Bourbon Blending Kit

The Bourbon Blending Kit contains the individual single-grain aged whiskey components used in Timber Creek’s Bourbon Blending Experience — corn whiskey, wheat whiskey, rye whiskey, and malted barley whiskey — packaged for home blending. Each component is a genuine aged whiskey distilled and barreled at Timber Creek Distillery. You blend them in proportions you choose to build your own expression, then bottle it yourself. Unlike most commercial blending kits, there are no flavor extracts or neutral base spirits involved — only real aged whiskeys.

What Is a Bourbon Blending Kit?

A bourbon blending kit is a set of whiskey components that lets you create your own blended bourbon-style expression at home. Specifically, the concept mirrors what professional whiskey blenders do — evaluating individual components, understanding how each grain contributes to the overall profile, and making calculated decisions about ratios to achieve a target flavor.

Most commercial blending kits in the market use neutral spirit as the base and add flavor extracts or flavoring compounds to simulate different whiskey characteristics. However, that approach produces a drinkable result but teaches nothing about actual whiskey production and involves no real aged whiskey. The Timber Creek Bourbon Blending Kit takes a fundamentally different approach. Each component is a genuine aged single-grain whiskey — the same spirits used in the in-person blending experience — which means the blending ratios you work with directly reflect how mash bill structure shapes a real bourbon.

The Four Components — What Each Brings

Understanding what each component contributes before blending is the most important step. The flavor profile of your finished blend depends entirely on how much of each grain whiskey you include.

100% Corn Whiskey — Foundation and Sweetness

The corn whiskey is the structural base of any bourbon-style blend. It contributes caramel sweetness, a round mid-palate texture, and the familiar bourbon character that most people associate with American whiskey. Corn whiskey production at Timber Creek uses the same grain-to-glass process as the full lineup — fermented, distilled, and barrel-aged to develop its own natural sweetness. In the blend, corn forms the majority component for most bourbon-style expressions, typically 60-80% of the final blend.

100% Wheat Whiskey — Softness and Texture

Wheat whiskey softens the blend and reduces spice tension. It adds a smooth, creamy mid-palate quality that makes the finished expression more approachable and rounds any harsh edges from the rye. Additionally, wheat amplifies the perception of sweetness in the corn component by removing the dryness that rye would otherwise introduce. Adding more wheat creates what bourbon enthusiasts call a “wheated” profile — think of it as the grain that makes a bourbon feel smooth and easy-drinking rather than bold and challenging.

100% Rye Whiskey — Spice and Structure

The rye whiskey is the spice component. It adds black pepper, baking spice, herbal notes, and a dry edge on the finish. In small amounts, rye provides structure and backbone. In larger amounts, it produces a distinctly bold, spicy expression. Our rye component is made from Florida Black Rye — the same heirloom variety used in the standalone Florida Black Rye Whiskey. It is a more complex and expressive rye than most commercial examples, which makes its contribution to the blend both noticeable and interesting to work with.

100% Malted Barley Whiskey — Depth and Integration

Malted barley is the finisher. It adds a round, buttery mid-palate texture, a subtle cereal and malt note, and — most importantly — the cohesion that makes a blend feel like a unified expression rather than components sitting separately in the glass. Without barley, a corn-rye-wheat blend can feel disjointed. With it, the blend integrates. The barley component used here is the same single malt spirit used in the standalone Florida Single Malt Whiskey.

How to Blend — A Starting Framework

There is no single correct blend ratio. Instead, the point is to discover what suits your palate. However, starting points help most people navigate the process more efficiently.

Classic Sweet Wheated Blend

Specifically, start with approximately 70% corn, 20% wheat, and 10% barley. This ratio produces a sweet, approachable expression that mimics the wheated bourbon profile — smooth, gentle, and corn-forward. Then consider adding a small amount of rye if you want more structure or a drier finish.

Bold High-Rye Blend

Specifically, start with approximately 60% corn, 25% rye, 10% barley, and 5% wheat. This ratio produces a more assertive, spice-forward expression. Notably, the rye spice is prominent. However, the wheat keeps it from going harsh. Meanwhile, the barley adds integration. So this style works well in cocktails where the whiskey needs to hold its own against other strong flavors.

Four-Grain Complexity

As a starting point, use roughly equal parts of all four components — 40% corn, 20% each for rye, wheat, and barley. This produces a complex, layered expression without any single grain dominating. Then adjust based on what you find. Specifically, increasing corn moves toward sweetness. Similarly, increasing rye moves toward spice. Alternatively, increasing wheat moves toward softness. Finally, increasing barley deepens the mid-palate integration.

Working Method

First, start with small test blends — a tablespoon or two of each component in a small glass — before committing to a larger batch. Specifically, smell the components individually first, then taste each one neat. Understanding what each brings in isolation makes the blending decisions clearer. Also, take notes. Blending is iterative, and small ratio changes produce noticeable differences.

What Makes This Kit Different From Other Whiskey Blending Kits

The bourbon blending kit market contains a wide range of products. Specifically, most fall into two categories: neutral spirit kits with flavor extracts, and miniature bottle collections with pre-made expressions. Neither teaches you how blending actually works.

