There's a certain kind of bourbon drinker who has been around long enough to know when a distillery is doing something genuinely different — and when they're just dressing up the familiar in a new bottle. Blue Run Spirits is betting that its new Blueprint Series falls squarely into the first category. Whether that bet pays off will depend on how willing drinkers are to trust a blend that breaks nearly every rule of conventional Kentucky bourbon production.
The Georgetown, Kentucky-based distillery launched the first release in the Blue Run Blueprint Series this spring, positioning it as the new flagship expression for the brand. It's 105 proof, priced at $69.99, and built around a mashbill combination that the company's own blending team describes as something that "must be tasted to be understood." That's not marketing language — it's actually a fair warning.
Two Mashbills, One Vision
At the core of the Blueprint Series is a blend of two very different bourbon recipes. The first is a wheated mashbill, aged on the top floor of the warehouse, which brings what the distillery describes as a pleasant softness. The second is far less conventional.
Called the "Founders' Mash" inside the walls of Blue Run, it's an 80/15/0/5 bourbon — a ratio that breaks from the standard grain formulas most Kentucky distilleries lean on. This particular stock was laid down during the earliest days of the brand, making it something of a time capsule from the distillery's infancy. Because it was aged on a lower warehouse floor rather than the upper levels where heat and temperature swings push extraction harder, it brings a fusel, fruit-forward quality to the blend that you wouldn't expect from a typical wheated bourbon.
Together, those two mashbills produce something that leans soft and approachable on one hand, while throwing in an unexpected woody heat and a layered depth that rewards patience. It's the kind of bourbon that reveals itself slowly, which is precisely the point.
The Woman Behind the Blend
Shaylyn Gammon, Blue Run's Head of Whiskey and Innovation, developed the Blueprint Series from start to finish. She's widely recognized as one of the most decorated women working in American whiskey today, and the decisions she made in crafting this release reflect years of experience thinking carefully about what bourbon drinkers actually want — and what might bring in people who are still finding their footing in the category.
"When crafting Blue Run releases, I think about the qualities bourbon enthusiasts expect, while also considering how we invite new consumers into the category," Gammon said. "With the Blueprint Series, the goal was to create a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that can serve as a blueprint for discovery — something approachable and soft, yet layered enough to inspire continued exploration."
That balance — accessible but not dumbed down — is harder to achieve than it sounds. Plenty of distilleries aim for it and land in one ditch or the other. The wheated component keeps the entry point smooth. The Founders' Mash keeps it honest and interesting. The 105 proof point is where Gammon and her team ultimately landed after what the company describes as extensive barrel evaluation, and it threads the needle between concentration of flavor and drinkability without leaning too far in either direction.
What's in the Glass
The tasting notes that accompany the Blueprint Series read like a bourbon that knows exactly what it wants to be. On the nose, there are soft floral notes and hints of orchard fruit — approachable and clean, without the big aggressive barrel character that some high-proof bourbons use as a substitute for complexity. The palate opens up with warm baking spice, juicy apple, and cinnamon, which reflects that fruit-forward quality coming from the lower-floor-aged Founders' Mash.
The finish is where the woody heat Gammon described makes itself known — toasted oak, a lingering warmth of spice, and a dry wood heat that fades slowly. It's a finish that invites a second sip rather than demanding one, which is the mark of a well-balanced high-proof bourbon.
At 52.5% ABV, it has enough presence to hold up in an Old Fashioned without getting lost, but it's also the kind of whiskey that doesn't need cocktail dressing to be interesting. Neat or on the rocks, it stands on its own.
Packaging That Matches the Ambition
Blue Run has always put serious effort into the visual identity of its releases, and the Blueprint Series continues that tradition. The bottle uses the brand's signature French-cut glass design with precious metal elements. The label artwork centers on the viceroy butterfly, which the company says symbolizes creativity and transformation — a nod to the experimental nature of the blend inside.
It's the kind of packaging that earns shelf placement on a backbar without screaming for attention, which tends to be the right call for a whiskey that wants to be taken seriously.
Availability and Price
The Blue Run Blueprint Series Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is available nationally at select fine spirits retailers beginning May 1. The MSRP sits at $69.99, which puts it in competitive territory for a premium craft bourbon with a story behind it.
At that price point, it's positioned well above the everyday pour but well within reach for the bourbon drinker who likes to explore what American whiskey is capable of when the people making it are willing to take some risks. Given that the Founders' Mash component was laid down during the brand's early days, there's a limited supply dynamic built into the release that makes it worth picking up sooner rather than later.
What the Blueprint Series Means for Blue Run
Blue Run has been building a reputation for pushing the edges of what a Kentucky bourbon can be, and the Blueprint Series represents the clearest statement of that philosophy the brand has made yet. Naming it the flagship says something about where the company sees itself going — not just making good bourbon, but making bourbon that has something to say about the craft itself.
The use of an experimental mashbill that dates back to the brand's founding as a key component of the flagship release is a bold choice. It ties the present expression directly to the brand's origin story while signaling that the willingness to experiment hasn't faded as the company has grown.
Blue Run has collected Platinum and Gold recognition at some of the more demanding spirits competitions on the circuit, including the ASCOT Awards, the TAG Global Spirits Awards, and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. The Blueprint Series will have its own opportunities to add to that record, but its more immediate measure of success will be whether it connects with drinkers who want something a little harder to categorize than a standard Kentucky straight.
Gammon's fingerprints are all over this one — a blend that respects what bourbon is supposed to taste like while quietly refusing to be ordinary about it. That's a balance worth pursuing, and based on what the Blueprint Series brings to the table, Blue Run has a strong argument that they've found it.
