All about James Oliver

One of the legal Requirements for a product to be called Bourbon is that it has to age in new oak casks. That is the only functional difference between James Oliver American Whiskey and legal Bourbon.

Right there on the label it says “Bourbon Barrel Aged” which means that it is aged in used barrels that had already been used to age Bourbon. James Oliver comes out of the Indio Spirits Company in Portland, Oregon.

They have a very wide range of specialty spirit brands. They age, infuse, and mix them there, but that the spirits are distilled in other places (MGP in Indiana and others in BardsTown, Kentucky).

That said, it is a solid offering. But James Oliver won the “Best American Whiskey” gold medal last year at the International Whiskey Competition. You pick up the high Rye formula right away with spice on the nose.

On the palate it is medium bodied with the caramel, vanilla, and corn of a solid Bourbon. The finish is smoother than a Rye, but spicier than a Bourbon. All in all rather pleasant.