Brother's Bond Bourbon: Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley's Whiskey

Brother's Bond Bourbon: Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley's Whiskey

In case you haven't hear of Brother's Bond Bourbon, let us fill you in: it's a stunning American Bourbon dreamt up through the brotherly bond that formed between Vampire Diaries co-stars, Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, on set. More importantly, it's changing the bourbon game for the better β€” bringing authentic, affordable four-grain whiskey backed by public figures to store shelves that goes beyond the PR.

Brother's Bond Bourbon from Vampire Diaries

Brother's Bond Bourbon: The Origin

When the show's popular stars who played the Salvatore Brother on-screen announced Brother's Bond, the response was mixed. Yes, Somerhalder and Wesley have an intensely loyal audience that would be the first to line up for their special creation, but others, not familiar with their personas outside of the title 'co-star', expressed skepticism. Here's another get rich quick scheme pioneered by television stars to sell an inferior product at an absurd price, the skeptics would write on social media. They could not have been more wrong.

Brother's Bond Bourbon has proven to be a smashing success from inception to now, having sold out within minutes of launching in May 2020 and posting sales of north of 50,000 cases within the 4 months thereafter. Certainly, pent-up demand in the early phases of the pandemic helped the brand surge to success, but the phenomenal underlying product has allowed that trend to persist.

Brother's Bond Bourbon from Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley

Both Somerhalder and Wesley express that cultivating the bourbon has been a brotherly labor of love for them β€” an extension of what they first experienced across their 8 season run of what was once TV's hottest shows. More broadly, the launch of Brother's Bond Bourbon means that there will be yet another celebrity-owned liquor brand that lines your local store's aisles, extending on popular movement first started by George Clooney with Casamigos Tequila. But, as Ian and Paul tell us, Brother's Bond is made for bourbon lovers, by bourbon lovers.

In an interview, Somerhalder says that him and Wesley knew of bourbon, but were not avid enthusiasts prior to working together on Vampire Diaries. However, the duo's span on the show changed that, as the two drank fine bourbon after tedious days on set and slowly fell in love. In fact, the practice lent itself to allowing the two to embrace their roles β€” the Souther Salvatore brothers that drank bourbon on the show. Naturally, when the show ended, the Somerhalder and Wesley wanted to move forward by bringing their imaginative dream bourbon to life.

Bourbon's Bond Bourbon: Review

Brother's Bond Bourbon itself comes in at 80-proof, and when served neat or on the rocks, is an incredibly smooth, soft-mouthed, and flavor-forward bourbon whiskey. It can also be used to mixed into savory cocktails, such as the Brother's Fashioned or Brother's Root Beer Float as per the brand's website.

Brother's Bond Bourbon Cocktails

On the nose, it offers notes of vanilla, green apples, light smokiness, and a subtle charred oak feel. On the palate, the scents materialize with added flavors of caramel, vanilla, and a touch of dark spices. The finish is incredible β€” it is long and smooth, while exuding notes of cinnamon, black pepper, and earthly hues.

Brother's Bond Bourbon: Pricing

While this goes without saying, the Brother's Bond name is apt, a reference, even, to the co-stars who saw what it means to build a brotherly relationship with one another after 8 years, two-thirds of which, were spent together on set. The personal connection is visible on everything from the bottle's label, which pictures the two sitting back-to-back under a true, to its purpose to facilitate conversations and relationships between strangers and family, alike. Most importantly, unlike many other celebrity-backed liquor brands, Brother's Bond Bourbon comes in at a very affordable MSRP of $35. The price, according to Somerhalder and Wesley, was chosen not to maximize profit, but to democratize access to the special spirit and enable brotherly bonds to form amongst as many people as possible.

Brother's Bond Bourbon Near Me

While it is was even hard to get a hold of in the early days, supply of Brother's Bond Bourbon has since normalized. It is now available for purchase in most package stores, or be delivered to your door via an online order.