the base spirit. Temperature, humidity, alcohol content, toast/char level, and the interactions between natural vapor or liquid phases of the distillate are accessed and modified in real-time.” The company has both in-house brands such as Bear Fight, and also works on a contract basis producing whiskeys for other brands.

The Reposado tequila barrels that Bear Fight Kentucky Reserve Bourbon uses in its production plays a prominent role throughout, however, at times, it’s not cohesive. It opens with prominent scents of salty ocean air along with light oak and candied vanilla. A light marmalade scent adds a touch of sweetness before you dive into the midpoint, which delivers a heavy tequila barrel influenced flavor profile. Salty oak and light caramel mingle with white peppercorn and thin vanilla, however, these flavors come across as very tequila influenced, which takes away from base bourbon notes. Ending with notes of spice, dry oak, and grain, the finish is short overall, wrapping things up swiftly.

Bear Fight Kentucky Reserve Bourbon’s price is certainly approachable for those who have never experienced a tequila-finished bourbon. However, a low price doesn’t automatically make for a great bourbon. The tequila finish is prominent but varies throughout, to the point that instead of complementing the base bourbon, it at times completely overwhelms it. Tequila barrel finished bourbons are still a rarity, partly due to the fact that it tends to be harder than other barrel finishes to integrate the two spirits’ flavor profiles well. Those interested in this finishing category will be attracted by Bear Fight Kentucky Reserve Bourbon’s approachable price tag, but know that this shouldn’t be the only baseline you use to form your opinion on tequila barrel finished bourbons.