We've all been there: staring at a wall of brown liquor, overwhelmed, and about two seconds from just ordering a light beer. This guide is designed to rescue you from that moment and give you a simple, credible direction. You see a bottle of FEW Spirits and the first question shouldn't be about the founder's exit from a tech job. It should be: is the whiskey any good? The answer, as it always is, lies in the wood. If you’re spending money on a new bourbon, you deserve to know the facts. So, let's ignore the master distiller's biography and talk about the grain he actually bought. That's the real hero of the story, and the barrels, which is where the magic (or the mayhem) truly happens.
FEW Spirits hails from Evanston, Illinois. Yes, that Evanston, the historic home of the Temperance movement. The irony is thicker than barrel char, and it perfectly sets the stage for a distillery that enjoys breaking the rules. Their philosophy blends southern whiskey tradition with a distinctly northern, Chicago-area grit.
They run a “grain-to-glass” operation, which, honestly, is a term we’re all tired of. For FEW, it actually means something: they control every step from sourcing local grains to bottling the final product. The real personality of this whiskey, however, develops while it’s sitting in a barrel, contemplating its existence in a rickhouse just outside the Windy City.
Like any self-respecting bourbon, FEW’s liquid spends its formative years in new, charred American oak barrels. This isn’t revolutionary. It’s the law. But the devil is in the details. FEW uses barrels sourced from Minnesota, which are then given a healthy char. While they don’t broadcast the specific char level, the resulting flavor profile suggests a significant char that helps impart those classic notes of caramel, vanilla, and spice.
The “pro” here is consistency and a solid foundation. Heavy char creates a rich, sweet character that many bourbon drinkers love. The potential “con”? If not managed correctly, a heavy char can sometimes overpower the more delicate notes from the grain. FEW seems to navigate this by using a high-rye mash bill in their bourbon, letting that peppery spice cut through the sweetness. It’s a balancing act, and for them, it works.
This is where the story gets interesting. Most of the bourbon world revolves around Kentucky, a state with a climate that bourbon barrels have come to know and love. Evanston, Illinois, is not Kentucky. The weather patterns rolling off Lake Michigan create a unique environment for aging whiskey.
Imagine a barrel of bourbon aging in a rickhouse. In the summer, the heat causes the wood of the barrel to expand, and the whiskey seeps deep into the staves. In the winter, the cold causes the wood to contract, pushing the whiskey back out. This cycle is what imparts color, flavor, and character.
In Illinois, these temperature swings can be dramatic and erratic. The humidity is different, the barometric pressure shifts with the winds off the lake, and the seasons feel like they’re in a constant argument. This “con” of climate inconsistency is actually FEW’s greatest “pro.” The volatile Chicago-area weather forces the whiskey to interact with the wood more aggressively and unpredictably. This intense maturation process can result in a spirit that tastes older than its age statement might suggest, developing a complex and robust character in a shorter amount of time. It’s a high-risk, high-reward aging environment that gives FEW bourbon its signature bold, spicy, and undeniably urban profile.
FEW doesn’t just stick to the basics. They are known for their creative casking techniques. You’ll find expressions like their Cold Cut Bourbon, where they proof down cask-strength bourbon with cold brew coffee instead of water. Or Immortal Rye, proofed with Oolong tea.
They also heavily utilize finishing barrels. From rum and vermouth barrels for their “Motor Oil” collaboration with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club to ex-tequila barrels for their Alice in Chains release, FEW isn’t afraid to experiment. This is fantastic for the adventurous drinker. You get to explore how different barrel influences play with their core spirit. The downside? These are often limited releases, so if you fall in love, you might be heartbroken when you can’t find another bottle.
The Few Spirits barrels and aging process creates a bourbon that is anything but boring.
Ultimately, the subjective tasting note parade is where most of us tune out. What one person calls “spicy and complex,” another might just call “a bit much.” The simple truth is, your palate is your own. The label should be a tool, not a poem. So how do you skip the bad poetry and find out if it’s right for you before you buy?
This is precisely why we built OAKR. It’s the bourbon sommelier app designed for drinkers like you. Forget marketing jargon. OAKR aggregates tasting data from blind-tasting panelists to give you an objective look at a spirit’s flavor profile. We do the legwork to show you what you can expect from a bottle before you commit. You can see the dominant flavors, discover spirits with similar profiles to your favorites, and get personalized recommendations tailored to your unique taste.
Don’t just stand there staring at the shelf. Explore the OAKR app, discover the in-depth flavor profiles of FEW Spirits and thousands of other whiskeys, and find your next favorite bottle with confidence.
Login to OAKR for spirit profile flavor data, create your own lists and customize your palate to get custom somm recommendations on whiskey you’ll love.
