Tom’s Foolery Bonded Bourbon is among the first craft distilleries to be able to put out a product that can carry the Bottled-In-Bond (Bonded) title. The only other craft distillery currently releasing one is Laws Whiskey House, but according to a TTB filing the Kings County distillery plans to join them sometime soon. Rock Town Distillery in Arkansas did a singular 5th anniversary BiB release, but doesn’t seem to plan on making it a regular thing.
The story behind Tom’s Foolery Bonded Bourbon starts back in 2011 when Tom Herbruck bought the original Michter’s Jug House Pot Stills. These stills carry significance beyond the Michter’s name as they were the first copper pot stills manufactured for whiskey distillation after prohibition. Tom uses these historic pot stills to double distill his open-air, wood cask, fermented mash. He stores that whiskey in full sized barrels in an unheated rack house with the goal of making bourbon in an old style and as naturally as possible.
Enough back story, let’s get on with the Tom’s Foolery Bonded Bourbon review shall we?
Tom’s Foolery Bonded Bourbon Info
Region: Ohio, USA
Distiller: Tom’s Foolery
Mashbill: 72% Corn, 12% Rye, 16% Malted Barley
Cask: New Charred Oak, Finished in Apple Jack
Age: 4 years
ABV: 50%
Price: $50
Tom’s Foolery Bonded Bourbon Review
EYE
Copper
NOSE
Grain heavy aroma layered with notes of cherry candy, apples, cinnamon, toffee, vanilla and a biscuity character that gets sprinkled with light notes of acetone, pears, char and saw dust.
PALATE
Cinnamon, apples and pears, toasted grains, anise, caramel, vanilla, raw corn and orange peels mix with light notes of clove, acetone, saw dust and that biscuity character. This spice driven concoction flows across the palate rather gently.
FINISH
A long spicy finish with tasty twists of caramel, vanilla and a metallic coppery note.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Decent balance, round body and an oily feel.
OVERALL
Tom’s Foolery Bonded Bourbon is an interesting spice driven whiskey that’s a bit unconventional for a bourbon and ends up being quite nice. My first couple sips I wasn’t the biggest fan, but I found myself being drawn to it the more I sipped. No I wasn’t just getting drunk, as I sat and sipped the character of the whisky unfolded and I went from mildly indifferent to enjoying it and the second glass was even better.
I should caveat this by saying that Tom’s Foolery Bonded Bourbon isn’t like most conventional bourbons. Tom’s is a baking spice and grain driven character rather than a dark oak driven character. This grain and spice forward nature puts it at that right intersection of unique and weird that makes me smile. I really like what the folks at Tom’s Foolery are doing and I hope that they keep doing it. This is a bourbon that’s definitely worth at least getting a taste of.
SCORE: 85/100 (B)
