Ass Pocket Whiskey Review

Ass Pocket Whiskey
Heritage Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Lot No 1
100 Proof
MSRP: $50/200ml
Review

Please enjoy our Ass Pocket Whiskey (APW) Review (Lot No 1)! (Also be sure to check out my review of their second release, which was bottled at barrel proof. Spoiler Alert: I loved it!)

Ass Pocket Whiskey (APW) is the new whiskey brand from renowned guitarist Derek Trucks. It was developed in conjunction with the spirits company, Spirits of the Night. Spirits of the Night is “the ‘Drinks Drops’ company that pairs celebrated artists with world-class spirits”. They have previously brought us the Kiamichi Whiskey and Four Walls brands.

The premise of Ass Pocket Whiskey is that good whiskey should be able to be purchased at a reasonable price, and enjoyed. From the brand website: “Ain’t it a shame that so many people are buying great bottles of bourbon but are too afraid to open them because they are “collectible”? Bourbon used to be about enjoying and experiencing the liquid. How did this ‘fear of opening’ start and how can we make it stop?” At APW, we believe bottles containing the world’s most coveted brown spirits should be cracked, not collected. With every release exclusively at 200ml to fit in your back pocket – our size lets you break the seal without breaking the bank.”

The Details

Ass Pocket Whiskey Release No. 1 is a 10-year age-stated 100-proof Heritage Kentucky Straight Bourbon. I am assuming that the word “Heritage” is used to imply that it comes from one of the long time Kentucky distilleries such as Beam, Heaven Hill, WIld Turkey, etc, although that is not explicitly stated. It was released in a run of just 3,000 bottles over this past September’s Bourbon & Beyond weekend. Since it sold out before the end of the weekend, it never became available online. Unfortunately, the source distillery, mash bill, or any other specific information regarding the bourbon is not provided.

Tasting Notes – Ass Pocket Whiskey Review (APW – Lot No 1)

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Oak, brown sugar, light toffee, vanilla & dark cherries; alcohol appropriate for proof
👉🏻Taste: Dark cherry becomes tart; dry oak & brown sugar; developing black pepper and tannins
👉🏻Finish: Black pepper grows; developing dryness & barrel char; tannins; lingering mild dry oak; somewhat thin, but long, with a pleasant warmth.

In the nose, oak leads the way, followed by brown sugar and dark cherries. As I acclimate, vanilla and light toffee become more noticeable later on. The alcohol is appropriate for the proof. The taste starts off with similar flavors, but black pepper spice and tannins develop, as the sweeter flavors gradually recede. Additionally, the dark cherries take on a somewhat tart note. Continuing into the finish, the black pepper further increases and is joined by dryness and barrel char, with some lingering dry oak and tannins. Although, the finish is long, it is fairly thin, but with a pleasant warmth.

Older Flavors

Ass Pocket Whiskey certainly has some older whiskey flavors. In fact, I would have guessed that it was much older than 10 years, given the degree of oak up front, and the character of the finish. Although the nose has plenty of oak, that oak is balanced by sweeter rich flavors. However, the taste becomes more dry, with black pepper, char and tannins increasing in intensity throughout the finish. In spite of all of that, the whiskey lacks a depth of flavor and fullness that I would generally expect in the taste and finish of a whiskey of 10 years or more, and with this much oak up front.

Since we don’t know the specifics of this whiskey, it would be conjecture to try to explain the flavors. Was it aged in the upper floors of a rickhouse? Was the whiskey so over-oaked at a higher proof that it had to be brought down to 100 proof to be at all approachable? Are there older whiskeys included in the blend? We know the age statement has to be the age of the youngest whiskey, so theoretically there could be other much older aged whiskeys included in the blend. I am assuming that no staves or other finishing methods were used, because that should be stated on the label.

Price

I would be remiss not to discuss price, since the premise of this whiskey is “break the seal without breaking the bank.” While it is true that $50 is a very reasonable price for a bottle of 10-year-old Kentucky Bourbon, it’s a pretty high price for less than a third of a bottle. For those who have done the math, $50 for 200ml equates to $187.50 for a standard 750ml bottle. That would put the price well above one of the better known 100 proof 10 year old bourbons from a heritage Kentucky distillery, Henry McKenna. Now, I’m not saying there aren’t other bourbons in this age range in this price range, or higher, but the majority of those are barrel proof, and their prices are more than many people would consider paying.

Conclusion

If you’re a seasoned bourbon drinker, and a fan of heavily oaked older whiskey, with rich flavors up front, but spice and dryness, along with some char and tannins, later on, then Ass Pocket Whiskey might be the whiskey for you. However, you may be a bit disappointed in the finish, and taken aback a bit by the price. In addition, I think this whiskey’s appeal could be fairly limited, as these flavors would likely be a bit much for most bourbon novices and casual bourbon drinkers, or for those who are not fans of oak and drier flavors. Even so, since it does come in a 200 ml bottle, it’s not a huge investment, so you might want to give it a try. Which, I guess, is the point.

Have you tried Ass Pocket Whiskey? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our Ass Pocket Whiskey (APW Lot No 1) Review! Next, read my review of the barrel proof Ass Pocket Whiskey Holiday Proof Bourbon! If you like to read about a couple of other 10 year old Kentucky Bourbons, then check out our Bulleit 10 Year Bourbon Review and our Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond 10 Year Spring 2024 Review!

Note: This bottle was graciously provided to me by the brand for my review.

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!