Bear Wallow Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Review.

-

 Bear Wallow Distillery Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey Review.


    My introduction to Bear Wallow Distillery came years ago through their core releases, and I immediately appreciated how proudly local their approach was. They distill, age, and bottle everything in-house, relying on Indiana grains and keeping things small enough that most of their whiskey never even makes it out of their own region. That kind of dedicated local following says a lot about a distillery’s character. So when I learned they were releasing long-aged single barrel offerings near the end of 2025, I made it a point to stop by while visiting the area, and I left with this bottle in hand, excited to dive deeper.


    This single barrel straight bourbon is a big step forward for Bear Wallow. Coming in at 64.7% ABV and aged 8 years and 4 months, it carries a mash bill of 65% corn, 25% wheat, and 10% malted barley. No rye at all, which allows the wheat to take a more expressive supporting role. Everything in this bottle is Indiana to the core: Indiana-grown grains, Indiana distillation, Indiana aging. For a small craft distillery, releasing something this old at barrel proof is no small accomplishment, and it shows how far their program has come.


For the full video review visit the link here: https://youtu.be/Rk5gmoOUOWs.

Age Statement: 8 years 4 months.

ABV: 64.7% (Single barrel & cask strength).

Mash bill: 65% corn, 25% wheat and 10% malted barley.

Area of Distillation: Nashville, Indiana.

Appearance: Deep mahogany.


On the nose:
    The heat is present right away, but not sharp, more of a warm, rich blanket of barrel proof intensity. There’s a buttery corn note intertwined with grain-forward sweetness and a touch of waxiness from the malted barley. Dark chocolate leans toward 80% cacao. A subtle smokiness edges in, almost suggestive of charred wood rather than peat. With wheat replacing rye, the spice comes across as gentle sandalwood and cedar, layered beneath brown sugar, creamy vanilla, and deep oak tones. It’s unmistakably craft, but with the maturity and confidence of real age.

Taste:
   Thick, rich, and heavy. A smoky, savory edge appears, enough to momentarily evoke a lightly smoky Scotch, but still firmly rooted in bourbon territory. Dark chocolate and deep wood sugars lead the way, supported by grain-forward sweetness and a powerful corn character. A drizzle of honey enters on the second sip, and a wheat-driven spice emerges mid-palate with cedar and light pepper. The oak is the star: deep, seasoned, and flavorful without overwhelming the balance. The texture is oily, viscous, and incredibly satisfying. It hits like a mature barrel proof bourbon should.


Finish:
   Long, warm, and layered with dark sugars, barrel char, a trace of pepper, and lingering honey sweetness. The oak hangs on beautifully, bringing everything together in a cohesive close.


Final Thoughts: 
    For $80, this bottle overperforms, not just for craft whiskey, but in comparison to many major distillery barrel proof releases. Bear Wallow has created something that reflects their identity: grain-forward, fully Indiana-made, aged with intention, and rich with character. It’s balanced, powerful, and wonderfully oaky in all the right ways. If you’re anywhere near their distillery when these single barrels drop, it’s worth the trip without question.


Rating: A (Excellent).

Cost: $79.99 for 750ml.

For the full video review visit the link here: https://youtu.be/Rk5gmoOUOWs.

Social platforms to follow me: https://linktr.ee/thelastcallyt

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dovetail Distillery Cut Throat Oat Whiskey Review.

-
Image
Dovetail Distillery Cut Throat Oat Whiskey Review.      I received this spirit as a review sample from Dovetail Distillery, linked here . It is important to clarify this did not impact the ratings of this review.           Dovetail Distillery, currently the smallest craft distillery based in Nevada. Currently the distillery is doing quite a bit with unique grains and one of those grains is Oats. Oats can be a fun grain your craft distilleries can play around with and add a unique profile to their spirits. Their Cutthroat Oat Whiskey is no exception, bringing three unique grains to the mix. After being double distilled it is aged for two years in custom char/toast American white oak 15-gallon barrels. This barrel size can be tricky, it does take a keen eye and palate to make sure this size of barrel doesn't take over.       Given my fascination with oat-based spirits, I was eager to dive into this bottle and see how Dovetai...
Read more

Old 55 Distillery Single Barrel Cask Strength Sweet Corn Bourbon Whiskey Review.

-
Image
Old 55 Distillery Single Barrel Cask Strength Sweet Corn Bourbon Whiskey Review.           Old 55 Distillery is a small craft operation tucked away in Newtown, Indiana, just south of Lafayette, and they’ve built a name for themselves by doing something very few dare to try, making bourbon with 100% sweet corn. I’ve crossed paths with a few of their spirits before and have always respected the level of care they bring to the table: all distilling, aging, and bottling is done in-house, with a heavy emphasis on local grains. Their Bottled-in-Bond Sweet Corn Bourbon is the bottle most people around here know, but this release, a single barrel, cask strength version, was something I’d only ever seen at the Market District in Carmel, Indiana.       Sweet corn isn’t just a novelty for Old 55, it’s an expensive, labor-intensive choice. A bushel of the common yellow dent corn runs about $4 (2020 prices), but the sweet corn they use costs over $1,...
Read more

Hard Truth Toasted Mizunara Finished Rye Whiskey Review.

-
Image
       Hard Truth Toasted Mizunara Oak Finished Rye Whiskey Review.      Hard Truth has been making waves in the rye whiskey scene, and tonight I’m diving into something bold and unusual from their lineup: a straight rye whiskey finished with toasted Mizunara oak, bottled at cask strength. Based in southern Indiana, Hard Truth has built a reputation around their sweet mash process, where fermentation tanks are completely cleaned between batches,labor-intensive, but it creates a uniquely clean and vibrant flavor profile.      Mizunara oak itself is special. Harvested only after trees reach at least 200 years of age in Japan, it imparts flavors unlike typical American or European oak. It’s a notoriously expensive wood to use, so most distilleries work with staves instead of full barrels. Seeing Hard Truth experiment with this finish had me eager to see if their craft touch could bring something truly memorable. For the full video review vi...
Read more