Quick Update & New Logo

Just wanted to give you a quick update, I'm still dealing with my health situation but hopefully I will be back soon. Since I have nothing but time on my hands right now, I figured I might as well go ahead and start blogging again so I will probably start posting again next week. But until then, I thought I would share my new logo with you so here it is. 

Well I say new, I've been using it on my Instagram and Twitter accounts for a couple of months now. I hope you enjoy it! Until next time, stay meady and drink more bourbon!

Uncle Nearest Announces Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey

Super Premium Small Batch Offering Honors Namesake Nearest Green's Legacy Through His Descendants

 

SHELBYVILLE, Tenn., July 23, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, the super premium whiskey from Tennessee and the first spirit brand in history to commemorate an African-American, is excited to announce the launch of Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey. The brand revived the little-known story of Nathan "Nearest" Green, the first known African-American master distiller, back in 2017, and launched a namesake whiskey in his honor that has since won 40 awards and expanded into all 50 states and 10 countries (with shipping available to 148 countries). The brand can now be found in nearly 6,000 stores, bars and restaurants. A 7-year-old minimum whiskey, Uncle Nearest 1884 commemorates the final year Nearest is believed to have put his own whiskey into barrels before retiring from distilling.

Photo courtesy of Uncle Nearest

Uncle Nearest 1884 is unique in taste and curation while celebrating Nearest's legacy. The barrels used to create each batch are selected by Fawn Weaver, CEO and co-founder of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, to ensure each bottle contains a blend of the highest-quality liquid, maintaining Uncle Nearest's signature smoothness. The release of this particular offering honors Nearest's memory through his family's personal involvement in the blending process, with each batch curated by a different descendant of the legendary master distiller and the back label of each bottle signed by the descendant who created that batch. The first bottles hitting shelves are curated by Victoria Eady-Butler, great-great-granddaughter of Nearest, shareholder of Uncle Nearest and its Director of Administration.

 

"If my great-great-grandfather were alive today, I know how proud he would be to see us keeping his legacy alive through the continued growth of this brand," said Victoria Eady-Butler. "When Fawn first agreed to shine a light on our ancestor by putting his name on a bottle, we never could have imagined where Uncle Nearest would be two years later, with people around the world knowing the name Nearest Green. I speak for our entire family when I say we're thrilled to be a part of his legacy."

The small batch offering is a fresh departure from the whiskey brand's other products, while still utilizing the elements that made Nearest's whiskey so renowned. Uncle Nearest 1884 is lighter bodied, allowing it to be sipped by those who prefer a lower proof spirit. The bright off-white and gold label stands out on the shelf against its darker labeled counterparts and at $49.99 SRP, 1884 is the most accessible of Uncle Nearest's super premium product line to-date without straying from the spirit's premier quality and taste. 1884 is bottled at 93-proof, another nod to Nearest, as it is believed his whiskey was bottled at or near that proof.

"We set out to cement Nearest's legacy and to ensure his contributions to the Tennessee Whiskey industry would never again be forgotten," said Fawn Weaver. "With every bottle containing the signature of the descendant who created it, Nearest's family is picking up where he left off. More than one million glasses of Uncle Nearest have been raised around the world in salute of this great innovator. This ensures millions more will be raised over the next year."

The first batch of Uncle Nearest 1884 debuted exclusively on July 19, 2019 at Tales of the Cocktail, the world's premier cocktail festival, in New Orleans, Louisiana during a conversation on "Kentucky Bourbon vs. Tennessee Whiskey: Battle of the Premiums," led by Weaver. The new whiskey was met with high regard by all who tasted it, with respected writer G. Clay Whittaker encapsulating the sentiment best: "At 7 years of age, it's already a modern value bottle at that price, not to mention that the whiskey inside is one of the most refined crowd-pleasers we've tasted this year." The release date also marked the two-year anniversary since the launch of the Uncle Nearest brand and the release of its first expression, Uncle Nearest 1856, rounding out the company's portfolio of super premium whiskeys.

Product Details:Uncle Nearest 1884 Premium Small Batch Whiskey
SRP: $49.99
Proof: 93

For more information on Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey, visit www.unclenearest.com, and follow @unclenearest on Instagram and Facebook.

