Crystal Wise
What started out as shot of courage after an impulse buy has become the inspiration for one of North Texas’ newest whiskey brands, Bucking Bull Bourbon.
This new Texas-based bourbon, which is 100 proof, officially launches its brand today. This alliterated title hit Bucking Bull Brand co-founder Phil Neason on a sidewalk in Las Vegas after purchasing a pricey item without asking his wife.
“About eight years ago I was walking down the street in Vegas and was kind of trying to make amends to Sarah, my wife, because I went and bought a baby bucking bull without telling her,” Neason says. “We were on our way to a Shania Twain concert and I literally stopped to get a shot of whiskey on the street and just thought, Bucking Bull Bourbon. It just literally popped into my head.”
After the name had been established, the next step was to do research into a whiskey market both Neason and his wife Sarah Pfaff thought had become a little boring.
“We began by acquiring different barrels of whiskey and working with various industry people,” Pfaff says. “It’s really an eight-year journey that we’re finally getting on the shelf.”
Crystal Wise
To make this brand stand out, Neason and his wife collaborated with Dallas artist Lyndon Gaither to create a brightly colored label.
“This was the plan,” Pfaff says. “We wanted to break through what we call the ‘boring whiskey market’ with something exciting, bold and new.”
Another step Neason and Pfaff added to promote this libation was to partner with “1883” star Eric Nelsen as the brand ambassador.
“I can’t deny that I fell in love with Eric when I saw him on ‘1883’,” Pfaff says with a grin. “But really we met him when we sponsored a Fort Worth based cancer charity event. Not only did I love him on screen, the minute I met him in person I was just amazed how much he represented what we are trying to brand.”
Neason says, Nelsen represents the face of the younger bourbon-buying crowd, which embodies the market he is focusing on; the modern west
“With this we’ve taken a different approach to whiskey marketing,” Neason says. “Obviously, we’ve got bold bright colors on the label … but hiring a celebrity spokesperson at the beginning of a small whiskey launch is unheard of. Nobody does that. We did it because we know what kind of market we want to grow.”
As far as the flavor goes, Neason and Pfaff describe the flavor profile as smooth with notes of vanilla without the harsh burn most 100 proof drinks have.
“It’s aged for four years in a white oak barrel and comes out with a rich brown color,” Neason describes. “The first thing most people notice is that it’s got a silky taste over your tongue. Then you get a warm sensation because its 100 proof, but it doesn’t burn like other whiskeys.”
This drink comes with a higher rye content, he says that emphasizes the taste and also mitigates a little bit of the heat many people might experience with other drinks.
“Bucking Bull Bourbon is the best I’ve ever had,” Nelsen says in a press release. “Family owned and operated. You can’t beat the story, what it stands for and how it tastes. Grab the horns and let’s ride! True Texas fashion.”
If you are interested in trying this new bourbon, it will be available the first week in April on shelf at select retailers and bars in Fort Worth soon.
“By the end of April, it should be available in most of the independent liquor stores in Fort Worth,” Neason verifies. “By mid-summer it should be available throughout Dallas.”
