Scotch or Irish? Try American. The first in a new line of Peaky Blinders-branded bottles is, curiously, a Kentucky straight bourbon. Spirits have been integral to the Birmingham crime family’s saga from the start—first as an edge-softening intoxicant, then as a lucrative asset in the Shelby Family Limited business portfolio. Gin, Irish whiskey, and Scotch have all been Tommy Shelby and co.’s preferred pour at various points throughout the show’s run, but never bourbon.
The question is raised: Does this Peaky-branded bourbon hint at a crucial plot point in the upcoming movie, Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, or is it an opportunistic cash grab targeted squarely at American audiences? It could be both, but hey, it is finished in ex-Irish whiskey oak staves, a choice that was “inspired by the Shelby family heritage and their transatlantic influence in later seasons.”
Motivations aside, the finished product is all but guaranteed to be excellent. The whiskey was crafted by Owensboro, Kentucky’s Green River, which also produces a widely available $36 expression that was deemed the “Best Bourbon in the World” at the New York World Spirits Competition. Green River’s simply named Peaky Blinders Whiskey promises a sip of commensurate quality and complexity by association alone. While Green River created the whiskey, it was blended and selected by Barrel Global, a company that specializes in bringing craft American whiskey distilleries broader exposure through collaborations like this.
The official tasting notes describe “cherries and stone fruit on the nose are followed by notes of honey, citrus, and baking spices. The palate opens with bright stone fruit, toffee and cloves, transitioning into nutty, floral and caramel sweetness. The finish brings marzipan, pleasant minerality and cinnamon spice.
Bottled at 45 percent ABV/90 proof, Peaky Blinders Whiskey will be available in early March at retailers across the United States, Canada and Mexico for $45—consider pre-ordering now at this link, as a sellout seems likely in the days surrounding the March 5 theatrical premiere of Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man.
