Jeptha Creed Bottled-in-Bond Rye Heavy Bourbon (750ml)

Located in Shelbyville, Kentucky, Jeptha Creed is a farm distillery conceived in 2015 by Bruce Nethery, together with mother-daughter duo, Joyce and Autumn Nethery. Their Scotch-Irish descent and founding motto “Don’t Forget Where You Came From” extends to their branding, with each bottle incorporating an embossed Celtic Knot in the glass. In August 2016, they distilled the first legal barrel of bourbon in Shelby County since before prohibition. The company originally released their first straight 4-grain bourbon in 2019, and has since expanded the lineup to three ongoing core bourbons, along with various limited editions. This is the company's traditional 'Bottled in Bond' expression, distilled from a mash bill of 75% Bloody Butcher Heirloom Corn, 20% Malted Rye and 5% Malted Barley, bottled at a generous 50% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... Fragrant scents of fresh-baked rye bread, lavender, a hint of dried mango, and inviting hints of charred rye seed. On the palate, it's quite bitter, but very idiosyncratic and intriguing. It's quite spicy and hot, so water or ice complements it well. Good length on the finish, with some of the floral notes returning. Lots of great spice, and unquestionably an interesting and intriguing journey. 88 points - whiskyadvocate.com

...I always like it when a company puts out a bottled in bond bourbon, since it evens the playing field in the rules that have to be followed and can allow a more apples-to-apples comparison to other bottled in bond bourbons of a similar age and mashbill. Jeptha Creed Bottled in Bond Rye Heavy Bourbon delivers a well composed sip full of sweet notes that are nicely complemented with earthier ones along with hints of spice. This all comes with one major caveat though, the presence of a prominent long past its prime wet sponge note on the nose. It surprised me so much that at first I thought it might be the Glencairn I was using, however, after hand washing multiple glasses (no sponge used), and even trying it in an untraditional Yeti cup, the note was still prominent each time. I went so far as requesting a second bottle from the company as I was even under the assumption it just could have been a bad batch, however, the new bottle yielded the same results. If you can work past the wet sponge note, the rest of the sip is great. If Jeptha Creed can hone in the nose, this will be a well done bottled in bond bourbon. In the meantime, just be aware that you’ll first need to work past the wet sponge smell in order to enjoy the rest of the sip. - breakingbourbon.com

Notes from the producers... NOSE: Sweet orange creme brulee, followed by bold baking spices, and dried cranberries. PALATE: Light caramel, vanilla, cinnamon, and lemongrass with undertones of sweet oak. FINISH: Long smooth buttery finish with whispers of ginger and cinnamon that dance across your tongue.