Well we’ve tried the Bully Boy Whiskey before, but in keeping with the current ‘tradition’ of small batch distillers making every kind of spirit in efforts to take over your bar – we have a vodka. In fairness their aged whiskey is quite okay overall if not a little more preachy and overpriced than this – but it’s also a lot more mellow.
I’ve not had the white whiskey of Bully Boy in a while, but I get the sneaking suspicion that it would be more like this if I replaced creamy with more malty flavoring. Overall though I think I’ve come to dislike Bully Boy. Everything about them from their name and labeling, and now their offerings betrays their true nature. That they want to appear like an old traditional southern whiskey, while still making small batches for more monetary purposes (esp. based on pricing v. quality)
I feel like it’s really more of a missed opportunity. Embrace that you are the new craft distillery from Boston – claim some MIT grad heritage of making gin in lab equipment and that your appeal is more experimental. You’re not coming from the Kentucky Derby – so don’t act like you are.
What they Say: “Bully Boy Distillers is proud to carry on Boston’s tradition of small batch distilling with our signature vodka. Crafted using the choiciest grains, our vodka is made using traditional distilling techniques. It is then carbon filtered to create a smooth finish. As with all our spirits, our vodka is made in small, numbered batches. Thank you for choosing Bully Boy.”
Taste: 5.5 – It’s a weird mix of creamy, ethanol, and crisp. Overall I’m not a fan of it, but I hope this does well mixed.
Aftertaste: 4.0 – However on the backend it’s actually slightly worse, and somehow kind of gin like.
Burn/Smooth: 2.0 – This burns a whole lot to the point where it kind of overpowers the actual taste. Not a fan.
Aroma: 7.0 – It smells a little off but it has a nice creamy element too it that I like.
Honesty: 5.0 – It says smooth finish which is a lie. Overall though most of it isn’t too wanky so it doesn’t gain much points but aside from lies it’s not losing much.
Mixability: 6.0
Vodka Tonic: 5.0 – That’s an okay tonic, not great, but okay.
White Russian: 7.0 – That makes an actual decent white russian. Thankfully this has a purpose.
Value: 3.0 – That is way too much for that vodka, by a long shot.
Google Shop Average: $29
Website: http://www.bullyboydistillers.com/
Reviewer Scores:
BuffaloJern: 4.0
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Metric Score: 32.5/70 |+| Metric Average: 4.64 |+| Reviewer Average: 4.0
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Final Thoughts: If I’m honest this is the first time I have changed my reviewer score during the act of writing the review (and not the consuming booze phase). I gave this a 5 because while it has a bunch of faults it can make a good White Russian – which a good cocktail spirit that I already own is looked upon favorably. However as I make my point about what I guess is more dishonesty in a small-batch local (to me at least) distillery that cares more about how it looks alike to it’s peers on the shelf – I have to disagree.
