Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

About“Paying homage to Clyde May himself – a moonshine icon who made the best whiskey Alabama ever tasted – and his dedication to his craft, this non-chill filtered straight bourbon is a classic 5-year-old, easy drinking spirit. Using simple and traditional ingredients, the bourbon mash is patiently aged in heavily “alligator” charred new American oak barrels to produce exceptional flavors that feature a soft, sweet nose of brown sugar, baked apricot, wild strawberry and nutmeg. Its soft palate delivers complex aromas of barrel spice, fruit and oiled leather, while the finishes are robust, long and delicious. ” When you read this backstory and take a look at the beautiful label, you are lead to believe that this is an Alabama bourbon made from a recipe created by a legendary moonshiner, for Christ’s sake it is even the state spirit of Alabama, but this isn’t quite the story as I will touch on later. Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon retails for around $39.99 and is bottled at 92 proof.

Nose – Neat the initial smell is bright with a stinging alcohol. After that come toffee, a nice bit of oak, brown sugar somewhat green rye. On the rocks the sting and the hint of rye are gone leaving only brown sugar and a hint of apple.

Palate – Neat this is way too hot for the proof, a bit of orange and citrus citrus comes through with a bit of brown sugar and bitter oak, but mostly just hot. On the rocks you get a fairly pleasant blend of brown sugar and barrel spice.

Finish – Neat the heat continues with a medium length generic sweetness, on the rocks oak tannin with a bit of fruit and an overall green taste.

Score – C

Verdict – A bourbon with a sketchy story and a taste profile to match. Clyde May’s leans heavily on the story of an Alabama whiskey legend, the top of the label states Conecuh Ridge Distillery, Alabama. In reality this is a sourced bourbon that is actually bottled in Florida. The shady marketing could be overlooked if the product in the bottle were great, but it isn’t. When factoring in the $39.99 price point I would advise in passing on Clyde May’s.

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