There’s something to be said for a bourbon that shows up with confidence. Bold label, interesting backstory, promises of heritage corn and careful blending. First West Small Batch walks in like a motivated private on day one — squared away, full of potential, eager to impress. And for a minute there, it delivers. Then the mission goes sideways.
This isn’t a bad bourbon. But it’s not a great one either. And at $59.99, it better be more than just interesting on the nose.
Mission Briefing
- Operation: First West Small Batch Bourbon
- Command: 15 Stars — Bardstown Bourbon Co., Bardstown, KY
- Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Rations: Proprietary red, white, and blue heritage corn blend
- Firepower: 51% ABV / 102 Proof
- Time in Service: Blend of 5, 6, and 7-year barrels
- Enlistment Fee: ~$59.99 (750ml) ReserveBar
The Unit Behind the Bottle
15 Stars was founded by Rick and Ricky Johnson, a father-and-son team who launched the brand in 2022. The family has owned Black Jewell Popcorn since 2011, operating a number of businesses under the Johnson Ventures umbrella. Not exactly your typical path into bourbon. But that popcorn background matters more than you’d think — it gave them deep familiarity with heirloom corn varieties, which became the backbone of everything 15 Stars does.
Kentucky was recognized as the 15th state on the historic 15-star flag in 1795 — the same flag that inspired the Star-Spangled Banner. That’s where the name comes from.
The Kentucky Connection
All distilling and bottling happens at Bardstown Bourbon Company in Bardstown, Kentucky. Bardstown was their first choice for contract distillation — it afforded them complete control over the whiskey, a necessary condition given their focus on heirloom corn varietals and experimental finishes.
First West — The Accessible Little Brother
The flagship 15 Stars lineup built a real reputation fast — age statements, award wins, prices to match. First West is the more accessible line extension. Same DNA, lower price point, wider distribution. For the Small Batch and Toasted Oak releases, it marks something new: the brand’s first use of its own distillate in a blend, incorporating those proprietary heritage corn varieties. They also dial each expression to a specific “Flavor Proofed” proof point for optimal taste. For First West Small Batch, that’s 102.
The blue-tinted glass bottle with natural bubble inclusions — inspired by early Kentucky whiskey vessels — looks sharp on a shelf. Now let’s talk about what’s actually inside it.
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Recon Notes (Nose)
This is where First West earns its first points — and almost earns your money. The nose opens bright and lively, with sweet forward notes that make you lean in. There’s caramelized apple, a whisper of banana bread, a little honey, and a faint dried cherry weaving through the back end. Underneath all that sweetness, just enough nutmeg and oak to remind you this is a serious bourbon and not a dessert. It smells balanced. It smells promising. If the whole bottle tasted like this nose, we’d be having a different conversation.
Frontline Flavor (Palate)
And here’s where the mission goes sideways.
The transition from nose to palate is abrupt — like getting a solid intelligence brief and then walking into a completely different situation on the ground. The sweetness retreats fast. What takes over is dry and earthy, leaning hard into rye spice and a damp, almost forest-floor quality that the nose never hinted at. There’s a light dried cherry note that tries to hold the line and honestly, it’s a welcome presence. But it’s outnumbered. The dryness dominates, and if that’s not your thing — and for a lot of bourbon drinkers, it isn’t — you’re going to feel that disconnect between what you smelled and what you’re tasting.
After Action (Finish)
The finish keeps the dry theme going. Rye spice lingers, which is fine. There’s a brief, faint flash of peach right at the end — an encouraging sign that gets cut short before it can do anything meaningful. What it leaves you with is dry oak. Just… dry oak. Medium length, no complexity to close on, no sweetness circling back to redeem the mid-palate. It ends the way a disappointing debrief ends — everything technically accounted for, nothing worth celebrating.
Debrief
Look, First West Small Batch isn’t a disaster. The nose is genuinely good, the backstory is solid, and the 15 Stars parent brand has earned legitimate respect in the bourbon world. But this one promises more than it delivers. The sweet, inviting opening gives way to a dry, spice-forward profile that never really resolves. If you love earthy, dry, rye-forward bourbons, this might land differently for you. But if you’re expecting that nose to carry through the whole sip, you’re going to be disappointed.
Here’s the honest read: this is a better buy than the main 15 Stars lineup on price-per-ounce, but that’s a low bar to clear. At sixty bucks, you’re in a competitive neighborhood with bottles that deliver front to back. Mix it into an Old Fashioned where that dry spice has something to work with, or leave it for the guest who actually likes a bone-dry pour. Flaviar
🎖 Whiskey Orders (Rating):
National Guard Bottle — Doesn’t meet the standard, might serve elsewhere.
Whiskey Veteran
Joe is a U.S. Air Force veteran turned whiskey enthusiast and the voice behind WhiskeyVeteran.com. Over the past year, he and his wife have crisscrossed America in search of small-batch distilleries and untold stories behind each barrel. When he’s not sharing tasting notes and tour tips, you’ll find him mapping out their next whiskey-soaked adventure.
Everything you need to taste, tour, and find the best veteran-owned bourbon — in one free cheat sheet.