15 STARS Three Ports Bourbon Review

15 STARS
Three Ports
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Finished in Tawny, White & Ruby Port Casks
105 Proof
SRP: $179.99
Review

Please enjoy our 15 STARS Three Ports Bourbon review!

“A MARRIAGE OF FINE AGED KENTUCKY BOURBONS FINISHED IN SELECT TAWNY, WHITE, AND RUBY PORT CASKS, THEN CAREFULLY BLENDED TOGETHER, AGED 15 AND 9 YEARS.“

15 STARS was founded by father and son artisan blenders, Rick and Ricky Johnson, and debuted in 2022. The brand is currently distilling over a dozen different whiskey mash bills in Bardstown, KY, some of which include unique specialty heirloom corn (black, red, white, and blue) that the family grows for its gourmet specialty popcorn business, Black Jewell Popcorn. While they wait for their own bourbon to mature, Rick and Ricky have been sourcing, aging and finishing fine aged bourbons for their limited releases.

The Details – 15 STARS Three Ports Bourbon Review

From the brand: 15 STARS Three Ports Fine-Aged Bourbon is “a limited-time innovative blend that has never previously been made. This extraordinary expression combines 9- and 15-year-old Kentucky straight bourbons, finished in tawny, white, and ruby port barrels to create a complex, layered tasting experience.”

Tasting Notes – 15 STARS Three Ports Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Light honey sweetness, dark stone fruits like blackberries and plums, sweet yellow raisins, caramel, light rye spices, mild oak; alcohol vapor appropriate for the proof
👉🏻Taste: Light honey and caramel, red wine notes
👉🏻Finish: Red wine notes, mild capsaicin spice, becoming a bit tart and dry later on; long; pleasant warmth

The nose starts with a pleasant light honey sweetness, with dark stone fruits like ripe blackberries and plums, along with light caramel and rye spices. There’s the occasional sweeter note, too, like a sweet yellow raisin. The alcohol vapor is appropriate for the proof.

The taste brings similar flavors of light honey and caramel with dark red wine overtones. However, the wine notes are not at all overpowering. Later on, a capsaicin spice develops, grows and lingers throughout the finish, but never becomes more than moderately hot. As time goes on, the wine notes become a bit more tart, tannic and dry. There is very mild dry oak and barrel char towards the end of the long finish. Ultimately, I am left with a pleasant warmth.

Port Flavors Are Evident But Not Overpowering

The port flavors are evident, but not at all overpowering. That is a characteristic of all of 15 STARS’ finished bourbons. With them, the finish is always noticeable, but it is very well balanced with the flavors of the bourbon. As would be expected from the name, the three types of ports are all contributing their own character. They add a pleasant honey sweetness as well as dark stone fruits, yellow raisins and red wine notes. The rich and sweeter fruit flavors contributed by the ports blend nicely with the mild rye spices and mild oak. The spice, tart tannins, mild dry oak and barrel char in the finish cleanse my palate of those sweeter fruit flavors, making me ready for another sip.

Conclusion

After trying many of 15 STARS whiskeys, I have to say I am becoming a little biased. I have never had a 15 STARS whiskey that I did not truly enjoy. So, when I am greeted with a new one to try, I am already expecting to like it. As someone who appreciates an older bourbon’s natural flavors, I want a finish that is complementary to those flavors, but never overpowering. Rick and Ricky continually achieve that fairly challenging goal in their finished bourbons, and this one is no exception. It’s another delicious whiskey. If you also enjoy similar characteristics in a finished well-aged bourbon, then you’ll want to give 15 STARS Three Ports Bourbon a try. Have you tried this bourbon or any other 15 STARS Whiskey? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our 15 STARS Three Ports Bourbon review! If you would like to read about more bourbons from this brand, then check out my 15 STARS Bourbon – 8 & 15 Private Stock Review, my 15 Stars Triple Cask Bourbon Review and my 15 STARS First West Toasted Oak Finish Bourbon Review.

This bottle was graciously provided by the brand for my review.

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