Good Trouble Bourbon review [In Depth]

Good Trouble Bourbon

by: ALEX WANG
Founder, writer

Good Trouble Bourbon Details

Distillery: Good Trouble Spirits Company

Type & Region: Bourbon, Kentucky, USA

Alcohol: 46%

Composition: 70% corn, 21% rye, 9% malted barley

Aged: At least 4 years

Color: 1.2/2.0 on the color scale (chestnut, oloroso sherry)

Price: $50

From the company website:

Good Trouble is more than just a rare, award-winning bourbon; it’s a catalyst for conversation and a symbol of shared values. You are also championing spirited discussions that highlight our similarities and celebrate our differences, creating a harmonious atmosphere of understanding and respect.

It’s more than a spirit — it’s a symbol. A tribute to the rebels with a cause, the visionaries who fight for equity, and the dreamers who dare to make the world better. Good trouble is a story of boldness, courage, and disruption for good.

We use bourbon as a tool — a conversation starter, a bridge between cultures, and a catalyst for change. It’s a way to gather people, spark dialogue, and toast to the work still left to do

Good Trouble Bourbon overview

Good Trouble Spirits was founded by Dee Robinson as an avenue to promote social good and to bring people together with whiskey. Some of the proceeds of every bottle sold “supports the Shine Your Light Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit promoting inclusivity, equity, and tolerance through community-led initiatives”. It’s always a good thing to have great causes to support.

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What we have with Good Trouble Bourbon is a 4 years old bourbon sourced from DSP-KY-10, which means Green River. No, I definitely do not know that off the top of my head. I most definitely looked it up on the internet.

Let’s find out if Good Trouble leads to great fragrance and flavor in this Good Trouble Bourbon review.

This bottle was provided to me at no cost. All opinions are still my own.

As an FYI, I bought and use these Glencairn glasses for everything (they’re the best): Glencairn Crystal Whiskey Glass Set of 6, Set of 4, Set of 2, or just one. Full transparency, this is an affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.

Good Trouble Bourbon smell

I smell honey, vanilla, orange peel, toasted oak, baked red apple with a hint of sweet applesauce, cinnamon, clove, lightly malted sweet grain, herbal fennel, and mint. Good Trouble Bourbon smells good, but I’ve smelled a lot of bourbon like this that have a nice mix of sugar, oak, fruit, and spice

The ABV is decent enough, but there’s enough water here to take out any boldness, richness, or fullness. It’s good but not unique. Oof, I’ve already written “good” a few times in 2 paragraphs, but that should also indicate that I’m not that impressed by what I’m smelling.

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After swirling and 15 minutes or so of rest, I smell caramel, vanilla, toasted grain, baked red apple, toasted oak, cinnamon, dried peach, herbal fennel, orange peel, dried cherry, and mint.

Some darker sweetness finally settles in, which adds a little more to the scents, but overall Good Trouble Bourbon still smells like a lot of other 4 year old Kentucky Bourbons out there. That’s good enough if looking for something familiar, but not so good if you want something that stands out.

Good Trouble Bourbon taste and aftertaste

I taste honey, toasted grain (not an unpleasant grain), orange peel, roasted oak, cinnamon, baked red apple, vanilla, earthy caraway seed, herbal fennel, and a little mint. Good Trouble Bourbon, like it smells, feels like a lot of 4-5 year old Kentucky bourbon that’s I’ve. It’s good enough so you know what you’ll get, but not so good that it’s unique or memorable.

If you’ve had a 4 year old Kentucky bourbon recently, then you’ll probably recognize the flavors. It has a little bit of everything but not enough of anything. There’s nothing off or unpleasant, it’s not overoaked, overly trainy, or overly anything bad. It’s just not overly interesting either.

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With “chewing” I taste caramel, baked red apple, vanilla, and some dried lemon peel followed by a light rush of roasted oak, cinnamon, more vanilla, fennel, mint, and a little bit of earthiness and darker maple syrup sweetness. You know, the usual mix of sweet, fruit, oak, and spice.

Chewing brings out a little more body, creaminess, and overall flavor, which is an improvement. The flavors are enjoyable enough and there’s minimal heat or bite, but they don’t have much fullness or intensity behind them.

Good Trouble Straight Bourbon is very approachable and interesting enough, but at the expense of memorable or outstanding character that solidifies it as a unique and worthy bourbon. I want more and I expect that you will want more too.

I’ve unfortunately lost some Glencairn’s while in transit, and that made me very sad. So, I wised up and bought this Glencairn Travel Case that comes also comes with 2 glasses so I don’t need to worry so much about them breaking. I think it’s great, and I think you’ll love it too. Seriously, if you already have glasses, protect them.

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Good Trouble Bourbon Rating

Long story short, Good Trouble Bourbon has just enough in it to be better than a “Mid Shelf” bourbon, but it’s so on the border that I could have gone to “Mid Shelf” on another day. I’ve had a lot of these 4-5 year old Kentucky bourbons and they all just blend into one another so I’m going to have a hard time remembering this after this review.

I struggle to understand what Good Trouble is trying to convey with the scents and flavors of this bourbon, and I do not think that it’s trying to be like all the other brands out there sourcing Kentucky bourbon from Green River or Bardstown Bourbon Company. I get it…starting a distillery from scratch is a massive endeavor, so sourcing is a logical alternative. The company is then responsible for blending something unique and interesting.

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Maybe it’s about offering a bourbon that is good enough to drink yet doesn’t challenge the drinker so it’s not the focal point of the event, conversation, or interaction. It is meant to stay out of the way of the drinker. If that’s the case (probably) not, then those are not the types of bourbons for me.

Now for a rant about “awards”…I don’t trust them. On one hand, this bourbon has received a ton of high ranking awards at various competitions which should indicate that it’s an outstanding and possibly special bourbon. But then I drink it and at no point do I feel that way. This is more my commentary on my complete disbelief in the validity of those competitions. I don’t know what goes into those competitions, but they are getting some weird results.

I trust my senses, and hopefully you trust mine too. For the price, even if it’s $50, I still have a hard time recommending it. You can still do a lot worse, especially for $50, but you do so much better.

My recommendation to Good Trouble is to blend something with something more unique, standout, or interesting. I see this getting lost in the shuffle of many other sourced Kentucky bourbons…so many of them.

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Meet the Author: Alex

I have far too much fun writing about whiskey and singlehandedly running The Whiskey Shelf to bring you independent, honest, and useful reviews, comparisons, and more. I’m proudly Asian American and can speak Cantonese, Mandarin, and some Japanese.

There are no sponsors, no media companies, and no nonsense. Support The Whiskey Shelf by Buying Me A Shot.

Shattered glass really sucks, so if you’re on the move, this Glencairn-like stainless steel snifter glass should survive your travels. Full transparency, this is an Amazon affiliate link, so I may earn a commission if you buy this or something else from Amazon.

BrüMate NOS’R, Double-Wall Stainless Steel Whiskey Nosing Glass – 7oz (Matte Black)