About Uncle Nearest Premium WhiskeyUncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is inspired by the best whiskey-maker the world never knew, the first African-American master distiller on record in the United States, Nathan "Nearest" Green. The Uncle Nearest brand, wholly owned by Uncle Nearest, Inc., encompasses a premium aged whiskey, an 11-year-old single barrel product, and a 7-year-old small batch offering, all distilled, aged, bottled and hand-labeled in Tennessee.

Uncle Nearest is an award-winning spirit, garnering 40 awards since its July 2017 debut, including being one of two brands named "World's Best" at Whisky Magazine's 2019 World Whiskies Awards, and earning a Best of Class - Platinum and Double Gold Medal at the 2019 SIP Awards, a Chairman's Trophy at the 2019 Ultimate Beverage Challenge, a Double Gold Medal at the 2018 China Wine & Spirits Awards, Gold Medals at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition and 2018 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition, as well as two Gold Medals at the 2018 Los Angeles International Spirits Competition. Cigar & Spirits Magazine has also named Uncle Nearest one of the "Top 5 Whiskies in the World." For more information please visit the Uncle Nearest website, and follow on Instagram and Facebook.

DRINK HONORABLY™ © 2019 Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey | Alcohol 46.5% Volume (93 proof)

SOURCE Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey

Related Links

https://www.unclenearest.com

Quick update

Sorry I’ve been M.I.A., but I’ve been battling some serious health issues that have kept me out of commission lately. I really want to be on here more and as soon as I am healthy enough to resume normal daily activities, I will start posting here regularly again. Until then, I ask that you bear with me.  Thank you for understanding and until then, drink some bourbon and mead for me. Cheers!!  

Caught on COLA - Mead

Hey there, fellow meaders! What it bee? Get it, bee? As in honey bee? Umm, yeah that was a bad attempt at a dad joke since we just had Father's Day and all. I'm sorry. Uh, yeah, let's just get on with the COLA snooping shall we?

Up first is a mead from the Garagiste, well that's not exactly true. Up first, second, third and fourth are meads from Garagiste Meadery out of Florida. The first three seem to be riffs off the same mead. It looks like they took a traditional mead made from Meadowfoam Blossom honey and ran it dry to give us our first label. 

Our second mead is another traditional mead made from Meadowfoam Blossom honey but this one was aged on oak for additional flavoring.

The third Garagiste mead is once again a traditional Meadowfoam Blossom but this one was either stopped short or backsweetened to give us a semisweet mead. Now all three of these meads are bottled at 14% ABV in 375 ml bottles.

The final mead from Garagiste Meadery is Marshmallow Vitis. This unusually named mead is a grape mead with natural flavors and caramel color added. I am assuming with the name that there is some flavor of marshmallow in the mix (perhaps from using Meadowfoam Blossom honey?). Like the other meads, this one is bottled at 14% ABV as well. As of this time, there is no mention of any of these meads on the Garagiste website yet. However, the Semi Meadowfoam was released a few years ago at 13% ABV and won a few awards.

Up next is Wisconsin's Duck Creek Vineyard who have decided to add to their wine list and bring us Duck Creek Ancient Orange. This semi-sweet blood orange mead will be bottled at 12% ABV. As of now though, there is no mention on the vineyard's website of the mead's release.

Take lemonade, pomegranate and lavender and mix it with a citrus mead and what do you get? How about Hierophant Meadery's Lavender Lemonade Meadmosa? This refreshingly carbonated mead comes in at 8.4% ABV and is available in 500 ml bottles. Though I did see a lavender citrus mead available on their website, I didn't see this particular mead available yet.

The final label comes from Moonlight Meadery and is part of their Heather Blossom releases. The Apple Heather Blossom is double barrel aged for six years then bottled at 14% ABV. If the previous Heather Blossom releases are any indication, this release is probably going to be going around the $120-130 range for a 375 ml bottle. There is no mention yet on there website but it will probably be posted soon.

Well, that's all that's buzzing! So, until next time, drink more mead!

OZ Tyler Distillery Rickhouse Collapses

OWENSBORO, Ky. (AP) - Part of a bourbon warehouse in western Kentucky collapsed during a thunderstorm.

Picture courtesy of  Shaelie Clark (WFIE)

News outlets report the partial collapse of the O.Z. Tyler Distillery rickhouse was reported early Monday.

