Mellow Corn Review

Mellow Corn
Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey
Bottled in Bond
Distilled and Bottled by:
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc
Louisville & Bardstown, KY
DSP-KY-1, DSP-KY-31
Review

Please enjoy our Mellow Corn Review!

Mellow Corn Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey is a fairly unique product. First, it is a corn whiskey, which we’ll learn more about in a minute. Second it is a Bottled in Bond corn whiskey, which is pretty rare indeed, and in fact, this may be the only one. Not many distilleries produce corn whiskey these days. This one was first introduced in 1945 by Medley Distilling Co. The brand was acquired by Heaven Hill in 1993 and is made by them today. Mellow Corn is a great value, and in the Lexington, KY area it can be found for around $12. It can be a nice change of pace when you are looking for something on the lighter side.

What is Corn Whiskey?

Corn whiskey you say? I know what you’re thinking – bourbon has to be made with at least 51% corn and many distilleries use much more, so isn’t bourbon a corn whiskey? Well, not exactly. While bourbon is indeed a whiskey made primarily with corn, it is not a corn whiskey by the TTB’s definition.

So what the heck is corn whiskey, you ask? Well, it’s similar to bourbon, with a few important differences. First, it has to be made from a mash comprised of a minimum of 80% corn, as opposed to 51% corn for bourbon. Second, it does not have to be aged, and if it is aged, then it has to be aged in either new uncharred oak containers, or used oak containers, which may or may not have been charred. Remember that bourbon needs to be aged in new charred oak containers. The other requirements are the same – it can’t be distilled over 160 proof and it must go into the barrel at no more than 125 proof. So a bourbon and corn whiskey can potentially have the exact same mash bill, with the only difference being the type of barrel that they are aged in.

Mash Bill

Mellow Corn’s mash bill seems to be up for some debate. Apparently the mash bill was at one time on Heaven Hill’s website, where it was reportedly said to be 80% corn, 12% malted barley & 8% rye. I find this plausible because when I first tasted it I thought I got some rye spices, but wasn’t sure why.

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛌 Rested for 10 minutes in a Glencairn

👉Nose: Vanilla, apple, light rye spices, toast, honey, raisin, mild alcohol
👉Taste: Sugar + honey sweetness, light raisins and butterscotch, cookie dough, light char and oak
👉Finish: the sweetness and light raisin continue, with light-medium char and mild burn. The finish is moderately long

Summary

Mellow Corn Kentucky Straight Corn Whiskey is indeed one mellow whiskey! The name does not lie. It is very easy to drink for its 100 proof strength. It’s not overly complex, but it’s not dull, either. There are actually quite a few flavors in this whiskey, they are just more subdued than they are in bourbon. We hope you enjoyed our Mellow Corn review! Have you tried Mellow Corn? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

Don’t forget to follow Bourbon Obsessed on Instagram and/or like Bourbon Obsessed on Facebook!

Want to read about some more of Heaven Hill’s Bottled in Bond whiskeys? Check out our review of J.W. Dant & J.T.S. Brown Bottled in Bond Bourbons!

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!