Ass Pocket Whiskey – The Search Release | Derek Trucks’ Soulful 10-Year Bourbon Review

Oct 21

“When a man who can make a Gibson SG sing decides to make a bourbon, you pay attention.”

🎸 Soul in the glass, blues on the label.

Watch the full episode: https://youtu.be/tAk-uzGvu4k

That’s the kind of sentence that sounds like exaggeration—until you realize the man in question is Derek Trucks. Slide guitar legend. Southern rock royalty. Grammy-winning soul slinger. And now, co-creator of Ass Pocket Whiskey, one of the most musically inspired bourbon projects on the planet.

In this week’s episode of Tortured Bourbon, Heather and B dive into Ass Pocket Whiskey – The Search Release, a 10-year, 107-proof bourbon that somehow manages to taste exactly like it sounds: raw, real, and full of bluesy character.

🎸 Derek Trucks: Soul in the Strings, Soul in the Whiskey

For those who don’t know, Derek Trucks didn’t stumble into music—he was born into it. His uncle, Butch Trucks, was the powerhouse drummer for the Allman Brothers Band. Derek’s first name came from Derek and the Dominos, the Clapton-led group that gave the world Layla and Bell Bottom Blues. It’s as if his life was tuned to a slide guitar from the start.

He played his first paid gig at eleven. By twenty, he was on stage with the Allman Brothers themselves, trading solos with legends. Along the way, he toured with Buddy Guy, shared studios with Eric Clapton, and eventually built his own empire with the Tedeschi Trucks Band, alongside his wife, Susan Tedeschi.

His tone is unmistakable—no pedals, no digital tricks, no safety net. Just touch, tone, and feel. Every note bends with purpose. Every song breathes. So when a musician that intentional decides to bottle a bourbon, it isn’t just a celebrity vanity project—it’s an extension of his voice.

🥃 What Is Ass Pocket Whiskey?

Let’s start with the name, because how can you not? Ass Pocket Whiskey takes its name from the 1996 R.L. Burnside album Ass Pocket of Whiskey, a wild, messy, electric collaboration that broke every blues rule on purpose.

That spirit—unrefined, unpretentious, unapologetic—is exactly what Derek wanted to capture in his whiskey. Instead of releasing flashy 750ml bottles that end up as trophies, Trucks went for 200ml flasks designed for one purpose: drinking.

As he told Garden & Gun, “Bottles should be cracked, not collected.”

And that’s the beauty of it. This isn’t bourbon for collectors. It’s bourbon for players—for the dusty stages, the late-night campfires, and the old-school bar tops where stories and sips mix together.

Ass Pocket Whiskey releases small, themed drops—each a reflection of discovery. The Search Release, the bottle we review in this episode, celebrates the hunt for great bourbon in unexpected places. Trucks himself is known for digging through backroom shelves and “dusty bottle” hunts, so the name fits. It’s bourbon built for seekers, not showboats.

🔎 The Bourbon Specs

Brand: Ass Pocket Whiskey

Release: The Search (Release No. 4)

Creator: Derek Trucks

Age: 10 Years

Proof: 107 (53.5% ABV)

Format: 200 ml Flask

Style: Small Batch, Sourced Bourbon (Distillery Undisclosed)

Tagline: “Bottles should be cracked, not collected.”

This is not a background pour. At 107 proof, it’s bold, balanced, and beautifully structured bourbon. Aged a full decade, it’s got the oak depth and caramel warmth that serious bourbon drinkers crave, but it still drinks with finesse. It’s the kind of whiskey you sip twice before you start talking about it—and then you don’t stop.

🧪 Katie’s Corner: Tasting Notes

Nose: Brown sugar and charred oak swirl up first, followed by a twist of orange peel. If you linger, a faint trace of pipe tobacco drifts through. It’s the nose of a bourbon that knows how to slow dance.

Palate: Caramel and vanilla hit up front, but then the spice creeps in—cinnamon, cracked black pepper, maybe a flash of clove. It’s sweet at first, but never simple.

Mid-Palate: A subtle roasted peanut note appears, earthy and nostalgic, like classic dusty bourbon character.

Finish: Long, warm, and oak-driven. A gentle rye spice kicks in right as it fades, leaving behind that dry, soulful linger that reminds you why you fell in love with bourbon in the first place.

Katie’s Verdict:

“If you didn’t get brown sugar, spice, and a whisper of tobacco? Go back to your seltzers.”

💭 Why This Bourbon Stands Out

In an era where bourbon brands are obsessed with hype, limited editions, and celebrity gloss, Derek Trucks takes a different road. Ass Pocket Whiskey isn’t about marketing—it’s about meaning.

This 10-year bourbon has a story in every sip. It’s a small-batch Kentucky bourbon with a big Southern heart, built for people who value connection more than collection. It’s about chasing flavor, not fame. It’s about the search, not the shelf.

When you drink it, you’re not buying into a trend—you’re tapping into something timeless: the rhythm of the blues, the crackle of an old record, the simple truth that good bourbon, like good music, should make you feel something.

🧡 The Tortured Bourbon Takeaway

Heather put it best:

“It’s weird. It’s soulful. It’s honest. It’s kind of everything Derek Trucks has ever played through a slide.”

And B?

“If bourbon could play guitar, this is what it would sound like.”

This bottle may be small, but the impact is big. Whether you’re a musician, a bourbon hunter, or just someone who loves whiskey with a heartbeat, Ass Pocket Whiskey – The Search Release deserves a pour.