Master Distiller Jacob Call says around 20,000 barrels are stored at the location and it appears that about 4,000 were affected. He says it appears most barrels remain intact.

Call says engineers will be out later Monday to try to determine what caused the collapse. It's unclear if weather played a role.

Officials say no one was hurt. A nearby road is closed while the cleanup continues.

Another Kentucky bourbon barrel warehouse collapsed last year. Half of a warehouse collapsed at the Barton 1792 Distillery in Bardstown on June 22, 2018, and the other half came down two weeks later.

Caught on COLA - Bourbon

It's that time again fellow bourbon lovers and we are back with another update of Caught on COLA. Normally this would have come out on Sunday but a couple of things prevented that. One, it was Father's Day and two, I've been under the weather, so I guess better late than never. Anyhow, I'm really excited about this edition so let's not waste any time and dive right into those labels and see what's cooking in those distilleries.

Anyone who is a reader of the blog knows that I have a fondness for Uncle Nearest Tennessee Whiskey and let me tell you, I was so surprised when I came across this first label. Seems the folks at Uncle Nearest aren't happy to just settle for the 1856 and 1820 expressions. Nooooo, they've done gone out and gotten approval for Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey. Well, that didn't sound country as hell now did it? Anyway, what does that have to do with anything? Now, I really don't know a whole lot about this release other than it's bottled at 90 proof (45% ABV) and that I am sure it lives up to the standards that we have come to expect from an Uncle Nearest release. But I did sort of reach out on Instagram to Uncle Nearest and Fawn Weaver seeking some kind of comment or possible insider information and Ms. Weaver was kind enough to reply, "Our tasting panel, Nearest's family, Keith and me are finalizing the first batch blend tomorrow... debuting at Tales of the Cocktail in July. Announcement coming soon!" So there you have it, if you are in New Orleans July 16th-21st, make sure you swing by and see what the 1884 expression is all about and let me know what you think. Hopefully I will be lucky enough to track down a bottle somehow and will be able to do a review on here as well. Here's hoping!

Next up is Odysea, a rather odd blend from Florida's Oceanside Distillery in Cape Canaveral. This is a 90 proof (45% ABV) blend of straight bourbon whiskies sourced from distilleries in Kentucky and Tennessee. I couldn't find any information online about the company other than the business license information so there is no information about the release.

Next up is another blended bourbon. This one is from my home state of Michigan and comes from Red Cedar Spirits. Each bottle of 84 proof (42% ABV) Melting Pot Blended Bourbon Whiskey "uses a popular Red Cedar Spirits bourbon as the primary spirit along with other aged Red Cedar Spirits whiskies." According to the label, the whiskey is wheat free which is interesting since there is no mention of any wheaters on their website. I also couldn't find a mention of this release either but there is mention of their Melting Pot Whiskey.

I decided to include this next entry out of Texas out of morbid curiosity maybe. I don't know. But it sort of scares me. Not as bad as the thought of the PBR whiskey release but still... Maverick Whiskey's Alamo Whiskey makes me pause for the cause. According to the label, this whiskey is bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV) after having been aged for one day in new white oak barrels. Aged one day? According to the tasting notes on their website, Maverick claims Alamo has "a nose of light brown sugar, candied cinnamon, creamed corn, and black pepper. The palate is delightfully smooth with notes of crème brulee, corn pudding, vanilla, and spice. The finish is mellow with lingering notes of spearmint, cardamom, and allspice." All that from aging just one day? Ummm.... okay! Next!

Where there's smoke there's fire, so where there's a smoke wagon there must be fire water right? In a way, yes. Because I'm talking about Smoke Wagon Bourbon from Nevada H&C Distilling Co. This MGP-sourced bourbon is bottled at 92.5 proof (46.25% ABV) and is readily available or so it seems on their website.

Wyoming Whiskey brings us our next entry with The Stargazer. This limited edition bottling celebrates mans journey to the moon 50 years ago. This 100 proof (50% ABV) bottle will only be available at the distillery (when it's released) but as for now there is no other information on this wheater (I'm guessing it's a wheated bourbon since there others are) on their website.

