Mellow Corn Straight Corn Whiskey Bottled In Bond
Mike Rosen

World

October 23, 2023

Mellow Corn has been on my curiosity radar for a while. On a recent visit to Heaven Hill, I was surprised to see Mellow Corn at a higher price than my local store. When I got home, I picked it up and decided to give it a go. Mellow Corn was originally created in 1945 by Medley Distilling Co. in Owensboro, KY. Through a series of acquisitions, Heaven Hill acquired the brand from United Distillers in 1993. President of Heaven Hill, Max Shapira has kept Mellow Corn’s branding the same because he likes how Mellow Corn is primarily tied to its history. Shapira said, “People occasionally say that the label needs to be updated and revived. But I see it as part of the charm of the whole brand. So what if somebody said it looks like the 1950s? So what if somebody derides it for its big yellow label? I like it because it’s old, untouched, not revised. We decided long ago that we’re not going to touch this thing.”

I’ve read that Heaven Hill’s website previously said the mash bill for Mellow Corn is 80% corn/12% rye/8% malted barley, but now it just says, “It is distilled from a mash of at least 80 percent corn”. I asked Heaven Hill via email what the mash bill is and they confirmed the 80% corn/12% rye/8% malted barley mash bill. The legal requirement for corn whiskey says the mash bill must be at least 80% corn and distilled to a maximum strength of 160 proof. Corn whiskey isn’t even required to be aged in wood, but if it is, it must be in either uncharred or previously used oak barrels, with a barrel entry proof no higher than 125. To be called a straight corn whiskey, it needs to be stored in used or uncharred new oak containers for two years or more. Straight corn whiskey that’s aged for at least 4 years can be designated as “Bottled in Bond” if it meets the necessary requirements. This brings us to the bottle I’m reviewing today. Let’s get to it!

Taken: Neat in a Glencairn glass, rested for about 10 minutes.

Distillery: Heaven Hill Distillery.

Proof: 100.

Age: 4 years in a once-used bourbon barrel.

Mash bill: At least 80% corn.

MSRP: From around $16 to $25.

Appearance: Golden yellow.

Nose

The nose leads with buttered corn and toffee with a nuttiness that moves between pecans and peanuts. Next is vanilla icing, apricots, pears, lemon peel, dill, allspice, and some nice oak. As the glass empties, more toffee and peanuts come forward.

Palate

The nose moves right onto the palate with toffee, corn, peanut brittle, vanilla, apricots, and dill. Allspice delicately enters the sip and covers the palate, which lasts through the finish. The overall balance of flavors in this profile are blended very well. The mouthfeel is on the thin side but has a nice creaminess to it. Besides corn, I appreciate the fair amount of caramel and nuttiness, among other flavors that prevent Mellow Corn from being a one-note whiskey.

Finish

Allspice lingers with toffee, peanut, lemon peel and oak. The finish fades with soft tannins of tobacco. Though subtle, this has a very nice and enjoyable medium-long finish that lasts longer than I expected.

Conclusion

I get the appeal of Mellow Corn. It’s a fun and easy drinking pour that delivers exactly as advertised. Mellow Corn has some youthful graininess but not enough to impact its overall enjoyability. It is what it is, and it’s better than I expected for the price. Value aside, its strength is the classic whiskey flavors that enhance its underlying corn-based profile. For the price, you can’t go wrong. The worst-case scenario is using Mellow Corn to make a very good Old Fashioned.

Rating: 5.6/10.

1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect.

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