Kooper Family Whiskey Sweetheart of the Rodeo Straight Bourbon Whiskey

A little background

Kooper Family Whiskey is located in Ledbetter, Texas. Founded in 2012, the blending house concept started out as a hobby for husband and wife duo Troy and Michelle Kooper. That hobby quickly turned into a 100% family-owned and operated whiskey blending business. Sourcing whiskey and carefully blending small batches together is how Kooper Family Whiskey gets its unique flavor profile. Sweetheart of the Rodeo is a 90-proof whiskey distilled in Indiana with a mash bill of 75% corn, 21% rye, and 4% barley, which is slowly matured in the Texas climate. This whiskey is aged for 4 years. The MSRP is around $40.

(Tasted neat from a Glencairn Glass)

Color

Honey

Nose

The nose is full of strong citrus and vanilla aromas. The longer the whiskey sat in the glass the more caramel and apple notes came out.

Palate

The palate is warm oaky vanilla, coats the tongue thoroughly on the first sip. The second sip brought out the citrus notes that I found on the nose. Fresh apple and cinnamon really came through by the third sip.

Finish

The finish isn’t as long as I hoped but long enough to bring out the rich char notes. The complexity of the body really helps the shorter finish. The finish is on the sweeter side.

In closing

When first nosing the whiskey it instantly made my mouth start to water. The nose is just beautiful. After the first sip, my mouth was fully coated with sweet vanilla flavors. With Sweetheart of the Rodeo coming in at just 90 proof, it is very easy to sip and has minimal alcohol burn. The body of this whiskey is complex and changed as the whiskey opened up in the glass. With a price tag of $40, I’d absolutely pick up another bottle of this whiskey. I am interested to see what else Troy and Michelle Kooper will be blending in their boutique Texas blending house!