Name: Hudson Whiskey NY – Bright Lights, Big Bourbon
Color: Light Brown
Nose: Corn, vanilla, oak
Taste: Corn, oak, vanilla, dark fruits
Bright Lights, Big Bourbon is from Tuthilltown Spirts Distillery in Gardiner, New York. The distillery was founded in 2003 and was acquired by William Grant & Sons in 2010. The acquisition brought in an influx of cash and changes to the brand from its previous name, bottle style, price, and flavor.
The name of this whiskey sounded familiar to me when I first noticed a marketing push in the NYC area. This expression was previously titled “Baby Bourbon” and the “Manhattan Rye” is now “Do the Rye Thing”. The label colors are based off the NYC Subway lines and is probably designed to stand out on the store shelf. The bright colors should help with the marketing push, but not so much when it comes to the flavor profile.
The mash bill is 95% corn and 5% malted barley. It is aged 3 years in new charred American oak barrels and bottled at 46% abv. On my first taste I was not impressed. It is a very basic corn bourbon that is young and harsh. On my second taste it was less harsh, but I was even less impressed.
Priced around $50 and overpriced for the taste profile. I remember the previous version tasting better. If you want a mixer at this price I recommend FEW or Sagamore.
If you like it, drink it! – Christopher
If you like it, drink it!
