Bib and Tucker Bourbon 6 Years Review

First off, it has to be said, I love the Bib and Tucker Bourbon 6 Years bottle design. The color, style and detail of the bottle remind me of some of the awesome dusty whiskeys I’ve found with intricate bottles and a long-gone design aesthetic. This is retro-vintage in all the right ways combined with just the right amount of modern, minimalist, design for the labels. And as much as I hate cork, I appreciate the way it looks here.

Once this is empty, I’ll definitely be keeping the bottle around for infinity or blending experiments since it looks good on display, but this isn’t a design blog. This is a whiskey blog and while I truly appreciate design and aesthetics I’m here to talk about whiskey. The best-looking bottle can’t make horrible whiskey better and that’s always a fear when it comes to “over-designed” bottles: they’re compensating for the liquid inside. Time to find out if that’s the case here.

Bib and Tucker Bourbon 6 Years – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Region: Tennessee, USA

Distiller: Undisclosed (George Dickel is my guess)
Mash: At least 51% Corn + Rye + Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak
Age: 6 Years
ABV: 46%

Batch: 22
Bottle: 62468

Price: $50*

White background tasting shot with the Bib and Tucker Bourbon 6 Years bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“Like the 1880s that inspired it, boldness and refinement come together to create a bourbon that’s meant to be raised in celebration. Aged for a minimum of 6 years in low char white oak barrels produces unparalleled smoothness. This harmony makes it easy to enjoy from the front of the mouth to the back. Worthy of any occasion, you pick the moment and this award-winning small batch bourbon will make it.” – Bib and Tucker Bourbon

Tasting Notes

EYE
Caramel

NOSE
Oak, caramel, copper, dried dark fruit, toasted corn, minerality and light notes of Twizzlers and cocoa.

PALATE
Oak, dried corn, caramel, vanilla, spice and Smarties with a touch of cocoa, Twizzlers, copper and herbal notes.

FINISH
Med-long -> Sweet, oaky, spicy, butterscotchy and coppery.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Good sense of balance, medium body with a soft, lightly oiled, feel.

Bib and Tucker Bourbon 6 Years – Overall

Aroma smells so much like Dickel I’d be surprised if it wasn’t with the way that soft grainy sweetness and light copper profile float through; Palate is warm, coppery, fruity and a touch cocoa, but heavy with the grain-based sweetness and that signature Tennessee warmth; Finish picks up a heavier, darker, sweetness that fades to a lightly sweet copper.

There is nothing to dislike about this whiskey… unless you dislike George Dicke. Then you might not be a fan since it’s such a similar profile.

Bib and Tucker Bourbon 6 Years – Final Thoughts and Score

Warm, oaky, lightly fruity and darkly sweet, this is an easy sipper and one I’ve reached for several times even after the review was written and dropped into the queue. It’s no secret I’m a big George Dickel fan and so anytime that profile wafts through my senses perk up and I get excited. It’s so distinct and unique that it’s just fun to experience.

This release, though, is unique to anything else I’ve had from a Tennessee distillery because if you let it sit for a while it starts to change and get sweeter and spicier. It ends up getting something like a spiced apple sauce going on that anchors everything else in the Bib and Tucker Bourbon 6 Years. Super interesting and wholly enjoyable.

SCORE: 3/5

*Disclosure: The bottle for this Bourbon review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.

Bib and Tucker Bourbon 6 Years Review $50

Summary

There is a sense of depth and “wholeness” to this whiskey that gives it character and distinctness. This is a bit odd to say about an NDP, but there ya have it.