Whiskey Review: Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Introduction

Today, we’re checking out Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey, a bottle that has somehow managed to sit on our radar for years without ever making it onto the show.

We’ve seen Clyde May’s on shelves basically as long as we’ve been doing Film & Whiskey, but neither of us had ever gotten around to trying it. Then we came across a sampler pack with three different Clyde May’s expressions, and suddenly we had no excuse left.

The brand is closely associated with its Alabama Style Whiskey, which made Bob assume this bottle would have some direct Alabama connection as well. Instead, this straight bourbon is distilled in Indiana and bottled by a company in Florida.

What we’re actually drinking is a 92-proof straight bourbon with no age statement. Based on prior brand information discussed during the episode, the blend has been described as roughly four to five years old.

On paper, that made this seem like it would probably be a perfectly serviceable middle-shelf bourbon: moderate proof, moderate age, familiar profile. We were not expecting it to be this good.

Nose

Brad: The nose on this Clyde May’s bourbon is orange peel. There’s clove, caramel, and it gets a little bit plum-forward by the end.

It is a really pleasant nose. There’s a little bit of variety in what we’re getting here. Nothing that blows my socks off or anything, but it’s good. 7/10

Bob: I was really worried about this because we got these samples a while ago, and we ended up divvying even these tiny bottles between us. I thought it might be oxidized or just kind of flat. This really packs a punch.

For a 92-proof bourbon, the clove is really strong. Nutmeg is strong up front. There are some great maple notes. It smells like a quintessential bourbon with an additional punch of spiciness.

Honestly, it smells like a bourbon hitting at 104 proof. I don’t usually get this much character from something at 92 proof, especially one that’s only around four or five years old. 8.5/10

Taste

Brad: On the palate, there’s apple juice, vanilla, and the orange zest gives it a nice pop.

There’s tons of nutmeg for me. That clove-and-nutmeg combination gives it a lot of really nice spiciness. I’m coming up a little bit here. 7.5/10

Bob: The apple juice note didn’t really kick in for me until after I swallowed it, but it’s definitely spicy and has just enough sweetness throughout that it never turns bitter.

Toward the back of the palate and into the finish, there’s a ton of oak. I’m shocked at how much flavor they’re able to extract here in four or five years. This tastes like a much more mature bourbon than the age would suggest.

It also doesn’t drink like a 92-proof bourbon. It is a little thin right at the front. That’s probably the one place where I can tell the proof is lower. There’s a slightly watery entry, but the rest of the palate makes up for it. 8/10

https://www.filmwhiskey.com/bonnie-and-clyde-1967-clyde-mays-bourbon/

Finish

Brad: The finish is where I was most surprised. I expected it to be shorter because it’s only 92 proof, but this is actually a relatively long-lasting finish.

I get apple peel. The clove sticks around. The caramel turns more into scorched caramel, and there’s some black pepper going on. It’s a really pleasant finish. 7.5/10

Bob: I don’t know if it’s just because we’re in mid-September, but this is a very autumn bourbon to me.

It doesn’t tip too far into Christmas spice, but it has just enough red apple peel, nutmeg, and clove, coupled with those syrupy sweet notes that you still want coming out of summer. There’s that maple syrup element too. 8.5/10

Balance

Bob: I’m going to keep the trend going and give it another 8.5/10.

I cannot remember the last time I drank a whiskey this low in proof that left me this impressed. Especially when it’s not a single barrel, not something exorbitantly expensive, and seemingly just a four- or five-year blend.

Brad: I’m at an 8/10 on balance. All the pieces work together really well.

This isn’t some massively complex bourbon where you’re chasing 15 different notes around the glass. It’s more medium complexity, but everything fits together. I walked away from it thinking, “Man, I would buy a bottle of that.”

Value

Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon carries an MSRP of about $42.

For a 92-proof bourbon in roughly the four- to five-year range, that isn’t exactly bargain territory.

Brad: $42 isn’t cheap. If this was $30 to $35, that feels more like the range I’d expect it to be in. So you are looking at a little bit of extra coin.

But I still think at $42 this is a really good buy, because what you’re getting is a good, good bourbon. 7/10

Bob: Anything in this 92- to 94-proof range, I mentally compare to Elijah Craig because that’s the 94-proofer I always think about. And this is more expensive than that.

It probably doesn’t need to be, especially if we are dealing with likely MGP whiskey here. But I was not expecting much out of this, and I’m really pleasantly surprised.

Even at $42, I’m with you. 7/10

Final Scores

Bob: 40.5/50

Brad: 37/50

Average Score: 38.75/50

This one surprised the hell out of us.

At Film & Whiskey, 35/50 is typically where we start recommending that you try a pour at a bar or consider buying a bottle. A score of 40/50 is great, while 45/50 is excellent territory.

At 38.75/50, Clyde May’s Straight Bourbon lands comfortably above our recommendation line and just shy of that “great” benchmark.

What stands out most is how much flavor it delivers without relying on high proof or an impressive age statement. Orange peel, apple, clove, nutmeg, maple, scorched caramel, oak, and black pepper all show up in a whiskey that still remains approachable and easy to drink.

The $42 price keeps it from becoming an automatic value pick, but the whiskey itself comfortably outperformed our expectations.

Sometimes the bottle you’ve ignored for six or seven years turns out to be one you probably should have tried sooner.