Review: Trader Joe's Cask Head Sherry Finish Bourbon Is Better For Mixing Than Sipping

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There have been many new bourbon releases in 2025, which is thrilling for bourbon lovers. Whiskey drinkers have camped out overnight at distilleries to grab a bottle of the limited edition selections to line their home bar shelves. One spot you may not consider as a producer of noteworthy bourbon is Trader Joe's. However, the grocer has found success with its store-branded whiskies. 

While the products may not offer premium quality or a rich depth of flavor, Trader Joe's bourbon is a smart buy, delivering value with a decent taste, especially for the price. And, if you enjoy drinking bourbon cocktails, TJ's whiskies are a solid base for mixing with other ingredients. 

Earlier this month, shoppers eyed a bourbon offering lining store shelves at some Trader Joe's locations, Trader Joe's Cask Head Sherry Cask Kentucky Straight Bourbon. It is not an entirely new product, as we found that TJs has been selling the offering since May of 2025. Still, as a bourbon drinker and TJ's fan, I was curious to taste the whiskey when I found it available at my local Las Vegas TJ's, particularly given the premium price. I tapped into my skills and training as a Certified Sommelier to access the quality and taste of the liquor.

Trader Joe's doesn't offer many details about the production of its store-branded liquors on the bottles, leading fans to speculate about who produces its products. It is a common belief that Buffalo Trace is the producer of its Kentucky bourbon, and that Tito's may make its vodka. Still, there are no guarantees as TJ's has never confirmed who the producers are. However, the store has said its Kentucky bourbon distiller makes one of the best bourbons available. 

Cask Head Distillery in Dallas, Texas, is responsible for bottling Cask Head Sherry Finish Kentucky Straight bourbon. However, there are no details about the bourbon's mash bill. Although TJ's limits the product information, we do know a few facts about bourbon in general. By law, bourbon is an American-made product. For straight bourbon, the mash bill must contain a minimum of 51% corn, and it must age in new charred oak barrels for a minimum of 2 years. 

Trader Joe's Cask Head bourbon is distilled in Kentucky, as the name indicates. It is finished in sherry casks, meaning that after the initial new oak barrel aging, the producer transfers the liquor to casks that were former sherry casks. In TJ's case, after the initial aging, the second aging lasts for 6 months in former Pedro Ximénez sherry casks. Bourbon's minimum alcohol content required by law is 80 proof. Trader Joe's new product is 100 proof.

Barrel-aged liquors tend to be more expensive than those that do not age in a barrel. One reason is that oak barrels are expensive. A standard 53-gallon American oak barrel can cost around $400, and that barrel yields around 250 bottles after the whiskey ages, sometimes more or less depending on evaporation. And, in the case of bourbon, every batch of whiskey must age in new barrels, by law. Bourbon also must legally age for a minimum of two years, meaning the producer can't start selling its liquor until at least two years after he makes it. Plus, warehouse space for aging is necessary. And with each step, the distillery is spending money without bringing in any profit. These elements are drivers in the final cost of a product once it is ready for sale.

Trader Joe's, which typically contracts with suppliers and producers for its store branded products, it does not require warehouse space or a lengthy wait time between production and release. Even though TJ's does not have the overhead, the price isn't low. The Cask Head Sherry Finish Kentucky Straight is available for $49.99 for a 750-milliliter bottle. That is, if you can find it. It is only available at select Trader Joe's locations that sell liquor and in limited release, with some locations selling out as quickly as they receive it. 

To conduct the taste test, I began, as I always do, by pouring the bourbon neat into a Glencairn glass. It is the best type of glass for drinking whiskey neat and evaluating spirits. The heat of the 100 proof liquor rose from the glass with a hot, alcoholic bite, leading me to think this bourbon needs time to breathe and soften. However, after waiting half an hour, the bite remained. I also tried the whiskey, poured neat, in a rocks glass to allow more air to come in contact with the spirit. However, the liquor remained rough around the edges, without the unctuous, smooth texture I hope for when drinking bourbon. Finally, I added ice and a healthy squeeze of citrus, revealing a way to enjoy the selection.

After tasting the bourbon, I believe that the initial oak barrel aging did not exceed the required minimum 2 years. Although there were subtle cinnamon spice and caramel notes that barrel aging lends to spirits, there wasn't extensive length, and the finish is relatively short. Adding the citrus helped reveal a soft fruitiness within the spirit, showing notes of apricots and cherries. Aged whiskey should have rich flavor. This one lacked the depth and complexity that initially aging in charred barrels and sherry cask finishing should bring. I was hoping for rich layers of dried dark fruits, dried orange peel, toasted nutmeg and allspice, dark chocolate, and roasted nuts, which were unfortunately absent for the most part.

Trader Joe's new bourbon is similar to some of its other whiskies that are a good base liquor to use for mixing cocktails, particularly if you enjoy citrusy drinks like a whiskey sour or a French 95. The lemon in the cocktails will help lift the palate, while the sweetness will help cut the burn of the high-proof spirit. However, if you drink your bourbon neat, it is best to skip this selection.

On its own, the whiskey comes across unbalanced. This imbalance is even more pronounced when considering the price. When I spend $50 on a bottle of liquor, I expect it not to bite me back when I drink it. I was left searching for complexity and refinement. The limited time spent aging in the barrel does not lend well-rounded richness or complexity, and the overall texture is harsh rather than velvety. 

You would be better off spending about the same on a bottle of Angel's Envy Port Wine Barrel Finish Kentucky Straight bourbon, or a few dollars more on Thomas S. Moore Sherry Cask Finish Kentucky Straight bourbon. Thomas S. Moore's selection ages an impressive 5 to 6 years before an additional 1 to 4 years in sherry casks. The extended aging time helps the whiskey to fully take on not only the fruity notes from the wine but also the spicy, toasty, caramelized notes the sherry cask lends.

In reviewing Trader Joe's new release, I drew upon my training as a Certified Sommelier and extensive bourbon knowledge as a spirits writer with over 20 years of experience. Trader Joe's limits the information about the spirit's production to the fact that it is a Kentucky straight bourbon with a sherry cask finish, so I was unable to consider the bourbon's provenance or history of the producer to help determine the quality of the selection. The deciding factors in whether you should consider buying the whiskey were the price and the taste, which unfortunately did not deliver for the high cost.