Our last entry comes from Colorado's Tower 56 Distilling in the form of their Tower's 56 Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Now this 90 proof (45% ABV) bourbon may have been bottled in Greeley, Colorado but it was distilled in Statesville, North Carolina so that tells me it was probably sourced from the Southern Distilling Company (I could be wrong). Tower 56's previous bourbon release is a wheated bourbon but I am not sure of the mashbill of this straight bourbon release and there is no mention of it yet on their website.

That's all I've got for now, folks! Until the next round, cheers!

Mead Review: Crafted Artisan Meadery Hardcore T-misu

Fresh off my last mead review from Crafted Artisan Meadery, I decided to go ahead and review another of their meads. This time it is one of their limited session meads called Hardcore T-misu which, as the name implies, is a tiramisu inspired mead. It comes in a 500 ml bottle at 6% ABV. Now let's get on with the review.

Appearance: I would call the T-misu water white to extra white in color, with brilliant clarity. The legs had a medium to long finish on the glass. As you can see, it is slightly carbonated.

Nose: I initially detected a sweetness from the honey that gave way to a coffee aroma accompanied by vanilla. There were pleasant underlying floral notes at the end. 

Palate: Once again, sweetness but this time, not so much from a honey stand point but from a brown sugar feel. There was that vanilla floating around in there with some buttery notes once again. Maybe some graham crackers on the backside of the flavor profile for me but they are there.

Finish: T-misu provided a medium to long, smooth bodied mouthfeel that provided a sweet warmth with a touch of bite at the end.

Conclusion: After seeing what Crafted did with their Planet of the Grapes and Cinnaman Bun meads, I wasn't hesitant to give the Hardcore T-misu a chance. Needless to say, I was not disappointed. Yes, this is a sweet mead. It is a bottled tiramisu! It is supposed to be sweet! And Crafted has nailed it to a T (misu). Sorry, I couldn't resist. Out of the three Crafted meads that I have tried so far, I think this one is my favorite. But, there are many more available on their site so the tasting must continue. So friend, if you get the chance, grab a bottle of this raise a glass with me!

Until next time, skål!

Hey fellow meaders, I'm back with another update of Caught on COLA - Mead. So let's see what sweetness the mazers have in store for us and get the latest buzz from the world of mead.

We start off with Melovino Meadery's Rhyme or Reason which is an apple cider mead (cyser?) with ginger added. Bottled at a very respectable 14% ABV, Melovino recommends you serve this one up chilled. Checking out their website, this is already available and can be ordered online here so make sure to check it out.

What do you get if you slowly caramelize a batch of honey, add in some roasted pecans and then toss in some cinnamon for good measure? Give up? I think I would call it some golden nectar of the days of yore. Melovino, on the other hand, calls it Gonzo Pecanzo and they claim they've "reached a whole new level of nutty." This is available to buy online here is in 500 ml bottles and is bottled at 13% ABV.

Our next mead is from Texas' Breaking Brew Meadery. Now we have all had hopped mead before and enjoyed the fruity, citrus favor that it brings the mix. But Catastrophe is a little bit different because they brought a mixture of five different hops to the must. Yes, I said five different hops were added to the must adding 100+ IBUs (International Bittering Units) and as you can see, this mead comes in at 13.4% ABV. There is no mention yet on the website of a release.

Does anyone not like peanut butter butter and jelly sandwiches? Well, I'm sure there are a few people out there who don't but not many. How about a PB&J mead? Hmmmm? That's a zebra with different stripes but there are a few meaderies out there that make them. Now we can add W A Meadewerks to that list with their Anybody Want a Peanut? mead. This sweet grape mead with peanut butter flavor is bottled at 12% ABV. I didn't see it mentioned on their website yet so I don't have a release date yet.

Last but definitely not least, one of my favorite labels is introducing an interesting collaboration. It seems that B. Nektar, from my home state of Michigan, has collaborated with Vicky Rowe of Got Mead and they have come up with Cherry Pi with Crust. Promising to bring the taste of sweet and tart cherries with a buttery crust, this mead is bottled at 12.5% ABV. I couldn't find any mention of the release on the B. Nektar website but I'm sure the release will be out soon.

And there you have it folks. That's all I have this week. Hopefully I'll have more for you next week so make sure you check back with me then. Until then, drink more mead!

