18th Street Distillery Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review.

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18th Street Distillery Straight Bourbon Whiskey


    Craft bourbon can be hit or miss, especially when age statements are young and prices creep upward. This single barrel from 18th Street Distilling out of Hammond, Indiana came with hesitation attached. At just three years old and originally priced around $80, it was a bottle that sat on shelves until a significant price drop finally made it too tempting to ignore. 

    18th Street is one of those distilleries doing everything themselves. They distill, age, and bottle their own whiskey while also maintaining a strong presence in the beer world. That hands-on approach has shown promise in the past, but this bottle felt like a real moment of arrival.

    This is a single barrel cask strength straight bourbon, bottled at a hefty 62.8% ABV and aged a minimum of three years. Unfortunately, transparency beyond that stops there. No mash bill details, no barrel size information, and no specifics on warehouse conditions. What is known is that the whiskey is fully distilled in-house, and there is some indication that pot still distillation and varied barrel strategies may have been used historically.


For the full video review visit the link here: https://youtu.be/IUDlDj-h29c.

Age Statement: 3 years (Single barrel).

ABV: 62.8% (Cask strength).

Mash bill: N/A.

Area of Distillation: Munster, Indiana.

Appearance: Deep amber.


On the nose:
    The nose immediately overdelivers. Dark caramel, rich honey, and vanilla bean paste rise first, followed by layered oak char and a subtle rye-driven spice. There’s milk chocolate, a soft waxy note, and a barrel warmth that feels mature rather than hot. It smells closer to a six or seven-year bourbon, with none of the youthful ethanol sharpness often found at this age.


Taste:
    The palate absolutely confirms the promise of the nose. Rich oak char leads the charge, balanced by restrained vanilla and deep caramel. This is not a sweet bourbon, but it is incredibly flavorful. Dark chocolate, a touch of almond, peppery spice, and cinnamon stick develop beautifully. The texture is velvety and oily, carrying that waxy, almost antique-wood character that gives it personality without feeling rough or raw. Despite the proof, it drinks far below its stated ABV, closer to the mid-50s in feel.


Finish:
    The finish lingers with oak, char, and spice, leaving behind a satisfying warmth that never turns harsh. The waxy, cedar chest note continues well after the sip, reinforcing how surprisingly mature this bourbon feels.


Final Thoughts: 
    This is exactly why exploring craft distilleries can be so rewarding. At three years old, this bourbon should not be this complete, especially at full proof. It doesn’t reinvent bourbon, but it executes the fundamentals at an extremely high level. The original $80 price point was tough to justify, but at $55, this becomes a standout value and a bottle worth chasing. If there’s one criticism, it’s the lack of transparency. That said, when the whiskey delivers like this, it becomes easier to forgive.


Rating: -A (Amazing).

Cost: $54.99 for 750ml.

For the full video review visit the link here: https://youtu.be/IUDlDj-h29c.

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

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