A young blend with plenty of room to grow… and a glimpse of something promising underneath
Stats
- Type: Blended bourbon
- Age: 3 year
- Proof: 86 (43% ABV)
- Mashbill: 73% Corn │ 21% Rye │ 6% Malted Barley
- Origin: Unnamed distillery in Kentucky (bourbon) and Veritable Distillery — Stonington, Connecticut (ASM)
- Blend: 3 year Kentucky bourbon and 3 year American Single Malt
- Cask: New Charred American Oak (bourbon) and ex-bourbon from Bardstown Bourbon Company
- Release: Wide release, blended
- MSRP: $37.99 (via Veritable)
Tasting Notes
- Nose: The nose is pretty light, leading with apple juice, peanut shell and brown sugar, followed by a touch of cinnamon and pepper spice. There’s nothing unpleasant or overly youthful here, but there isn’t a tremendous amount of complexity either.
- Palate: The palate is thin but silky, with honey and graham cracker up front before a bit of barrel char and sweet oak develops. It’s approachable and easy to drink, though the relatively light body leaves me wanting more depth.
- Finish: The finish brings the familiar combination of cinnamon spice, caramel and vanilla, with additional peppery spice that may be coming from the ASM distillate. The backend has some youthful heat, although it’s difficult to tell where youth ends and lingering baking spice begins.
Veritable Ships Bell is an early release from a new craft distillery, blending its own 3-year ASM bourbon with 3-year Kentucky-sourced bourbon. The result is an approachable, easy-drinking whiskey that leans heavily toward the Kentucky component, while occasional glimpses of the younger ASM distillate hint at what Veritable could become with more time in the barrel.
Presentation
For an early release, Ships Bell is a pretty good-looking bottle with a clear nautical theme. The bottle shape itself creates some interest, it genuinely feels a bit like a ship in a bottle, and I particularly like the ribbon across the top.
Unfortunately, that ribbon falls off once the shrink wrap is removed, which takes away some of the premium feel. Something as simple as a small wax dot or another way of securing it could make the presentation feel more intentional.
Distinctiveness
There isn’t anything particularly wild or groundbreaking happening in the glass, but I think there’s potential here.
The Kentucky bourbon dominates the profile, bringing familiar caramel, vanilla and cinnamon characteristics, while the younger ASM bourbon occasionally peeks through with a little more peppery spice. That contrast is interesting enough to make me curious about what Veritable’s own distillate tastes like on its own as it gets more time in the barrel.
“…a perfectly pleasant young bourbon…”
Transparency
Veritable does a good job of being open about the ages, blend structure and states of distillation, including identifying its own ASM bourbon alongside Kentucky-sourced bourbon.
I’d still like to see the actual distilleries named. Based on the flavor profile and the relationships Veritable has stated, I have my suspicions about where the Kentucky component comes from, but that’s ultimately speculation. The exact proportions of the blend also aren’t disclosed, and that’s the piece I’d be most interested in seeing: how much is Veritable’s own whiskey versus the Kentucky component?
Value
At $37.99, Ships Bell feels a little expensive for what is ultimately a young blend of 3-year craft distillate and sourced Kentucky bourbon. There’s simply not quite enough flavor or complexity here to make the price feel like an obvious bargain.
That said, I wouldn’t call it egregiously overpriced. There are real costs involved in producing young craft whiskey and sourcing Kentucky bourbon, and you’re also buying into the potential of a new distillery rather than just the liquid in the bottle today.
Buy if:
- You want an approachable bourbon without harsh ethanol
- You enjoy lighter, easy-drinking whiskey
- You like supporting new craft distilleries
- You’re interested in watching a brand develop its own distillate
Skip if:
- You want big flavor or complexity
- You expect a 3-year bourbon to deliver substantial barrel character
- You’re looking for the best value under $40
- You want a whiskey where the source and blend percentages are fully disclosed
Verdict
Ships Bell is a perfectly pleasant young bourbon, and that’s both its strength and its limitation. There’s no unpleasant ethanol, off-putting youthfulness or glaring flaw here. It’s approachable in the same general way you might find a reasonably priced Scotch approachable, but it doesn’t have nearly the same level of complexity or character.
The bigger story is what comes next for Veritable. The Kentucky bourbon appears to dominate this blend, but the ASM distillate occasionally breaks through with a different spice character that makes me genuinely curious about the whiskey Veritable is producing itself. My suspicion is that the distillery is giving that stock the time it needs to develop before asking it to stand completely on its own.
At $37.99, you’re paying a little more than the liquid currently demands, but not so much that I’d write it off. This is a young distillery with young whiskey, and I think Ships Bell is better viewed as an early chapter than a finished statement. I’d be very interested to revisit Veritable in a couple of years, especially if its own stock can be enjoyed closer to cask strength.
Bourbon Bishop Bottom Line:
A young and approachable blend that costs a little more than it delivers today, but Veritable’s own emerging distillate gives me plenty of reason to keep watching.
For those who prefer numbers, here’s the full score breakdown:
- Nose: 2.75 / 7
- Palate: 2.75 / 7
- Finish: 3 / 7
- Presentation: 4 / 7
- Distinctiveness: 3 / 7
- Transparency: 5 / 7
- Value: 3.5 / 7
Bourbon Bishop Rating: 3.42 / 7 – Bliss
Passable to Good sipper. Works well in cocktails.
| 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 Veritable
Veritable Distillery is a craft distillery in Stonington, Connecticut, built around traditional methods, natural ingredients and a decidedly old-school approach to spirits production. The name itself comes from the Latin verus, meaning “truth,” which fits neatly with the distillery’s emphasis on authenticity and transparency.
Veritable’s philosophy extends beyond bourbon. The distillery uses techniques like open-top fermentation for its single malt whiskey and fractional distillation for its gin, while emphasizing research, time and natural processes rather than shortcuts or additives. The company also champions voluntary disclosure of ingredients and serving facts, reflecting its belief that consumers deserve to know what’s in their glass.
For a young distillery, there’s a lot to be interested in here. Ship’s Bell is still an early glimpse of what Veritable may become, but as its own whiskey continues to mature, I’m particularly interested to see how that distillate develops and how much of the character I picked up in this blend becomes more pronounced with age.
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