Bright fruit | Peach | Pear | Allspice | Bakery scents | Malty undertone

Pumpernickel bread | Toffee | Caramel corn | Graham cracker | Toasted marshmallow | Malt steeped tea | Grains pull through | Creamy mouthfeel

Baking spices | Cigar box | Brown sugar | Long

Bendt Distilling Company was founded in Lewisville, Texas, in 2012. Sourcing local grains, distilling their own products, and aging in hot Texas summers has helped them produce unique tasting whiskeys. The distillery has a core product line that includes bourbon, rye, American whiskey, wheat whiskey, and malt whiskey, as well as other whiskey related products such as bourbon cream, blended whiskey, and a ready-to-drink Old Fashioned. The company also produces products under their Old Town Spirits line.

As of this writing, Bendt Distilling Company has filled 826 barrels so far in 2024 and 5,630 in the distillery’s lifetime. We’ve tasted and reviewed a growing range of them, and all of their whiskeys have an original, unique underlying flavor to them. The flavor profiles tend to pull in more distinct grain-driven flavor notes, which, as we’ve discovered, is a positive attribute of this distillery’s whiskeys.

This particular single barrel qualifies as HAZMAT bourbon, as it exceeds the 140 proof that you’re allowed to bring on an airplane, as it’s technically considered hazardous material according to FAA/TSA guidelines. Like other Unbendt whiskeys, it has a distinct flavor profile that lets the underlying grains through, which translates to a rich undertone that offers a surprising amount of malt influence. There are pleasant bright fruit scents on the nose that combine with bakery aromas and allspice. With its 7+ year aging time, there are plenty of barrel-driving notes including toffee, graham cracker, toasted marshmallow, caramel corn, and baking spices, along with savory cigar box and brown sugar at the tail end.

Overall, this single barrel from Unbendt is a one-off bourbon that only a handful of people will get to experience, but it represents the brand well as it showcases Unbendt’s unique, original flavor profile in high intensity form. For anyone looking to expand their horizons in terms of bourbon and American whiskey flavor profiles, Unbendt is a distillery that should be near the top of your list.

The whiskey in review was distilled on 12-8-2017 and bottled on 5-10-2024. It comes from barrel number 1499.