Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Review

Never Say Die
Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Non-Age Stated (but ~6 Years)
95 Proof
MSRP: ~$68/700ml
Review

Please enjoy our Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Review!

Kentucky Provenance English Character
Distilled and matured in Kentucky, additionally aged, proofed and bottled in England.

The Never Say Die Story

Once, there was a horse named Never Say Die, and his story is really quite amazing. As the story goes, Never Say Die had a rough birth and his chances of making it through the night were slim. Fortunately for the foal, festivities were going on in the home of his owners. Coincidentally, one of the guests was a famed horseman, and went to the foal’s aid, and poured a shot of bourbon down his throat. By morning, Never Say Die had made a miraculous recovery, and in the process, earned his name.

But, the story doesn’t end there. Never Say Die’s racing career took place in England. At one point, he was entered into the biggest race of the time, the Epsom Derby. His odds were 33-1 in a field of 22 horses. In spite of those odds, he won.

Mona Best, The Quarrymen & A Club

Mona Best, a woman who lived in Liverpool, England, had great faith in Never Say Die. She supposedly sold all of her jewelry and bet the proceeds on the long shot horse. After her windfall, she purchased a home, transforming the basement into a music venue for her sons, Pete and Rory. That club was called the Casbah Coffee Club. A local band, The Quarrymen, played in the club frequently, and were briefly the resident band.

As it turned out, three members of the Quarrymen were John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. They, would, of course, later on become three of the four Beatles. In 1960, Pete Best, Mona’s son, would become their first drummer. He would eventually be replaced by Ringo Starr, and the rest is Beatles history.

Details – Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Review

Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon was distilled and aged to maturity at Wilderness Trail Distillery in Danville, KY. It was then shipped to England, and aged for another year or so. Finally, it was proofed down with English water, and bottled. Although it was originally released in England, some of the bourbon has been shipped back to United States. In fact, it is on store shelves now. There is also a Barrel Strength version of the bourbon, which is only available in the U.K. Hopefully, it will come to the U.S. soon!

Mash Bill: 75% corn, 21% rye and 4% malted barley

Interestingly, while Never Say Die Rye uses the same mash bill as Wilderness Trail’s flagship rye, their small batch bourbon uses a unique mash bill. For reference, the Wilderness Trail High Rye Bourbon mash bill is 64% corn, 24% rye and 12% malted barley.

Tasting notes – Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Sweet cherries, baking spices like cloves, light caramel; hint of orange peel and anise; moderate alcohol
👉🏻Taste: Moderate simple syrup sweetness, light caramel and baking spices/cloves, subtle cherries
👉🏻Finish: Black pepper grows throughout; increasingly dry, but lingering mild sweetness; barrel char later on; fairly long; moderate warmth

The nose of Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is dominated by sweet cherries and baking spices, mainly cloves. Light caramel is also in the background, with a hint of orange peel and anise. A moderate simple syrup sweetness starts off the taste, with light caramel, baking spices (which again are mainly cloves) and subtle cherry. Later on, black pepper spice grows throughout the finish. In addition, there’s a growing dryness, with barrel char becoming more noticeable with time. But yet, there is a lingering mild sweetness, too. In the end, I am left with a bit of dry oak, char and lingering black pepper spice on my tongue, as well as a pleasant warmth.

Conclusion

Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey is a very enjoyable bourbon. The nose is very pleasant, a nice blend of sweet and spices. The taste is surprisingly sweet at the beginning, but then the dry and black pepper spicy finish is a nice contrast to it, especially with the addition of a bit of barrel char. While some reviewers have noted the price is on the high side for a 6 year-old Kentucky bourbon, there are of course added costs involved in the bidirectional transatlantic journey this bourbon has taken. Nonetheless, that may not justify the price for some. However, if you do enjoy these flavors and think the price is in line with the product, then give Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon a try!🥃

We hope you have enjoyed our Never Say Die Small Batch Bourbon Whiskey Review! Next, check out our Never Say Die Rye Review. If you would like to learn more about the distillery where this whiskey was distilled and initially aged, then check out our Wilderness Trail Distillery Tour Review!

Please note that this sample was graciously provided 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!