Fresh grain | Buttered corn | Fresh oak | Green peppercorn | Youthful

Oak | Caramel | Vanilla | Faint spice | Thin

Light spice | Oak | Vanilla | Touch of leather | Short

Borchetta Bourbon Small Batch is the latest ongoing release from Big Machine Distillery. The company was founded by brothers Scott and Mark Borchetta. They describe the Big Machine brand as a “fusion of music, motorsports, fashion, spirits, and philanthropy.” The brothers originally made a name for themselves outside of whiskey, with Scott launching the independent record label, Big Machine Records. Scott Borchetta acquired Big Machine Distillery in 2015, which at the time was predominantly focused on vodka. The company distills all spirits in-house with two distillery locations, their main one in Lynnville, Tennessee and their auxiliary still in Nashville, Tennessee.

Craft distilleries often have a similar base set of youthful characteristics, and Borchetta Bourbon Small Batch is no exception. The sip highlights a youthful aroma, which does the most to pull from the bourbon’s 80 proof. The rest of the sip, however, comes across as thin and short, with flavors that do appear to be faint. What is present isn’t offensive, thankfully, those who purchase a bottle will be left wanting more. Like any craft distillery, I’d be interested in revisiting what Big Machine Distillery is able to do with this bourbon after gaining a few more years under their belt.

The bottle in review comes from Lot #011W.