Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Limited Edition Bourbon Whiskey Review
(photos by Brandon Chesbro: Outsider)
With St. Patty’s Day around the corner, we’re pouring a sip of Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Limited Edition, a blend of 4–8-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbons.
The blended collab between Irish Whiskey bonder Louise McGuane (founder of J.J. Corry Irish Whiskey) and Kentucky Owl master distiller John Rhea is a recent annual limited-edition release that “celebrates the long standing connection between American and Irish Whiskey makers.”
Let’s get sipping. Sláinte.
At a Glance
- Distillery: Sourced (Kentucky)
- Bottled: Kentucky Owl, LLC
- Location: Lacassine, Louisiana
- Style: Blended Kentucky Straight Bourbons
- Limited Release: February 2023
- Age: 4-8 Years
- Proof: 100
- MSRP: $135
- Website | Insta | Twitter
Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Edition: What We Say
| Nose | light alcohol, baking spices, maple syrup, light strawberry |
| Palate | vanilla, charred oak, French toast, grape soda, citrus, pistachio |
| Finish | medium-short, lemon zest, oak, fennel |
| What You Can Expect to Pay | $135 |
| Buy It: Now, Soon, Later, Never | Later |
| Outsider Rating | 77/100 |
Kentucky Owl St. Patrick’s Edition opens with wafts of light alcohol and baking spices, including nutmeg, vanilla, and cinnamon. A deeper nosedive reveals a bit of syrup and a hint of light strawberry. It’s cracking the door, but not overly inviting.
On the palate, vanilla and charred oak greet the taste buds. The baking spices and syrup from the nose coalesce into a French toast stick (remember those things?). A bit of chewing reveals—and this was a new one for me—a note of grape soda with some citrusy orange. Finally, there’s a bit nuttiness, maybe pistachio.
The medium-short finish delivers a bit more oak, mild fennel, and a pop of lemon zest. This bourbon is all over the place. It’s definitely sippable—and you can find some enjoyment—but it doesn’t punch at (or above) its weight. And that’s a hard to sell at $135.
What Kentucky Owl Says About St. Patrick’s Edition
In celebration of the long-standing ties that bind Irish and Kentucky whiskey making together, Kentucky Owl has partnered with Irish Whiskey bonder Louise McGuane to bring her craft in selecting rare whiskey barrels for their unique flavor profiles to this collaboration with master blender John Rhea to deliver this exceptional Limited First Edition blended bourbon together.
A proud collaboration bringing the best of Irish whiskey making to the Kentucky Owl Limited Release Kentucky Bourbon Series.
Recommended Sip
Pour a neat glass. If you’re going to shell out $135 for this bottle, take it to a festive St. Patty’s Day gathering so everyone can enjoy a sip. If you find a friend who loves the juice, send it home with ’em. Whiskey should be shared among friends.
Need a Limited Edition Rec?
- High West A Midwinter Night’s Dram
- Distillery: High West Distillery
- Location: Park City, Utah
- Style: Straight Rye Whiskey Blend
- Proof: 98.6
- MSRP: $150
- Full Review of A Midwinter Night’s Dram.
A Midwinter Night’s Dram is a complex tasting experience. Finished in port barrels, this rye blend is a festive-flavor bomb (with a pre-Christmas release date for holiday enjoyment). You definitely know it’s a rye with earthy notes of citrus and rye spice, but the port-barrel finish imparts dessert-like qualities, much like—unsurprisingly—port. If you can find this bottle for $150, snatch it up, but don’t get caught up in the secondary market hype of $200+.