Last Updated on December 29, 2022 by Lydia Martin
It’s no secret that Bradshaw Straight Bourbon is football star Terry Bradshaw’s label. But, like most celebrity booze brands, is this bottle just a cash grab?
We’ve taken it upon ourselves to taste test this whiskey and give you our full review.
Everything About Bradshaw Bourbon
Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is made from a blend of the finest grains and aged for at least two years. This surprisingly sweet whiskey is bottled at 51.9 percent ABV — an homage to Terry Bradshaw’s passing completion rate during his professional football career.
This bourbon is a collaboration between three big names in their respective industries: Green River Distilling Company, highly-raved whiskey distilling, and production company; Silver Screen Bottling Company, specializing in distribution, bottling, and licensing of sports, film, television, gaming, and music; and Terry Bradshaw, former professional football player and Fox NFL Sunday celebrity host.
Things You Need To Know
History & Origin
Terry Bradshaw was often found enjoying a glass of bourbon outside of football, and over time, he developed a desire to make his own whiskey. The football star partnered with Green River Distilling in February 2020 to make his vision come to life.
How It’s Made
Bradshaw is made from a blend of the finest grains and aged inside special, hand-selected barrels for a minimum of two years.
The whiskey is distilled by a third-generation Master Distiller and crafted at Green River, the heart of Kentucky Bourbon Country.
Mash Bill & Alcohol Content
Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon has a corn-heavy mash bill: 70 percent corn, 21 percent rye, and 9 percent malted barley. The creamy corn notes are pretty potent in the spirit, whether that’s on the nose or palate.
Who Owns It?
Terry Bradshaw owns it. [1]
He is a former NFL star who led the Pittsburgh Steelers to win four Super Bowls throughout his career. He is a pro-football Hall of Famer and had one of the most memorable careers in professional football history.
Tasting Notes
Palate
Bradshaw starts creamy and sweet, with light caramel, dill, and baking spices. There aren’t a lot of oaky notes (due to the short aging period), which can make this dram slightly off-putting when drunk neat.
Nose
Bradshaw has delicious, freshly baked bread and leather aromas, which is nice, but nothing special. More vanilla and dill are present on the nose, with a hint of ethanol.
Color & Viscosity
The spirit itself has a medium body with legs that cling to the sides of the glass. It has a yellowish gold hue, sort of like russet.
Finish
Bradshaw has a pronounced rye spice finish, unexpectedly long in relation to the bourbon’s age. More vanilla and a touch of oak is present at its finish. Overall okay when drunk neat, but we were left wanting something more.
Price & Value
You can get a bottle of Bradshaw for $40 per 750ml, which isn’t bad. However, with its short aging period and less-than-stellar flavors, we couldn’t help but think that this bottle may be slightly overpriced, considering you can get much better (and older) spirits at the same pricing.
Who is Terry Bradshaw?
Terry Bradshaw, also known as the Blond Bomber, is an American former professional football player. He played quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the National Football League from 1970 to 1983 and bagged the coveted MVP in 1978. He led his team to win four Super Bowls.
He became a television sports analyst and co-host of Fox NFL Sunday after retiring. He can also be seen enjoying a dram of bourbon whenever he’s not talking about football, which led him to develop his own brand.
Common Bradshaw Straight Bourbon Prices
| Type | Size | Alcohol By Volume | Average Price |
| Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey | 750ml | 51.9 | Around $40 |
Compared to Other Bourbons
Blue Run Bourbon
You probably know Blue Run Bourbon as Kentucky Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge’s label. This 13-year-old whiskey is exceptionally smooth, with cinnamon spice, toffee, and oak layers. Thanks to the rye, there is also some serious spice in this dram.
You can expect to pay top dollar for Blue Run (about $150 or more) depending on where you get it.
Yellowstone Bourbon
Yellowstone Bourbon is leaning more towards a “sweet” bourbon with banana, dried cherry, licorice, and browned butter. It has a medium-long finish rife with more sweetness from brown sugar and smoky oak.
You can get blends of Yellowstone Bourbon from four to seven-year-old barrels for about $45, about the same price as Bradshaw’s. But who makes Yellowstone bourbon?
Stellum Bourbon
Stellum Bourbon has a different flavor profile than what you would normally expect Kentucky bourbon to taste. It starts sweet with marshmallows, vanilla, and cotton candy, but these flavors transform to more spicy notes like peppers and cinnamon. This spirit is made from the blend of three different bourbons: Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana.
Stellum Bourbon costs around $55, which is slightly more expensive than Bradshaw’s.
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Popular Bradshaw Bourbon Cocktail Recipes
The Hail Mary Old Fashioned
Prep Time: 3 minutes
Total Time: 3 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Bradshaw Bourbon
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 dashes Angostura bitters
- Cherry
- Orange peel
- Ice
Instructions:
Put the sugar at the bottom of an Old Fashioned glass and add the bitters in. Muddle until everything has been well-combined. Add ice and bourbon and stir to combine. Add a cherry and orange peel for garnish.
Serving: 1
The Blonde Bomber
Prep Time: 2 minutes
Total Time: 2 minutes
Ingredients:
- 2 oz Bradshaw Bourbon
- 0.75 oz lemon juice
- 0.75 oz simple syrup
- Cherry
- Lemon wedge
Instructions:
Pour all the liquid ingredients into a cocktail shaker with ice and shake everything until combined. Strain and pour into a rocks glass with fresh ice and garnish with a cherry and lemon wedge.
Serving: 1
FAQs
Where do they make Bradshaw bourbon?
Bradshaw Bourbon is distilled and produced in Owensboro, Kentucky, at the old Green River Distillery. This distillery is one of the oldest operating distilleries in the nation, having been established in 1885.
Why is Bradshaw bourbon 103.8 proof?
Bradshaw Bourbon is 103.8 proof, which equates to 51.9 percent ABV. This percentage is the NFL star’s passing completion rate during his years as a professional football player.
Final Thoughts
There’s your no-holds-barred review of the Bradshaw Kentucky Straight Bourbon!
While we think there’s nothing wrong with the whiskey, there isn’t anything special about it. The spirit has the quintessential light caramel and vanilla notes with a spicy rye finish.
We’re a bit turned off by the bourbon’s young age, which shows in the spirit’s lack of complexity. We think we can get better bottles at the same price point.
Reference:
- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Terry-Bradshaw
Lydia Martin hails from Redmond, Washington, where you’ll find some of the best cocktail bars and distilleries that offer a great mix of local drinks. She used to work as a bar manager in Paris and is a self-taught mixologist whose passion for crafting unique cocktails led her to create Liquor Laboratory. Lydia can whip up a mean Margarita in seconds! Contact at [email protected] or learn more about us here.
