Review #214: Frank August Small Batch Bourbon

MASH BILL: undisclosed 

AGE: NAS (minimum of 4yr)

PROOF: 100 

COST: $60 for 750mL bottle (South Carolina)

Frank August Small Batch Bourbon is produced in 10-15 barrel batches. Bottled at 100 proof and with no age statement on the label but stated “straight bourbon whiskey” means this is a minimum of 4 years old juice. This is a new product in upstate south Carolina that I was excited to try. Let’s dive in!

Aside: I don’t normally comment on packaging, but this is one of my favorite bottles of 2025! There’s no labels hiding the color of the whiskey, a nice fat bottle that looks great on a bar, a stopper that weighs about 42.3 pounds on its own (I weighed it, don’t question me), a nice wide flared neck to pour from to prevent whiskey running back down the neck, and a elegant, clean “Frank August” in gold right at the bottom of the bottle. This packaging is dope and well thought out!

Reviewed neat in a Glencairn.

APPEARANCE: Bright orange color (1.3), oily with fat, slow legs. 

NOSE: Classic bourbon notes right away with warm caramel, vanilla, and baking spices. Bright fruit notes with a nice earthy rye note in the background. White pepper and almost like a pine note.

PALATE: Wonderful mouthfeel! Oily, rolls around and coats the palate with ease, nice cooling sensation. Lots of vanilla, Werther’s caramel, and a light berry sweetness. A hint of mint is touch and go. Rye spice shows up a little later with a nice peppery bite and turns earthier going into the finish. (I’d guess this is a high rye mash bill with the unapologetic rye notes I’m getting.)

FINISH: Long, sweet finish. Caramel, toasted vanilla, and toasted oak make an initial appearance. As the caramel begins to fade, the peppery rye spice takes a more dominant stance. The vanilla note remains steady while the oak notes become more dominant. Cinnamon takes a front seat and is accompanied by a touch of orange citrus.

RATING: 7.0/10

OVERALL: I had a struggle rating this. It is an extremely well done and solid bourbon. However, there’s nothing too special about it or notes that are unique. It’s just a really well done bourbon! There was nothing offensive about it at all. I think it was bottled at the perfect proof point to best represent this expression. There’s nothing that I would really ding about it other than it was just classic high rye bourbon and didn’t have a lot of complexity. It’s an excellent sipping bourbon, and would make an ideal daily sipper.

 

1 | Disgusting | see my 1/10 ratings

2 | Poor | see my 2/10 ratings

3 | Bad | see my 3/10 ratings

4 | Sub-par | see my 4/10 ratings

5 | Good | see my 5/10 ratings

6 | Very Good | see my 6/10 ratings

7 | Great | see my 7/10 ratings

8 | Excellent | see my 8/10 ratings

9 | Incredible | see my 9/10 ratings

10 | Perfect | see my 10/10 ratings