There was a time when a bottle of well-aged bourbon didn't cost a small fortune. You walked into the store, picked up something with a few years on it, and paid a fair price. Nobody called it "premium," and nobody expected you to take out a loan to enjoy a decent drink after work. A distillery in Guthrie, Oklahoma, thinks that time is worth bringing back, and it has put a new whiskey on the shelf to prove it.
Wanderfolk Distillery, known as Oklahoma's first legal distillery, announced on September 29, 2026, that it has launched Tallbird American Whiskey. It is a blend of straight bourbons aged seven years, it's built for cocktails, and it sells for a suggested price of $25 a bottle. The company says the whiskey is meant to capture what it calls the "Whiskey of the Golden Age": good quality, a bit of nostalgia, and a price most people can live with.
A Whiskey Built on an Old-Fashioned Idea
The thinking behind Tallbird is simple. Good whiskey shouldn't have to be expensive. Wanderfolk says it made Tallbird to be as affordable and easy to enjoy as the whiskey of an earlier era, when a solid pour of aged bourbon was an everyday thing and not a luxury item.
Image credit: Wanderfolk Distillery
Head Distiller Jeffrey Cole explained the idea in his own words.
"We're committed to creating spirits as unique and distinctive as those who enjoy them," said Jeffrey Cole, Head Distiller, Wanderfolk Distillery.
He went on to describe what Tallbird stands for.
"Tallbird is a Whiskey of the Golden Age – a time when a well-aged bourbon wasn't something you paid a premium for and when quality was something could expect without a sky-high price tag. Good doesn't have to be expensive."
Plenty of drinkers have watched bourbon prices climb over the years, and that message is likely to land with them. Bottles that once sat quietly on the bottom shelf now often come with bigger price tags and fancier marketing. Tallbird is a bet that people still want the basics done right.
Where the Whiskey Comes From
Tallbird isn't a single-source whiskey. It's a blend, and where the parts come from matters.
Kentucky and Tennessee Roots
The whiskey starts with fine, straight, seven-year-old bourbons distilled in two of the best-known whiskey states in the country. Part of the blend comes from Kentucky, distilled at Bardstown Bourbon Company. The other part comes from Tennessee, distilled at TN Distilling.
Finished in Oklahoma
Once the bourbons are sourced, they make the trip to Guthrie, Oklahoma, where they are aged further. Wanderfolk uses 53-gallon New American White Oak barrels with a Level 3-4 char. The char level refers to how deeply the inside of the barrel is burned before whiskey goes in. A heavier char like this is often tied to deeper color and richer flavor as the whiskey rests in the wood.
The Proof
Tallbird is bottled at 93 proof, or 46.5% alcohol by volume. That's a bit stronger than a lot of standard whiskeys on the market, and it helps the whiskey hold its own when it's mixed with other ingredients. The company says the result is "a shot of Americana" in a bottle, rich and approachable, and made to order for classic cocktails.
Made for the Classics
Image credit: Wanderfolk Distillery
Wanderfolk isn't selling Tallbird as a whiskey that has to be sipped in silence out of a special glass. It says the whiskey was made for mixing, and the drinks it names are the old standbys: the Old Fashioned, the Manhattan and the Sour.
These are the cocktails many drinkers grew up watching their fathers and grandfathers order. They don't need a lot of fuss, but they do need a whiskey with enough backbone to stand up to bitters, vermouth, sugar or citrus. A seven-year-old bourbon blend at 93 proof is designed to do that without costing so much that you feel guilty pouring it into a mixed drink.
Price matters a lot here. Many people who love a good Old Fashioned don't want to use an expensive bottle for cocktails, and they don't want to use something harsh and cheap either. Tallbird is aimed right at that middle ground.
What It Tastes Like
According to the distillery, Tallbird has a flavor profile that goes well beyond the usual caramel and vanilla.
The Nose
On the nose, Tallbird shows notes of sweet marzipan and cardamom, along with a splash of citrus and tropical mango. That's a fairly lively opening for a bourbon, with a mix of nutty sweetness, warm spice and a fruity lift.
The Palate
Once it hits the tongue, the whiskey brings rich butterscotch, crunchy graham crackers and a hint of leather. It's the kind of mix that sounds made for a stirred drink like the Manhattan, where sweetness and a little bit of grit work well together.
The Finish
The finish is described as luscious and sweet, with the creaminess of a tres leches dessert. For a whiskey sold at $25, that's an ambitious description, and it shows the distillery wants Tallbird treated as more than a bargain mixer.
