For years, the folks at Bird Dog Whiskey have owned the flavored-whiskey world. They kicked the whole category off back in 2010 and went on to rack up more awards than any other flavored brand on the planet. Peach, Blackberry, Apple, Chocolate—you name it, they made it taste good and made it win medals. But fans kept asking the same question around campfires and tailgates: “When are you guys gonna give us a straight-up Kentucky bourbon?”
This fall, Bird Dog finally answered.
Meet Bird Dog Select Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey—an 86-proof, no-nonsense bourbon built for the way most of us actually drink: sometimes neat on the deck at sunset, sometimes mixed into an old-fashioned before the game, always without needing a PhD in whiskey terminology to enjoy it.
Image credit: Bird Dog Whiskey
Right out of the glass you catch buttery caramel and roasted almonds on the nose—nothing crazy, just inviting. Take a sip and it rolls across the tongue with toffee, warm brown sugar, and a pleasant little walnut note that hangs around just long enough before it waves goodbye. It’s noticeably smooth for 86 proof, but there’s enough grip and richness to remind you you’re drinking real Kentucky straight bourbon, not some watered-down “bourbon-flavored” spirit.
The guys in Bowling Green who make it say they wanted something that keeps the same easy-drinking soul their flavored line is famous for, only this time without the flavors. In other words, a bourbon that doesn’t make you feel like you have to wear a tweed jacket or quote mash bills to appreciate it. It’s meant for porches, deer camps, fishing boats, and Saturday tailgates—the same places Bird Dog’s peach and blackberry bottles have lived for the last decade.
And maybe the best part for most of us: it’s hitting shelves at $22.99.
That price puts it square in daily-drinker territory, yet the bottle looks sharp enough (deep amber liquid, clean label, heavy base) that you won’t feel cheap pulling it out when buddies come over to watch the game. It’s the kind of bourbon you can keep on the bar year-round—something to sip when you feel like sipping, something to mix when the cooler’s full of beer but you want a real cocktail.
Image credit: Bird Dog Whiskey
Because it’s labeled “Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey,” you know it’s aged at least two years (most guesses put this closer to four or five based on the depth), made from at least 51% corn, and aged in new charred oak right there in the Bluegrass State. Bird Dog isn’t shouting the exact age statement from the rooftops—probably because they want room to keep the quality consistent even if a barrel or two runs a little younger or older from batch to batch. At twenty-three bucks, nobody’s complaining.
Bird Dog Whiskey is still part of Western Spirits Beverage Company out of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Same people, same distilling know-how, just a new branch on the family tree. They’ve already started rolling Select Reserve out across most of the country, and in a lot of states you can have it shipped straight to your door through their website if the local store hasn’t caught up yet.
If you’ve got a buddy who swears by the big heritage brands but loves Bird Dog Peach in the summer, this is the bottle to hand him. Same trustworthy name he already likes, now in the straight bourbon he says he wants. Worst case, he drinks it and admits flavored-whiskey guys can make a mean bourbon too. Best case, you’ve got a new house pour that doesn’t punish the wallet.
So yeah, the flavored kings just dropped a straight bourbon. And at $22.99, it’s probably worth grabbing a bottle next time you’re restocking. Pour it neat, pour it on the rocks, or mix it strong—Select Reserve seems built to handle whatever kind of night you’re having.
Sometimes the best new thing is the one you’ve been asking for all along. Bird Dog finally delivered.