Caught on COLA - Bourbon

Hey fellow Bourbonites! I'm back again with another update of COLA approvals. So, let's get right to it and see what we have to look forward to in the coming weeks and months from the whiskey industry.

We get started with the Four Roses Limited Edition Small Batch 2019 Release, which as you can see, they are saying is a Barrel Strength at 108 proof (54 ABV). According to the back label, "The art and craft of mingling exquisite Bourbon from multiple recipes is something unique to Four Roses, especially as witnessed in this exceptional Limited Edition Barrel Strength release. Four of our perfectly-aged, handcrafted recipes were selected by our Master Distiller, Brent Elliot, then mingled expertly to present elegant aromas of oak, honey, red raspberries and vanilla. Complementary flavors of bright sweet fruits, cinnamon, baking spices, and mellow barrel flavors lead you to a rich, soft and lasting finish." There is no mention of the four recipes used for this release but I'm sure this will eventually leak out but as of yet, there is no mention on the website of this release.

Our next release is not really a special bourbon but just the special 2019 Holiday label for Woodford Reserve. Not really much else to say about it but thought I would share it anyway. Sort of Christmas in July... er... June!

Up next we have the Jack Daniel's Legacy Edition #3, which is the latest installment of the Legacy labels. If you aren't familiar with these, Jack Daniel's has a 150 years of history of making old No.7 and we all are familiar with that iconic black label. But it wasn't always black. Along the way, there were several iterations of the label that came and went before they settled on the current label we are familiar with and the Legacy Editions honor those labels. You can still find Edition #1 on shelves and Edition #2 came out a couple of months ago but there is no information on the website yet on when this edition will be released.

Next we have Sundance Straight Bourbon Whiskey from Sundance Distilling in Grants Pass, Oregon. According to the label, this is a two year bourbon, mashed, distilled and bottled on site and aged in charred new oak barrels. It is then bottled at 96 proof (48% ABV). There is no mention of this yet on their website. Actually there is not much of anything on their website. Oh well.

Colorado's Peachtree Distillers brings us our next label with their Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This bourbon is "made from sweet Western Colorado corn, pure Rocky Mountain water and a healthy dose of old-fashioned tomfoolery." Aged for two years, this small batch bourbon (each batch yields only three barrels) is bottled at 92 proof (46% ABV). They already have it up on their website so I am guessing that it is already available.

Finally, take a look at Texas' own Bishop Straight Bourbon Whiskey which, according to the label, takes "great care to honor the great whiskey makers of the past." Apparently those whiskey makers are from Indiana as this bourbon is MGP sourced. It is aged for "a minimum of two years" and is bottled at 80 proof (40% ABV). There is no mention of this bourbon on the Gulf Coast Distillers website because the site is just a splash page that says coming soon.

Okay, that's it for this update. Check back with me next week and we will see what's hiding in the those warehouses for us later in the year. Until then, drink curious and drink more bourbon! Cheers!

Pinhook 2019 Plans - Vertical Series and Beyond

So earlier this week, after some snooping on the TTB COLA website, I found the labels for some upcoming Pinhook releases. After posting them here on my blog in my regular Caught on COLA - Bourbon feature, I decided to post them on Instagram. When I did, I gambled and asked Pinhook Bourbon Founder and Master Taster Sean Josephs if he would provide any insight into the upcoming releases. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised, no… I was shocked with the response I got. He not only responded but went into some detail. No release dates but… well read below and you will see.

The first label I posted was the Bourbon War which is this year’s Straight Bourbon Whiskey. I finished my post by asking Mr. Josephs if he had any tips on a release date? This was his reply:

"This is the fall bottling of Pinhook’s first release of our Vertical Series. Age statement of 4YO (proofed to 98) and will be released for 9 years, with the age statement increasing by 1 year annually. I will proof each vintage to what I think is the ideal proof. Idea is that you can collect from age 4-12 and follow the barrels as they mature. Doing the same for rye, with the first Vertical Rye coming Spring of 2020. Cheers"

My next post was for Rye Humor and likewise, I finished the post asking Mr. Josephs if there was any info he could share. His reply was:

