With fall quickly approaching, the bourbon whiskey release schedule is starting to heat up. Included in these new drops is the second edition of Pursuit United, the blended bourbon from the hosts and founders of the Bourbon Pursuit podcast. It’s an expression I tried just today and one I have a whole lot of thoughts about.
Short and sweet version: this whiskey delivers. We’ll get into the details below, but it’s really a testament to the palates and know-how of Kenny Coleman and Ryan Cecil who co-founded Bourbon Pursuit six years ago and started working on this whiskey in 2018. What started off as the “official” podcast of Kentucky bourbon is now a straight-up spirits company, filling over 1,000 barrels of juice a year.
This bottle is going to be easier to find than the last edition as the Pursuit United team continues to expand. This release was four times bigger than the first rollout, comprising 40 barrels. From the sound of things, that’s the tip of the iceberg — a very good thing for all the aficionados out there.
Let’s dive into the bottle.
Cecil + Coleman Pursuit United
ABV: 54%
Average Price: $65
The Whiskey:
As mentioned above, this is a vatted from 40 total barrels from three different states. While the team at Pursuit United doesn’t release the Tennessee distillery name, we know the juices from Kentucky and New York are from Bardstown Bourbon Company and Finger Lakes Distilling, respectively. This final release of 2021 from Pursuit United put 9,342 bottles on the market in six states (Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Tennessee, Texas, and Kentucky) and is available online via Seelbachs.com.
Tasting Notes:
The nose opens with a rush of cedar next to Christmas spices steeped in sweet red wine. That sweetness tends to lean into fresh honey with a touch of caramel and maybe a little dark chocolate on the end. The taste holds onto the honeyed sweetness with burnt sugars, light cedar, chocolate tobacco leaves, and a hint of orange oils. That orange is what builds and powers the finish to its silken end, concluding with an orange-choco vibe and a very soft landing.
The Bottle:
The rounded bottle is an eye-catching shape. It’s sort of a cross between a stubby and port bottle. The label is underplayed and, thankfully, not cluttered with too much information. That said, it sort of looks like a United Airlines gift for frequent fliers and doesn’t hit the “bar centerpiece” levels of cool.
The Bottom Line:
This is a great workhorse whiskey. I dig sipping it on a rock or in a highball but it also works wonders in a cocktail. I think at this price point, that’s exactly the point. Buy it and enjoy it however you love enjoying your bourbon. It’s certainly not too pricey to mix into a refined highball.
Ranking:
90/100 — This is a solid bourbon that has no false notes. It’s clear, easy-drinking, and the perfect everyday dram. Is it the elixir of the whiskey gods? Well, no. But it’s not supposed to be. It’s great whiskey at a great price.
Sometimes, that’s plenty.