The Story Behind the Name and the Cowboy on the Label
Every good bottle has a story, and Tallbird's reaches back to the early days of the jet age. The name refers to nicknames given to aircraft during the sonic boom tests in the 1950s and '60s.
For many Americans, that era means test pilots, big engines and a country pushing to go faster and higher than ever before. It fits nicely with the "Golden Age" theme the distillery has built around the whiskey.
The label leans into that history with some humor. It shows an American cowboy riding one of these aircraft as if it were a mechanical bull. The distillery says the image reflects both the brand's Oklahoma roots and its playful side. It's a mix of Western grit and Cold War-era flying, and it sums up the attitude of the whiskey well: rooted in tradition, but not too serious about itself.
The Man Behind the Bottle
Tallbird is tied closely to Jeffrey Cole, whom the company calls the heart and soul of Wanderfolk Distillery. Cole is described as a pioneer in Oklahoma's craft beverage industry, and his resume backs that up.
He served as the founding president of the United States Bartenders' Guild (USBG) chapter in Oklahoma City, and also as founding president of the Oklahoma Distillers' Guild. On top of that, Cole has opened more than a dozen bars across the Midwest, all focused on pushing the limits of spirits and hospitality.
That bar experience explains a lot about Tallbird. Someone who has spent years behind and around bars knows what bartenders need from a whiskey: consistency, strong flavor that shows through in a cocktail, and a price that makes sense for a busy bar program. Tallbird seems to come from that same practical thinking.
Cole leads what Wanderfolk calls a collective of passionate creatives. The team brings together skills from different backgrounds, and it's focused on reinventing craft spirits in Oklahoma and pushing them in new directions.
A Different Kind of Distillery
Wanderfolk describes itself as more than a standard distillery. The company says it is made up of creative minds who came from many different paths and skill sets. Its team includes sommeliers, chefs, bartenders, artists and other creatives, all working under the guidance of some of the most respected names in distilling in the world.
The distillery says it tries to use the unique things its home state has to offer. It also draws inspiration from its peers and from a variety of other industries, with the aim of making products it sees as one of a kind. Its approach is small-batch: rethinking and handcrafting spirits in Oklahoma and beyond, one batch at a time.
The company's stated goal is to make world-class products that are as unique and lively as the people who drink them. Its invitation to customers is short and simple: "We welcome you to wander with us."
The Wanderfolk Lineup
Tallbird joins a family of spirits already made by the distillery. The Wanderfolk portfolio includes:
- Garden Society, which offers gin, vodka and coffee liqueur
- Prairie Wolf Spirits, which also offers gin, vodka and coffee liqueur
- Same Old Moses, a bourbon
- Tallbird, the newest bourbon in the lineup
With two bourbon brands now in the mix, Wanderfolk is clearly putting more weight behind American whiskey, and Tallbird's low price may make it the easiest way for new customers to try what the distillery does.
Where to Buy Tallbird
Tallbird American Whiskey is on sale now. It can be bought online through the brand's website, and it's also stocked at fine craft spirits retailers in five states:
- Arkansas
- Kansas
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Oklahoma
The suggested retail price is $25 for a 750ml bottle. For a blend of seven-year-old straight bourbons, that price is the whole point of the product.
A Tasting Room Coming to Guthrie
People who want to see where Tallbird is aged will soon have their chance. Wanderfolk says its Tasting Room, at 124 E. Oklahoma Avenue in Guthrie, will open to visitors later this fall.
Guthrie already has deep historic roots in Oklahoma, and a tasting room from the state's first legal distillery gives whiskey fans one more reason to make the trip. More details are available at www.wanderfolkspirits.com, and the brand can also be followed on Instagram.
The Bottom Line
Tallbird American Whiskey is trying to answer a question many longtime bourbon drinkers have asked themselves at the liquor store: when did good whiskey get so expensive? Wanderfolk's answer is a seven-year-old blend of straight bourbons from Kentucky and Tennessee, finished in Oklahoma oak, bottled at 93 proof and priced at $25.
It has a flavor profile of butterscotch, graham cracker and leather, a label with a cowboy riding a jet, and a head distiller whose career was built behind the bar. Tallbird is made for people who want a proper Old Fashioned or Manhattan without paying top dollar. In Jeffrey Cole's words, "Good doesn't have to be expensive."
