A little background
Named for Jim Bunning — the only person ever elected to both the Baseball Hall of Fame and the United States Senate — the Kentucky Senator Bourbon Jim Bunning Release is the seventh small-batch offering from the award-winning Kentucky Senator Bourbon brand. Bunning, a Kentucky native who pitched a perfect game in 1964 and later served in the U.S. Senate from 1999 to 2012, holds a particularly meaningful place in bourbon history: it was his Senate Resolution 294, introduced in 2007, that formally designated September as National Bourbon Heritage Month and gave bourbon its official title as “America’s Native Spirit.” It’s a fitting name for a bottle of Kentucky straight bourbon.
The Kentucky Senator Bourbon Jim Bunning Release checks in at 8.5 years of age — one year older than its predecessor in this vertical series, the John Edwards Release — and is bottled at 107 proof. The mash bill is 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% malted barley, giving it a decidedly high-rye character. It’s distilled and aged in Kentucky and bottled at Bardstown Bourbon Company, with roughly 4,000 bottles available at a suggested retail price of $119.99. Co-founder Andre Regard, a direct descendant of bourbon pioneer Basil Hayden, and co-founder Damon Thayer, a 2025 inductee into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame, describe this vertical series as a chance for collectors to see exactly how an additional year in the barrel shapes the same bourbon. On paper, that’s a compelling proposition.
(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)
Color
Amber
| Mash Bill | Nose | Taste | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 75% Corn, 21% Rye, 4% Malted Barley | Sweet corn, rye spice, toasted oak, molasses, char, brown sugar | Brown sugar sweetness, rye spice, baking spice, pie crust, and oak | Cinnamon, honey, spice, black pepper, and oak |
In closing
At the end of the day, the Kentucky Senator Bourbon Jim Bunning Release #7 is a really enjoyable pour of classic, no-frills Kentucky straight bourbon. The nose is pleasant and inviting — sweet corn, molasses, brown sugar, and a touch of toasted oak and char. The palate opens with a drying, woody edge that transitions nicely into sweetness, with brown sugar, rye spice, baking spice, and a standout pie crust note that gives it a distinctly homey, approachable quality. The finish is long and satisfying, leaning toward the drier side with cinnamon, black pepper, honey, and oak carrying it through. Rich and dense throughout, this is a bourbon that rewards patience in the glass. In a market increasingly cluttered with finished and flavored releases, a well-aged, high-rye bourbon at a solid 107 proof with a transparent age statement is genuinely refreshing. At $120, the Kentucky Senator Bourbon Jim Bunning Release #7 sits in competitive territory — it’s not a steal, but it delivers the kind of classic bourbon experience that justifies the price for enthusiasts who appreciate substance over gimmick.
NOTE: The sample used for this review was provided at no cost courtesy of Kentucky Senator Bourbon. We thank them for the sample and for allowing us to review it with no strings attached.
Kentucky Senator Bourbon (Release #7) Jim Bunning 8.5 Year
The Good
- Classic bourbon notes
- Transparency
The Bad
- Limited availability
- On the pricey end of things
- A tad drying
