Corn grain | Summer fruits | Light oak | Hay | Touch of white grape

Vanilla cream | Caramel cream chews | Gentle rye spice | New oak | White peppercorn | Traditional

Gently rye spice | Vanilla | Oak | White peppercorn spice | Leather | Gentle heat

Starlight Distillery is located on the grounds of the Huber estate. Housing Huber’s Orchard & Winery, according to the company, they “began farming back in 1843 when our ancestors settled in Starlight, Indiana, from Baden-Baden, Germany. Growing primarily fruit, our farm began to diversify in 1978 when we opened the doors of our winery.” Now on its 7th generation, Huber estate produces a variety of crops that are grown alongside the onsite distillery that produces an assortment of brandies and whiskeys. They began distilling bourbon in 2013.

The bourbon starts with a whiff of corn grain leading you to have a false assumption that this will be more old-style craft-like than not. Quickly following however are scents of oak, hay, and a nice combination of summer fruits and white grapes. A creamy mouthfeel at the midpoint appears, as vanilla cream and caramel cream chews add a sweet softness against gentle rye spice and white peppercorn. These more traditional flavors push into the finish as rye spice and white peppercorn spice produce a gentle heat.

I last visited Starlight Distillery’s bottled in bond bourbon back in 2022. Since then, the company has dropped the “Carl T. Huber’s” name from the front label and increased the blend size. The company states that the bourbon is now a “15–18-barrel blend of 4-6 year old 3 & 4-grain bourbon mash bills.” The resulting pour has also changed, and now offers a slightly refined sip. It still delivers mostly traditional flavors, but they come across as more well rounded and able to justify the bourbon’s asking price. Starlight Distillery Bottled in Bond Bourbon is a good whiskey to start with if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to try this grain to glass distillery from Indiana.