15 STARS First West Explorer Bourbon Review: Craig and Cynthia Explore Black Corn Bourbon

15 STARS
First West Explorer
Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbons
Aged 5+ Years
95 Proof
SRP: $49.99
Review by Craig and Cynthia

Please enjoy our review of 15 Stars First West Explorer Bourbon by Craig and Cynthia!

Background – 15 Stars First West Explorer Bourbon Review

Based out of Bardstown, Kentucky, 15 STARS initially built a massive reputation among enthusiasts by blending incredible, high-aged, sourced whiskeys. Now, they are stepping into a whole new chapter. Their latest bottle, First West Explorer, marks a major milestone. It is the very first release made with 100% of their distillate, though this is still produced at Bardstown Bourbon Company. Even better, they used their proprietary baby black corn straight from their popcorn fields to give this 95-proof pour a completely unique flavor profile.

Details – First West Explorer Five-Grain Bourbon

• Producer: 15 STARS
• Collection: First West
• Release: The fourth expression in the First West collection and the first made with 100% 15 STARS distillate
• Type: Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbons
• Production: Produced at Bardstown Bourbon Company
• Age: A blend of five- and six-year-old bourbons
• Black Corn Mashbill: 70% baby black corn, 18% wheat and 12% malted barley
• Yellow Corn Mashbill: 70% yellow dent corn, 18% rye and 12% malted barley
• Grain Profile: Classified as a four-grain bourbon, with baby black corn and yellow corn creating what the brand describes as a five-grain profile
• Proof: 95 proof (47.5% ABV)
• Process: Refined through the brand’s Flavor Proofed™ process
• Size: 750 mL
• SRP: $49.99
• Availability: Select retailers nationwide and online
• Brand Website: 15STARS.com

Tasting Notes – 15 Stars First West Explorer Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested: 15 minutes in a Glencairn glass
🎨 Color: Light amber

👉🏻 Nose (Craig): Ripe fruit, no alcohol burn, honeysuckle, tropical notes, coconut, slight caramel, fresh-cut wood, tobacco leaves
👉🏻 Nose (Cynthia): No ethanol. Fruit, especially berries. Hints of wet pine trees and tobacco leaves.

👉🏻 Taste (Craig): Muted, fresh raisins, fruit, baking spices, oak, slightly astringent
👉🏻 Taste (Cynthia): Cooked brown sugar and butter. Cloves and cinnamon. Slight nutty taste.

👉🏻 Finish (Craig): Medium-short, more astringent tea notes than sweet. Reasonable Kentucky hug
👉🏻 Finish (Cynthia): Medium-short

Craig’s First West Explorer Bourbon Review – Big Nose, Better Neat

On the nose, the 15 Stars First West Explorer Bourbon greets you with almost no alcohol burn. Instead, it opens up with a beautiful burst of ripe fruits like apple and melon, paired with sweet honeysuckle and an unexpected tropical hint of coconut. Behind that initial layer of fruit, it quickly settles into sweet caramel, fresh-cut wood, and earthy tobacco leaves to create a highly inviting and complex aroma. Adding a drop of water pushes the fruit to the background and highlights a much richer sweetness led by heavy notes of caramel and butterscotch.

The palate starts out a bit muted compared to the big nose. You will pick up quiet notes of fresh raisins, general orchard fruit, and a light mix of baking spices. Oak and wood notes follow closely behind, leading into a slightly astringent texture on the back end that feels like a heavily brewed cup of black tea. Adding a splash of water opens up the palate well, thinning out the heavy texture to make the whole sip feel much lighter and way more raisin-forward. It also tamps down that sharp astringency, shifting the profile into a smoother, more pleasant herbal tea experience.

Cynthia’s First West Explorer Bourbon Review – Water Unlocks a Cream Bomb

This one takes a second to warm up to you. It starts out super soft and gentle. It honestly reminds me of a spring morning picnic filled with fresh berries, light baked goods, and iced tea. It is incredibly approachable and easy to drink.

If you add just a few drops of water, it completely changes the game. The nose gets way bolder and throws a rich, in-your-face butterscotch sweetness right at you. On the tongue, those soft picnic flavors turn into a total cream bomb. You get instant notes of café latte and tea latte, but with way more cream and sugar than coffee and tea, making it velvety smooth.

The finish is definitely on the shorter side, leaving a clean, light impression.

Craig’s Conclusion – A Unique Five-Grain Bourbon Worth The $50 Price

For me, the nose on this bottle is by far the best part of the entire experience. That being said, the palate is also super enjoyable. When it comes time for a taste, skipping the water is the way to go, in my opinion. Drinking it neat preserves that rich, heavy texture and keeps the flavors focused.

This bottle is an excellent example of what 15 STARS can do with their own distillate. The secret to its complexity lies in a clever blend of two distinct mashbills. The first is an heirloom recipe featuring 70% baby black corn, 18% wheat, and 12% malted barley. The second is a traditional mix of 70% yellow dent corn, 18% rye, and 12% malted barley. Combining a wheated black corn bourbon with a rye-forward yellow corn bourbon results in a truly unique five-grain profile. If you have never tried anything crafted with black corn before, this is an excellent introduction. For a $50 price point, the First West Explorer is an absolute buy for any enthusiast looking for a unique pour to add to their shelf.

Cynthia’s Conclusion – A Beginner-Friendly Bourbon Transformed by Water

This bottle is a masterclass in how a few drops of water can completely reshape a whiskey.

Drinking it neat, it behaves exactly like a starter bourbon or a first pour of the night. Because the ethanol is so quiet, your palate is not overwhelmed by heat, allowing you to easily pick up those delicate, bright spring flavors like berries and iced tea. It is refreshing and light, making it incredibly well-suited for warm-weather sipping when heavy, oak-forward bourbons might feel too dense.

The real magic happens when you add water. Instead of washing out the flavor, water activates the wood sugars and oils, unlocking a heavy dessert profile. It pivots from a crisp morning picnic to a rich, sweet afternoon treat packed with cream and butterscotch.

For beginners, it is an incredibly friendly bottle. For seasoned enthusiasts, it serves as a great, low-proof warm-up that wakes up your senses without fatiguing them for the rest of a tasting lineup.

Have you tried the 15 Stars First West Explorer Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our 15 Stars First West Explorer Bourbon Review by Craig and Cynthia! Next, read these related reviews: Kentucke County Bourbon Aged 6 Years Review, 15 STARS Artisan Collection 12 Year Bourbon Review and 15 STARS First West Toasted Oak Finish Bourbon Review.

Note: This sample was graciously provided by the Brand for our review. We appreciate it!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!