A 117.4-proof single barrel that layers raspberry, blueberry, pineapple, coconut and vanilla over a surprisingly silky bourbon base.
Stats
- Type: Finished Bourbon
- Age: ??
- Proof: 117.4 (58.7% ABV)
- Mashbills: ??
- Origin: MGP — Lawrenceburg, Indiana
- Additional Aging: Southern Collective — Nashville, Tennessee
- Finishing Cask: Port
- Release: Limited release, single barrel, club pick, finished
- Pick By: Whacked Out Whiskey Club
- MSRP: $?? / 750 mL (via Whacked Out Whiskey Club)
Tasting Notes
- Nose: The nose is hugely sweet, opening with confectioners sugar and toasted marshmallow before moving into a surprisingly bright hint of grilled pineapple. It feels rich and dessert-like right away, but that tropical note gives it a little lift.
- Palate: The palate is silky and coating, with raspberry jam leading the way and a nondescript baking spice gradually building underneath. The sweetness is substantial, but the texture keeps it from feeling heavy.
- Finish: The baking spice reaches its peak before giving way to the first real hint of what I associate with MGP-style oak character. From there, the finish just keeps going, leaving behind blueberry donut, coconut, pineapple and custard-like vanilla in a long, lingering finish.
Some bottles arrive with a story before you ever pull the cork. P. Cola Select came my way after I won Southern Collective’s 10K giveaway, with the bottle selected through their “Two Fools, One Bourbon” promotion. That alone makes this a fun bottle to have on the shelf, but the whiskey itself gives me plenty to talk about.
At 117.4 proof, this single-barrel bourbon gets a port-barrel finish that takes it into some genuinely unexpected territory. There’s plenty of sweetness here—raspberry jam, blueberry donut, pineapple, coconut and custard-like vanilla—but underneath it is a subtle thread of oak and baking spice that keeps the whiskey from becoming nothing more than a dessert pour.
Presentation
Southern Collective has consistently had some of the prettier NDP bottles I’ve come across. The clean bottle lets the whiskey’s color do the talking, while the gold logo adds just enough visual polish without making the package feel busy.
I also really like the bottom label and different colored wax used across the lineup. It’s a relatively simple presentation, but the details give it plenty of personality.
Distinctiveness
This is honestly one of the wilder port finishes I’ve encountered.
There is a little of what I affectionately call the MGP oak coming through on the middle of the palate, but the port finish ultimately takes this whiskey somewhere pretty unusual. Raspberry, blueberry, pineapple, coconut and custard-like vanilla aren’t flavors I would expect to find stacked together quite this neatly, and the combination makes P. Cola Select genuinely memorable.
More importantly, the finish doesn’t simply overwhelm the bourbon. There’s enough baking spice and oak underneath the fruit and confectionary notes to give the whiskey some structure.
“This is easily one of the most interesting pours I’ve had this year.”
Transparency
This is where I’d like to see Southern Collective give the consumer a little more.
The bottle tells us the bourbon was distilled in Indiana, which will lead many whiskey drinkers to assume MGP/Ross & Squibb, and the oak on the finish certainly provides a clue. But the readily available information doesn’t provide the mashbill, specific port barrel type or finishing duration.
Those details matter with a whiskey this dependent on its finishing process. I’d love to see that information made more accessible, particularly on the bottle or product page. I’m also going to try to track down some of those details because they’re part of what makes a bottle like this interesting.
Value
TBD
Buy if:
- You enjoy boldly finished bourbons that don’t taste like everything else on the shelf.
- Fruit-forward dessert notes like raspberry, blueberry, pineapple and vanilla sound appealing.
- You like bourbon with high proof and a long finish.
- You’re looking for a genuinely unusual pour rather than another conventional bourbon profile.
Skip if:
- You prefer traditional bourbon profiles with less finishing influence.
- Heavy sweet and confectionary flavors aren’t your thing.
- You want complete mashbill and finishing details before buying.
