Longbranch Bourbon Review and Cocktails

Matthew McConaughey’s bourbon, Longbranch, is created by Wild Turkey’s Master Distiller Eddie Russell, and its smooth yet smoky taste is ideal for cocktails.

I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Wild Turkey distillery while on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail – and yes, I did see some real wild turkeys on the drive to get there. Looking back on it and checking the dates, the first batch of Matthew McConaughey’s bourbon would already have been maturing for four years when I was there. It originally came out in 2018.

This 8-year-old Kentucky Straight Bourbon is filtered through both Texas Mesquite and American Oak charcoals, and is 75% corn, 13% rye, and 12% malted barley. The actor recently sent some to a few of his celebrity friends including Ed Helms, Amy Schumer, chef Jess Pryles, Maren Morris, Joe Jonas, and Leon Bridges.

Longbranch bourbon Matthew McConaughey and Eddie Russell — Matthew McConaughey and Eddie Russell

Tasting Longbranch Bourbon

All I can say is: lucky friends. This is one delicious bourbon. It comes in at 43% ABV and is in a solid and chunky bottle of heavy glass with some text embossed on the front. It looks great on the shelf, feels good in the hand, and is a pleasure to pour from… especially once you’ve tasted it and know what you’re pouring!

The bourbon is a lovely rich golden color and on the nose is a mix of honey/maple syrup sweetness, vanilla from the oak, a hint of nutmeg and spices, and some subtle smokiness from the mesquite. On the palate it’s every bit as delicious as the nose promises. This time the sweetness is buttery rich, with honey, smoke and spice… and all things nice. It strikes me as the kind of bourbon you’d give to someone who says ‘I don’t like bourbon’, but one sip and they’d then say: ‘Actually, I quite like this….’

Longbranch Bourbon Cocktails

While I can see that this mix of smoke and sweet will make Longbranch an ideal cocktail component, to me it’s going to be a first-rate sipper. I did try it with some awesome Q Kola, though, in the interests of research, and they made a fantastic combination. Wild Turkey has come up with bourbon cocktail recipes of its own, to give you some ideas.

Gold Rush

2 parts Longbranch

.75 part lemon juice

.75 part honey syrup

Method: Add ingredients to a shaker. Shake with plenty of ice and double strain over new, cubed ice into a rocks glass. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Smoked Old Fashioned

2 parts Longbranch

0.5 parts sherry

0.25 parts sugar syrup

5 drops bitters

Your choice of wood, for smoking

Method: stir ingredients over ice, then strain in a smoking decanter. smoke with wood chips, swirling to incorporate smoke. pour in old fashioned glass, over an ice block. Garnish with a lemon peel.

Longbranch Lemonade

2 parts Longbranch

1 part lemon juice

1 part sugar syrup (1:1)

1 drop mesquite liquid smoke

2 parts soda water

Method: Build all ingredients (except soda) over ice into a highball glass, stir vigorously to mix, add soda water, then stir gently. Garnish with lemon wheel and rosemary twig, burnt.