Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn 750ML

Whiskey Acres Blue Popcorn 750ML is the first-ever bourbon made from blue popcorn corn, bottled at 48.5% ABV (97 proof) in a 750ml bottle. This grain-to-glass Illinois bourbon earned a Gold Medal at the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and has been named Best-in-State for Illinois at the Heartland Whiskey Competition two consecutive years running.

Quick Facts: ABV: 48.5% (97 Proof)  |  Origin: DeKalb, Illinois, USA  |  Estate Farm Bourbon  |  Distillery: Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.

Production & Heritage

Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. operates as the first estate distillery in Illinois and one of only two certified on-farm craft whiskey distilleries in the United States. The team farms the grain they distill, selecting specific corn, wheat, and rye varieties suited to the unique soil conditions of their DeKalb County fields. Blue Popcorn uses a mashbill of 75% blue popcorn corn — the same variety you might pop and eat by the handful — along with 15% soft red winter wheat and 10% malted barley, distilled one batch at a time on the farm. Former Maker's Mark master distiller Dave Picker confirmed that Whiskey Acres would be the first distillery to produce bourbon from blue popcorn, establishing an entirely new grain profile in the American whiskey landscape.

Tasting Notes

Aroma: Caramel apple leads the nose, followed closely by toffee popcorn and bright fruit candies. Underneath those sweeter aromatics, buttercream frosting and a clean, airy quality emerge — one reviewer described it as summer bed sheets on a clothesline.

Taste: The palate opens with caramel corn layered over kettle corn sweetness, building through candied orange slices and rich vanilla at mid-palate. A warm, enveloping corn pudding character develops alongside clove, allspice, and toasted oak char, giving the 97-proof body real density without harshness.

Finish: The finish carries moderate length with dusty black pepper threading through oak spice and lingering toffee. Complex wood notes gradually dry the palate while that signature popcorn sweetness quietly persists.

How to Drink Blue Popcorn

At 97 proof, Blue Popcorn drinks exceptionally well neat or with a few drops of water to open up the toffee and fruit candy aromatics. The wheat-softened mouthfeel also makes it approachable on a single large ice cube.

• Old Fashioned: The caramel corn and baking spice profile pairs naturally with a sugar cube and Angostura bitters, amplifying the bourbon's built-in sweetness.
• Whiskey Sour: Citrus juice highlights the candied orange and fruit candy notes already present on the palate.
• Brown Sugar Milk Punch: The buttercream and vanilla richness blends seamlessly with cream and brown sugar for a dessert-worthy sipper.

Best For

• Bourbon enthusiasts seeking a genuinely novel grain-bill experience
• Gifting to the whiskey collector who thinks they've tried everything
• Farm-to-bottle and terroir-focused tasting lineups
• Conversation-starting pours at whiskey clubs or tasting groups

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Blue Popcorn taste like? Blue Popcorn delivers a distinctive profile of caramel corn, toffee popcorn, and candied orange layered over warm vanilla and baking spices like clove and allspice. A dusty black pepper oak char lingers on the finish, keeping the sweetness balanced.

How does Blue Popcorn compare to Balcones Baby Blue? Both whiskeys highlight blue corn as a primary grain, but they diverge sharply from there — Balcones Baby Blue uses 100% roasted Hopi blue corn and is classified as a corn whisky rather than a bourbon, while Blue Popcorn uses 75% blue popcorn corn with wheat and malted barley in a bourbon mashbill. Blue Popcorn also bottles at a higher 97 proof versus Baby Blue's 92 proof, resulting in a denser, spicier body.

Is Blue Popcorn good for sipping neat? Yes — the 97-proof strength provides enough intensity to reward neat sipping, while the high wheat content in the mashbill keeps the texture approachable and soft rather than hot.

Where is Blue Popcorn made? Blue Popcorn is distilled and bottled at Whiskey Acres Distilling Co. in DeKalb, Illinois, approximately 65 miles west of Chicago. The distillery sits on the same farm where all the grain for this bourbon is grown, making it a true estate operation.

What foods pair well with Blue Popcorn? Caramel-drizzled popcorn plays directly into the bourbon's dominant flavor and creates a playful echo. Pecan pie complements the toffee and baking spice notes. Aged cheddar provides savory contrast to the sweetness. Pork belly with an apple glaze mirrors the caramel apple aromatics. Dark chocolate with sea salt highlights the vanilla and black pepper finish.

What sizes does Blue Popcorn come in? Blue Popcorn is available in the standard 750ml bottle size.

Is Blue Popcorn worth the price? Blue Popcorn positions as a premium craft bourbon, and its pricing reflects the estate-grown grain, small-batch production, and a mashbill that exists nowhere else in the market. The Gold Medal from the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and consecutive Best-in-State wins validate the quality at its price tier.

Why Blue Popcorn?

No other distillery in the world is making bourbon from blue popcorn corn — that alone sets this bottle apart from everything else on the shelf. But novelty without quality is just a gimmick, and Blue Popcorn backs up its unusual grain bill with serious credentials: a 2024 Gold Medal from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and back-to-back Best-in-State honors from the Heartland Whiskey Competition. The fact that every kernel of grain is grown on the same Illinois farm where it's distilled gives Blue Popcorn a genuine terroir story that few American whiskeys can claim. At 97 proof, it delivers enough weight and complexity to stand alongside far more established bourbons while tasting like nothing else in the category.