Neat: The Story of Bourbon (2018) User Reviews

Great film if you love bourbon!

[lovetodrive2000 · 9/10 · 27 March 2018]

Just watched Neat: The Story of Bourbon, and it gives you a good background on how bourbon is made.

Best part of the movie, are the stories of the people making bourbon.

Beautiful

[dwilkie-39869 · 8/10 · 23 August 2018]

You never really think about the process that anything goes through before it becomes it's final self. I've always loved bourbon and consider myself something of a whiskey connoisseur. Because of this film, i'm now considering having a hand picked custom batch and barrel made from start to finish.

Nice little doc, made me thirsty.

[jfamelos · 7/10 · 16 July 2020]

A bit of everything in this. I enjoyed the history most.

Worthwhile little film though short on details.

[TxMike · 9 June 2018]

I found the DVD of this short documentary at my local library. I am a whiskey/whisky drinker, and Bourbon is my favorite.

The documentary covers a lot about the history of whiskey, about some of the unregulated dark days when various foreign ingredients were mixed in, sometimes even causing death, and how that led to laws regarding maintaining the purity of whiskey. There are interesting views inside the operation showing how Bourbon is made from beginning to end.

For my pleasure it dwells just a bit too much on various people reminiscing about their Bourbon experiences. I found myself wishing the content had more details about the making of Bourbon. For example they all must have at least 51% corn in the mash and all use American White Oak barrels that are charred. So why are some Bourbons much better than others? What are the production approaches that result in the premium Bourbons that command the much higher prices? Is it just years in the barrel or something else?

All that is minor, all in all it is a very interesting story of Bourbon. However they could have eliminated the several Steve Zahn spots, he added nothing and his antics aren't funny.

Intriguing, informative, a great watch even you are a non-drinker

[samabc-31952 · 8/10 · 16 January 2022]

This will transport one back to when the life was simple and easy! It is not just an alcohol but it is a tradition of American households, it is woven into the fabric of American culture for many years.. even before the prohibition times. I have never tasted it but I now know the ABCD of it thanks to this intriguing documentary. Bourbon, the native spirit of US. It will give you a flavor of agrarian life, from business deals to friends ad family gatherings, its presence is an quintessential feature..It is sweet as it uses more than 51% corn, it is all natural with no additives and a stringent distillation proof is followed in making it including entry and fill proof. It is stored in white oak barrels which is a lead character of bourbon. These barrels are sometimes made from 30+ different oak trees that are often aged 100 years! Tgey are then charred that makes a clear white dog to a beautiful vibrant golden bourbon at the end of its aging which could be 10, 20 or 30 years ... if you open a 20 years aged bourbon, make sure you drink with your loved ones and finish it. Neat or on the rocks, 2 flicks of water or a jigger of bitters, it will bring the good old times back with good old buddies... history, interesting facts, a beautiful narrative .. a great watch even if you are a non-drinker ..

Can you see beauty in bourbon?

[stephen-hoiland · 8/10 · 22 May 2018]

Yes!

A touching taste of the reality of the time and effort that goes into that bottle of American made white oak matured bottle of whiskey we call bourbon.

More advertisement than documentary

[jljohnson2004 · 5/10 · 6 October 2022]

Light, breezy, fun documentaries have their place. However, a film about bourbon--a spirit, per the film, that mirrors the history of America, which is a far cry from light, breezy fun--hardly belongs among them. What could've been an exploration of shifting cultural dynamics or rebellious entrepreneurialism is turned into a long-form advertisement for the bourbon industry. And advertisements don't make for good documentary films.

The characters are all industry stalwarts, except for the heroic hobbyist who turns his basement into a speakeasy. Their views on how Bourbon is made is valuable, but the film's treatment of those views--all adoring and unquestioning, often overlaid with stirring string arrangements and shots of glasses being filled in slow-mo while backlit by a sunset--is so saccharine that it ends up being a turnoff.

The most interesting cultural bits are left out. Where's the Whiskey Rebellion? The social impact of Prohibition? The role of immigrants in making Bourbon what it is today? These are omitted in favor of the personal stories of the characters that are so much less meaningful.

You might pick up some interesting tidbits on Bourbon, or have a hankering for a good cocktail. But the film will leave you wishing for something more substantive.