"I was working on this blend 2 weeks ago at Castle & Key. Our first cask strength rye release. MGP barrels that will be a little shy of 4YO. Proof won’t be known until we dump, but guessing in the 115 range. Total production for the country is 65 barrels. For whatever it’s worth, coming from my biased perspective, it is ridiculously good"

Now I am sure his perspective is biased but I am also sure that the rye is really, really, REALLY good as well. The concept of the Vertical Series has me extremely intrigued and I really hope I can get in on them. I’ll do my best to track them down and will even try to review them but coming across them is not always easy for me. Unfortunately, I am not in the circles that people like Mr. Minnick and others are where they are all but guaranteed access to some of these releases. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing but respect for them, I’m just saying that I will struggle to get the Vertical Series and bring my thoughts on it to you.

Hmmm… I have apparently gone off rambling. I’m sorry. Well, that’s it for now. I hope you enjoyed this little bit of insight into this year’s Pinhook releases. If you have any additional information or thoughts, please let me know in the comments.  And thanks again to Sean Joseph.

Bourbon Review: Uncle Nearest 1820

Since I reviewed Uncle Nearest 1856 with my last review, I decided to go ahead and review Uncle Nearest 1820 as a follow up. Now the 1820 expression is an 11-year-old Single Barrel release and is aimed at the premium market. Just like 1856, this is a Tennessee Whiskey in that they have used the “Lincoln County Process” on it and filtered it through maple charcoal. Now I know this is labeled as a bourbon review and this is Tennessee Whiskey, but after all, isn’t it still bourbon that just has the additional filtering step? Or am I wrong for thinking that way?

Also, in my last review I took the time to explain the back story of Uncle Nearest so I won’t go into that here. I’ll just get on with the review.

Product:  Uncle Nearest 1820 Premium Whiskey, Nearest Green Single Barrel Edition, Barrel # TN-1, Bottle 12 of 130

Age: 11 years

Type: Tennessee Whiskey

Proof: 110.5 (55.2% Alc./Vol.)

Tasting method:  Sampled in a Glencairn glass, neat after sitting for approximately 15-20 minutes.

Appearance: Dark bronze to mahogany depending on the light. Left some decent legs on my Glencairn.

Nose:  Vanilla and oak with a hint of spice (baking spices maybe)

Palate: Vanilla and oak once again with a hint of caramel and brown sugar

Finish: I thought it had a long finish with some residual spice notes that were counter-balanced by what I thought was butterscotch or maybe it was the brown sugar raising up again.

Conclusion:  As someone who thoroughly enjoyed the 1856 expression, I was excited to try the 1820 and I was not disappointed. Yes, the price was more than double the 1856 but, in my opinion, Uncle Nearest nailed it with this release.  I would definitely grab a bottle of this if you get the chance.

Well, there you have my totally untrained and amateur opinion. Maybe it provided a little bit of insight into another wonderful bottle of sweet brown elixir. Thanks for taking the time to read it and if you have tried the 1820, leave a comment below and tell me what you thought. Until next time, drink more bourbon! Cheers!

Kentucky Peerless Bourbon

Image courtesy of Ky Peerless Distilling, Co. website

In case you haven't heard yet, which I find hard to believe, make sure you set your reminders and mark your calendar for June 22. That's when the Kentucky Peerless Distilling, Co. is set to release their first bourbon in 102 years. Master Distiller Caleb Kilburn "implemented the use of sweet mash, low distillation proof, low barrel entry proof, and non-chill filtration to create a complex and distinct spirit worthy of the Peerless name."

Picture courtesy of Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.'s website

According to the Peerless website, this inaugural limited release "will be available in extremely limited quantities (without a prescription) at Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company on June 22, 2019 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will be no distillery tours, but complimentary tastings of Peerless Kentucky Straight Rye and Bourbon will be offered every half hour from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on a first come, first served basis. The first 100 patrons to purchase a bottle will receive an exclusively labeled bottle numbered 1-100."

Some important release day points from the distillery:

• Peerless Bourbon will be first come, first served.
• Bottles will not be available for reservation.
• Guests will be able to purchase up to two bottles each.
• Payments will not be taken over the phone.
• Shipping will not be available.

So if you want to take a chance at getting a bottle, head to the distillery at 120 North 10th Street, Louisville, Kentucky and may the bourbon gods be forever in you favor!

