Producer: Rolling Fork Spirits
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Finished in Rolling Fork Rum Casks
Age: 7 Years
Batch: 2026-02
Proof: 111 (55.5% ABV)
Price: Approximately $65 / 750 mL

I recently reviewed Bourbon de Luxe’s eight-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon, Batch 2026-01, and found it reasonably priced, but more herbal and rye-forward than I had hoped. This bottle takes things in a different direction. It is a seven-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon finished in Rolling Fork rum casks and bottled at 111 proof. Given that Rolling Fork is better known for rum, I was interested to see what they would do with a rum-finished bourbon.

Rum finishes can bring some very interesting flavors to bourbon, and this one definitely makes its presence known. This is not a bourbon where you have to hunt around for evidence of the finishing barrel. The Bourbon itself is sourced from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Green River in unknown proportions.

Color and Swirl

The color is a nice amber, although not as dark as I might expect from a seven-year-old bourbon. I wonder whether the barrels spent time in a cooler part of the warehouse; that might help explain the lighter color, although I do not know where these particular barrels were aged.

The swirl is much more impressive. An extremely oily film coats the glass, with thick legs developing and running down the sides. Whatever the color might suggest, this certainly looks substantial in the glass. A very promising start.

Nose

On the nose, there are familiar vanilla and caramel notes from the bourbon, but the rum barrels are definitely present. Tropical fruit and a medicinal, almost fusel-oil character come through alongside the sweeter bourbon notes. There is a distinctive rum funk here, and it makes for an interesting nose rather than a conventional bourbon nose with a little extra sweetness.

Palate

On the palate, the rum notes rather overtake the bourbon. Tropical fruit and molasses sweetness lead the way, with some medicinal notes up front. The vanilla, caramel, and baking spice from the bourbon are still there, but they are very much in the background. The finishing barrels are running the show.

This reminds me of Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Voyage, which I really enjoyed. That release paired ten-year-old Wild Turkey bourbon with Appleton Estate rum casks and brought together vanilla, caramel, fruit, molasses, and oak. I paid $285 for that bottle. This is not an identical whiskey, but I find the flavors comparable, and at around $65, the Bourbon de Luxe costs roughly one-fourth as much. That is a pretty compelling comparison for a rum-finished bourbon.

Finish

The finish is rather long. Initially, the medicinal note is very big on the palate, and for a moment it seems as though that is going to define the finish. But as it fades, some really nice oak, baking spice, and clove emerge. Those flavors linger and linger on the palate. I particularly like the way the finish moves from the assertive rum character back toward the oak and spice of the bourbon.

Verdict

This is a very interesting finished bourbon. The rum influence is substantial, so someone looking for a traditional bourbon with only a subtle finishing note may find it a bit much. But if you enjoy rum, or enjoy seeing what a finishing barrel can do to a bourbon, there is a lot here to appreciate. The comparison with Master’s Keep Voyage also makes the price particularly attractive to me.

Additionally, this bottle has none of the grassy and spicy rye notes of the Bourbon De Luxe Straight Bourbon. For me, this is a positive as I prefer low rye and wheated bourbons. I have to admit this bourbon is kind of growing on me.

I will be saving some of this bottle for my father and brother, who both really love rum. I am interested to see what they think of it. This bottle has also convinced me that I need to look for some Rolling Fork rum for them as gifts in the future. If the idea was to get a bourbon drinker interested in their rum, it worked.