However, the Timber Creek Bourbon Blending Kit is neither. Specifically, the four components are genuine aged single-grain whiskeys distilled and barreled at Timber Creek Distillery. Each has its own production story and its own distinct flavor profile. The blending ratios you use directly mirror the decisions that create real bourbon mash bills. For example, when you blend 70% corn whiskey with 15% rye and 15% barley, you are building the same structural logic that professional distillers use when designing a four-grain bourbon recipe.

That real-ingredient approach is why the kit works as both a drinking product and an educational one. Ultimately, you end up with a bottle of genuinely good blended whiskey and a functional understanding of how grain ratios shape flavor — which changes how you evaluate every bourbon you drink afterward.

In-Person Experience vs. Home Kit

The Bourbon Blending Experience at Timber Creek Distillery provides the same single-grain components in a guided, on-site session. You work with a guide who explains the flavor contribution of each grain, taste the components separately, build your blend in small test batches, and ultimately bottle your finished expression with a custom label. Specifically, the experience costs $100-200 and runs 60-120 minutes.

In contrast, the home kit provides the same components without the guided session. Specifically, it suits those who want to explore at their own pace, want to experiment over multiple sessions, or want to share the experience with others at home. Additionally, it makes a distinctive gift for whiskey enthusiasts — a bourbon kit built from real aged spirits rather than extract-flavored neutral spirits.

If you want to do the in-person experience first, the home kit lets you continue the exploration afterward. In fact, many guests who complete the Bourbon Blending Experience purchase the kit to keep working with the components at home.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Bourbon Blending Kit

What is in the Bourbon Blending Kit?

The kit contains four individual single-grain aged whiskey components: 100% Corn Whiskey, 100% Wheat Whiskey, 100% Rye Whiskey, and 100% Malted Barley Whiskey. Specifically, all four are distilled and aged at Timber Creek Distillery in Crestview, Florida. Each is a genuine aged whiskey — not a flavor extract or neutral spirit with added flavoring.

Is this kit the same as the Bourbon Blending Experience?

Components are the same across both options. The Bourbon Blending Experience is an in-person, guided session at the distillery — a guide walks you through the process, you work in a tasting room, and you leave with a custom-labeled bottle. In contrast, the home kit provides the same single-grain components for independent blending at home, without the guided session. Both produce a genuinely blended whiskey made from the same real aged spirits.

Do I need any special equipment to use the kit?

Fortunately, no specialized equipment is required. Small measuring cups or kitchen syringes help with precise ratio work when testing blends. A notebook for tracking ratios is useful. A clean glass for small test batches before committing to a larger blend is the most practical tool. In fact, the kit itself provides everything needed to blend and bottle a finished expression.

What bourbon blend should I start with?

A classic starting point for most people is approximately 70% corn, 20% wheat, and 10% barley — a wheated bourbon profile that is sweet, smooth, and approachable. Taste that, then add rye in small increments if you want more spice and structure. There is no correct answer; the goal is to find the ratio that matches your own palate.

Can I use the blending kit to understand how commercial bourbons are made?

Yes, and this is one of the most useful aspects of the kit. When you blend 70% corn with 15% rye and 15% barley, you are building the same structural logic that traditional bourbons use. Similarly, when you swap the rye for wheat, you are building a wheated bourbon profile. Specifically, the kit makes abstract mash bill percentages tangible — you can taste what changes when rye increases from 10% to 25% in a way that reading about it cannot convey.

Is the Bourbon Blending Kit a good gift?

Yes. Specifically, it suits whiskey enthusiasts who are curious about production, home bartenders who want to understand flavor construction, or anyone interested in doing something more active with whiskey than simply tasting pre-made expressions. It is a more distinctive gift than a single bottle because it requires participation and produces a personal result. Additionally, it pairs naturally with a follow-up visit to do the in-person Bourbon Blending Experience at the distillery.

Can I order the Bourbon Blending Kit online?

The kit is available at the distillery in Crestview, Florida. For online availability and current shipping options, see the Timber Creek online store. Availability for direct shipping varies by state due to alcohol shipping regulations.

Farm-to-Bottle PureBlend® Process

At Timber Creek, we take a natural, sustainable approach to crafting our spirits through our proprietary PureBlend® process. This method carefully brings out the rich, authentic flavors of each grain and ingredient, honoring natural character. After aging, we thoughtfully blend these elements to create bold, balanced, and pure flavor profiles — delivering a true farm-to-bottle experience. The Bourbon Blending Kit puts that process directly in your hands.

Related Products and Experiences

• Bourbon Blending Experience — The in-person guided version at the distillery, $100-200, 60-120 minutes
• Southern Reserve Florida Whiskey — Our finished four-grain blend, the professional version of what the kit lets you build
• Florida Black Rye Whiskey — The rye component as a standalone expression
• Florida Single Malt Whiskey — The barley component as a standalone expression
• Mash Bill Guide — How Grain Recipes Shape Whiskey