🥃 15 STARS First West Series Review! Trio Tasting: Small Batch, Toasted Oak, & Extra Aged 🇺🇸
Join Wayne and Rebecca from Your Bourbon Journey as they dive into the highly anticipated, and more affordably priced, 15 STARS First West Series of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys! This father-son company (Rick & Ricky Johnson) with roots in gourmet popcorn, and a commitment to heirloom corn, is making waves with their expert blending and “Flavor Proofing” technique.
🤔 Are these new, more accessible bourbons from 15 STARS worth the price point? Watch to find out which bottle offers the best “bang for your buck” and which one they would skip!
In this in-depth tasting, they sample all three unique expressions, bottled in gorgeous, historic blue glass:
The Flight:
- First West Small Batch (Blue Label): (5, 6, & 7 Year Blend | 102 Proof | $59.99)
- The Difference: Includes the brand’s own distillate made from proprietary red, white, and blue heirloom corn for a unique profile.
- Tasting Notes: Rich caramel, baking spices, vanilla, and a distinct nuttiness reminiscent of roasted nuts or a classic bourbon profile.
- Verdict: A winner! Wayne and Rebecca agree this is the best value and their favorite, showcasing a unique and distinct flavor profile that sets the brand apart.
- First West Toasted Oak (Red Label): (5, 6, & 7 Year Blend | 98 Proof | $69.99)
- The Difference: Finished in a blend of two different toasted oak barrels for 5 weeks.
Tasting Notes: Intense sweetness like confectionary sugar and marshmallow, roasted nuts, and a warming cinnamon heat on the back. - Verdict: An excellent toasted pour, but the hosts prefer the complexity and uniqueness of the Small Batch for the price.
- The Difference: Finished in a blend of two different toasted oak barrels for 5 weeks.
- First West Extra Aged (White Label): (8 & 9 Year Blend | 100 Proof | $79.99)
- The Difference: Extra-aged and 100% sourced from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery (no 15 STARS distillate).
- Tasting Notes: Sweet caramel, cardamom/nutmeg spice, and heavy, savory barrel notes.
- Verdict: A good, older bourbon, but it feels disconnected from the other two and has a surprisingly short finish.
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✴️ First West Small Batch Bourbon
- Classification: Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys
- Company: 15 Stars
- Mash Bill: Includes a portion of 15 STARS’ own distillate made from proprietary red, white, and blue heirloom corn—a first for the brand’s blends.
- Age: Blend of 5, 6, & 7 Year
- Proof: 102 (“flavor proofed”)
- MSRP: $59.99
- Released: July 2025
- Other: Bottled in a unique, historic blue glass bottle inspired by the earliest whiskey bottles crafted in Kentucky.
- Purchased: 10/16/25 for $59.99 at High Spirits Liquor in Evansville, IN
✴️First West Toasted Oak
- Classification: Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Company: 15 Stars
- Mash Bill: Includes bourbon distilled by 15 STARS (at Bardstown Bourbon Company) from proprietary red, white, and blue heritage corns (first use in a 15 STARS blend); the other component bourbon(s) are not disclosed
- Barrels: Blend of two different toast profiles
- Age: Blend of 5, 6, & 7 Year
- Proof: 98
- MSRP: $69.99
- Released: July 2025
- Other: Bottled in a unique, historic blue glass bottle inspired by the earliest whiskey bottles crafted in Kentucky.
- Purchased: 10/16/25 for $69.99 at High Spirits Liquor in Evansville, IN
✴️First West Extra Aged
- Classification: Blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskeys
- Company: 15 Stars
- Mash Bill:
- Age: Blends of 8 & 9 Years
- Proof: 100 “flavor proofed”
- MSRP: $79.99
- Released: July 2025
- Other: Bottled in a unique, historic blue glass bottle inspired by the earliest whiskey bottles crafted in Kentucky.
- Purchased: 10/16/25 for $79.99 at High Spirits Liquor in Evansville, IN
❌YOUR BOURBON JOURNEY DOES NOT SELL ALCOHOL❌
🚨REMEMBER TO ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY🚨
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NOTE: The spirit in this review was purchased by us. We were not compensated by the spirit producer for this review. This is simply our opinion based on what we tasted on this day. Please drink responsibly.
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