- You’re looking for a bottle where the price-to-value equation is already easy to establish.
Verdict
P. Cola Select is exactly the kind of bottle that reminds me why I enjoy exploring independent and finished whiskey. It isn’t trying to deliver the most traditional bourbon experience, and that’s a big part of its appeal. The combination of raspberry jam, blueberry donut, grilled pineapple, coconut and custard-like vanilla makes for a seriously distinctive profile, while the baking spice and oak keep it from completely disappearing into sweetness.
I do wish Southern Collective made more of the whiskey’s production details readily available. The mashbill, port barrel specifics and finishing time would give drinkers a much better understanding of what went into creating this profile. Still, based on the whiskey in the glass, P. Cola Select is a fun and unusual single barrel that gives finished-bourbon drinkers something genuinely different to explore.
Bourbon Bishop Bottom Line:
A wildly sweet, fruit-forward port-finished bourbon with a silky palate and a surprisingly long, memorable finish.
For those who prefer numbers, here’s the full score breakdown:
- Nose: 5.25 / 7
- Palate: 5.25 / 7
- Finish: 5.5 / 7
- Presentation: 6 / 7
- Distinctiveness: 6 / 7
- Transparency: 6 / 7
- Value: ?? / 7
Bourbon Bishop Rating: ?? / 7 – Holy Heaven
Out-of-this-world. A true unicorn.
| Score | Descriptor | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 0–1 | Hell No | Drain pour. Seriously undrinkable. |
| 1.1–2 | Purgatory | Bad, but could be worse. Only in extreme cases. |
| 2.1–3 | Only Earthly | Just okay. Best used as a mixer. |
| 3.1–4 | Bliss | Passable to Good sipper. Works well in cocktails. |
| 4.1–5 | Angelic | Good to great. Often high value for the price. |
| 5.1–6 | Divine | Top-shelf. Must-buy for fans of the style. |
| 6.1–7 | Holy Heaven | Out-of-this-world. A true unicorn. |
Disclosure: This bottle was provided to me free of charge for review. All opinions are my own.
About Southern Collective
Southern Collective is an independent whiskey brand focused on selecting, finishing and presenting distinctive American whiskey rather than simply putting another bourbon on the shelf. The brand and its Master Blender, Ryan Teague, have developed a reputation for exploring different barrel finishes and single-barrel expressions, giving its bottles a personality that can stand apart from more traditional bourbon releases.
As with many independent whiskey brands, the story behind what’s in the bottle is part of the appeal. Southern Collective’s releases offer an opportunity to explore how barrel selection, finishing and proof can reshape a whiskey’s character, with expressions ranging from familiar bourbon foundations to more adventurous finishing profiles.
Related Articles
Can six different barrel finishes actually work? Gambit Bourbon, blended by Chip Tate, delivers one of the most complex low-proof finished bourbons I’ve tasted with remarkable balance, transparency, and value.
Minden Mill American Single Malt blends oloroso sherry, ex-bourbon, and American oak aging into a malt-forward pour that feels far closer to unpeated Scotch than modern American whiskey.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery 2026 blends 7-, 10-, and 11-year-old bourbons before a four-month Garryana oak finish. Here’s how it drinks.
Confused by whiskey terms like small batch, bottled in bond, NDP, cask strength, or mash bill? Here’s a plain-English whiskey dictionary that defines common whiskey words and actually makes sense.
Discover the best budget whiskey releases of 2026 so far. From Blue Bolt 107 to Keeper’s Heart Pot Still Whiskey and Wheel Horse Rum Finished, these five bottles under $50 offer outstanding flavor, value, and character.
Small Batch has no legal definition, but a growing number of independent bottlers and craft distilleries are redefining the term through transparency, intentional blending, and truly limited barrel counts.
Old Elk 10-Year Wheated Bourbon is a creamy, balanced 105-proof pour with caramel, banana bread, molasses and a lingering cherry-caramel finish.