Beyke's Blue Double Oaked Kentucky Blue Corn Bourbon Batch 002 is Finally Here!

After the first release of Beyke’s Blue, it felt natural to begin working on a Double Oaked version. Not because of its popularity, but because of how full and expressive the flavors of this blue corn bourbon already were. We wondered if we could create a whiskey that previewed the trajectory of its flavor as it continued to mature.

Today, we’re excited to be back with Batch 02 of Beyke’s Blue Double Oaked, which is also our highest-proof offering of Beyke’s Blue.

I feel it’s important to get this out of the way for anyone who hasn’t heard me talk about it before: The goal of Beyke’s Blue Double Oaked isn’t to take the bourbon into the deeper, heavier notes we tend to find in many double-oaked bourbons on the market. The goal has always been to add subtle layers that increase its depth and oak structure while keeping the overall profile of the bourbon intact. To do this, we continued blending both secondary-aged and unfinished barrels.

Like Batch 01, a portion of the blend went into Zak Cooperage barrels made with 72-month air-dried staves. I have always loved the bold, deep flavors that can come from Zak barrels, so it was an obvious direction to continue exploring.

We also continued our method of backset blending, holding back portions of previous blends to bring a level of continuity from each batch into the direction of the next. This includes touches from a second Zak barrel as well as a Speyside Char 3 barrel.

Lastly, we began tasting through our stock to identify barrels that carried the beautiful fruit notes we have grown to love in Beyke’s Blue while also offering the structure needed to marry well with the additional oak influence.

Because of the slow proofing of the various batches that came before it, the final product landed just over 125 proof. In our effort to always find the best bottling proof for the drinker, we tried this batch across several different ranges. Ultimately, nothing offered the completeness we found at its full proof.

At 7-years and 5-months old, the result builds confidently on what you know and love from the standard release and Beyke’s Blue Double Oaked Batch 01 while offering an extra layer of richness and depth that hints at what this blue corn bourbon can become.

The nose is vibrant and fruit-forward, with rich caramel sauce, fudge rounds, cedar, and apple tart leading into baked blackberry compote, dried cherries, golden raisins, and freshly baked blueberry pie. Underneath, perfumed and softly smoked mature sweet oak adds depth and warmth.

The palate strikes a confident balance between vivid fruit and mature oak. Blackberry and black raspberry dance across the first sips before becoming enveloped in sweetly charred oak, cherry cola concentrate, and torched custard. The double-oak influence deepens with thin strands of dark chocolate, worn leather, mulled wine, and a lasting impression of oak tannin.

The finish is present and effortless, maintaining a long, buttery linger of deep blackberry jam before lifting with Sugar in the Raw and candied lemon peel. It ultimately settles into sweet leather, soft dark chocolate, and seasoned oak.