Recently we did what The Bar Book Tasting Room does best—turned an ordinary night at the house into a small, unofficial tasting event. No velvet ropes, no sommelier voice, no pretending we’re not going back for a second pour. Just a handful of friends, a table that slowly filled up with bottles, and that familiar moment when the first glass hits the air and the room changes gears.

Somebody brought snacks. Somebody brought opinions. Somebody brought a “trust me, you’re going to like this” bottle.

And this time, the wildcard on the table was Town Branch Bourbon.

We’d seen it around and had it on the radar for a while—one of those Kentucky bottles that doesn’t always get the loudest shelf space, but keeps popping up when people start talking about good value pours. So we did what we always do: we poured it, we gave it a fair shot, and we let the room vote with their faces.

That’s where things got fun.

Because Town Branch did the rare thing: it split the room.

The big bourbon lovers—our “I want oak, proof, and a little punishment” crowd—had mixed reactions. Some liked the traditional backbone and the price-to-quality ratio. Others kept circling back to a specific note they couldn’t quite ignore.

Meanwhile, the more casual drinkers and the “give me something smooth and familiar” folks found it surprisingly easy to enjoy—especially for an everyday bottle that doesn’t pretend to be a unicorn.

It was the kind of tasting that reminded us why we love doing this. Not every bottle is a slam dunk for every palate. Sometimes the story is the debate.

And Town Branch? Town Branch brought a debate.

Town Branch is a Kentucky straight bourbon built on a mash bill that reads like it wants to stand out quietly: 72% corn, 15% malted barley, and 13% rye, then distilled through copper pot stills and matured in new charred oak for at least a few years before bottling at 80 proof.

That malted barley percentage matters. It often shows up as a slightly different depth compared to typical high-corn bourbons—sometimes richer, sometimes “earthier,” and occasionally (depending on who you ask) a little quirky.

And that’s where the controversy lives.

A recurring theme we’ve heard—and that we experienced in the room—is a distinctive note that people describe as a “pot still twang.” Depending on your palate, it reads as earthy, mineral, or vaguely funky in a way that either adds character… or distracts from the rest of the sip.

Town Branch, in other words, isn’t trying to be the smoothest crowd-pleaser on earth. It’s trying to be a traditional Kentucky bourbon with a little brewing-heritage edge, sold at a price that makes you willing to take the chance.

On the nose, Town Branch opens in a familiar, bourbon-friendly lane. It’s warm and approachable, with oak leading the way and sweetness following close behind. There’s a straightforwardness here that doesn’t overcomplicate things, which a few of us appreciated. It smells like bourbon should smell—wood, vanilla, and that hint of spice that tells your brain, “Yep, this is going to be an American whiskey night.”

Aroma notes:

• Oak
• Vanilla
• Wood spice
• Brown sugar sweetness
• A faint leather-like edge for some tasters
   

The palate is where the room started to divide.

For one camp, Town Branch drank like a solid, traditional bourbon: light-to-medium sweetness, some toffee and brown sugar, a little cherry-like fruit, and a touch of rye spice that keeps it moving. For the other camp, the same sip carried that “twang”—a slightly earthy or mineral note that made the bourbon feel less clean and more “distinct.”

Neither side was wrong. It was one of those bottles where the palate decides whether that note reads as personality or problem.

Taste notes:

• Toffee
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla
• Oak
• Light cherry or dark fruit hints
• Cinnamon and pepper spice
• Occasional leathery / earthy note (“twang”) depending on the taster
   

At 80 proof, Town Branch is not trying to overwhelm you with viscosity or heat. The texture sits in a lighter, easy-drinking space—smooth enough for casual sipping, and friendly enough that you can talk while you drink it without feeling like the whiskey is demanding your full attention.

That “easy” quality is a big reason it plays well at the house. It doesn’t bully the evening. It supports it.

The finish is warm and moderately spiced, with oak and pepper lingering briefly before fading. It’s not the longest finish in the world, but it’s clean enough for most drinkers and leaves just enough behind to remind you what you poured.

For those who picked up the “twang,” it sometimes showed up again in the finish—less like a harsh burn, more like a trailing earthy note.

Finish notes:

• Warm
• Oak
• Pepper and cinnamon
• A light rye spice echo
• Occasional earthy/mineral tail-note
   

We had a few great one-liners floating around the room, but this was the one that stuck.

“Town Branch is the kind of bourbon that makes you say, ‘That’s a good deal’… and then immediately ask your buddy why his glass tastes different than yours.” — The Bar Book Tasting Team

That’s not a knock. That’s the charm of a bottle like this. It isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s a conversation starter.

Town Branch is a great “house pour” option when you want something affordable, traditional, and easy to share with friends. It plays well in simple cocktails, holds up fine over ice, and works as a casual neat sipper when you’re not trying to analyze every layer of complexity.

It’s also a perfect bottle for exactly the kind of night we had: a group setting, a mixed room of palates, and the freedom to disagree without anyone being wrong.

If you love big, heavily layered, premium pours, Town Branch might feel a bit straightforward. But if you value drinkability, price, and a bourbon that brings a little personality to the table, it can absolutely earn a spot on the shelf.

This is exactly why we keep building The Bar Book Tasting Room: not to declare a bottle “good” or “bad,” but to help you understand whether it fits you. We keep refining these flavor profiles, tightening the matches, and turning each bottle into something easier to discover—especially when you’re standing in front of a shelf and you don’t want to waste money on a guess.

The Bar Book is the Vivino for spirits and the Spotify for alcohol, powered by flavor-matching and personalized recommendations—and when it comes to picking the right bottle for the right night, it’s Match.com for the occasion.

Explore Town Branch on The Bar Book here: Town Branch Bourbon on The Bar Book

And if you’ve tried it, we want your take. Your occasion matters. Your palate matters. Your review makes the match smarter for the next person who’s wondering if that “twang” is going to read as character… or chaos.

Where Flavor Meets Story.
Tasted and Reviewed by The Bar Book Team.
https://thebarbook.app

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