More information and updates for Kentucky Peerless Distilling, Co. can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Caught on COLA - Mead

It’s the first week of June and the official start to summer is only a few weeks away and there’s nothing better than enjoying a refreshing mead while you relax on the patio as you watch the sunset. So, let’s take a peek at what meads we can look forward to in the coming weeks or months.

To get us started, we have two meads from Melovino Meadery. Starting off with Peanut Gallery which, reading the label, sounds like a bochet with peanuts that has been aged in oak. It is bottled at 13% ABV and comes in 500 ml bottles. As of this writing, there is no mention on their website but it shouldn’t be long before it’s available.

Melvino’s other entry is Nice as Pie. This isn’t really a new mead but just the latest batch. According to the label and Melovino’s website, this mead is “an apple pie inspired mead made with honey, apple cider, aged on fresh vanilla beans and cinnamon.” Bottled in 500 ml bottles at 14% ABV, this mead is currently available on their website. You can follow Melovino on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for more information and the latest updates.

Reading, Pennsylvania’s Rebel Hive Meadery brings us our next offering, Cherry Lee Lewis. A 9.6% ABV melomel that features both sweet and tart cherries. This release seems like it is currently available since it is shown on their website. You can follow Rebel Hive on Facebook and Instagram for more information as well.

Last time, I featured three meads from Mechalore Meadworks from Colorado. Well, in addition to Nowhere to Hide, Vol. 3, Patriots & Tyrants and Epiphany of Soliloquy, Mechalore also came out with Fed unto the Axioms. This 10.8% ABV mead made from Orange Blossom honey, mint and lime looks to me like their version of mead mojito. All the meads mentioned here should be making their way to Mechalore’s mead club members as we speak and hopefully will be available to the rest of us shortly. Don't forget to follow Mechalore Meadworks on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.

If you have a sweet tooth, then it looks like W.A. Meadworks’ Gloop might be for you. This 14.2% ABV semi-sweet mead is a combination of honey and cocoa nibs that give it “loads of chocolate flavor.” I couldn’t find any mention of this release on their website so I don’t have a release date yet. Besides the chocolate flavor, I would grab this just for the Willy Wonka reference in the name and on the label. Make sure you stay up to date by following W.A. Meadworks on Facebook.

Melchemy Craft Mead, from Carson, Washington, seems to be coming out with Huckleberry Mead. Containing Mountain Wildflower honey, black Huckleberries and aged in oak barrels, this somewhat dry mead is bottled at 15.5 ABV. No listing yet on their website but follow them on Facebook or Instagram for additional information and the latest news.

Our final two meads are from Moonlight Meadery in New Hampshire. The first is a special release for their Barrel Tasting event and it is called Importance. At 14% ABV, with black currants, blueberry and dark sweet cherries in the mix, this mead was then conditioned in American Port barrels.

Moonlight’s other release is called Ghosts of Wild and is bottled at 14% ABV. Like Importance, this blueberry mead is also conditioned in American Port barrels. There is no mention on the website of either release yet but if you get a chance to grab either one, Moonlight usually doesn’t disappoint.

Well my fellow meaders… um meadites? No. How about meadheads? Hmmm… um… okay folks, that’s all for this edition. Check back for more potential releases and see what’s buzzin’ in the mead universe. Until then, drink more mead!

Caught on COLA - Bourbon

I'm back with the next edition of Caught on COLA - Bourbon where I delve into the TTB COLA registry and try to snoop out what the distilleries are cooking up and getting ready to release. So without further adieu, let's get to snooping!

Every year, Pinhook Bourbon releases a new bourbon (and rye), each connected to an active, promising young thoroughbred. This year's bourbon will be dedicated to bay colt named Bourbon War who stands 16.0 hands. The juice in the bottle is aged for four years (age stated on the bottle) and tips the scale at 116.5 proof (58.25% Alc./Vol.). 

As far as Pinhook's rye release, it seems it will be named for another bay colt named Rye Humor that stands at 16.1 hands. The rye in this release is bottled at cask strength and is also 116.5 proof (58.25% Alc./Vol.). Both the bourbon and rye releases' labels are interactive and feature augmented reality (AR) by scanning the bottle with the Pinhook AR app. Of course, there is no mention yet on a release date but make sure to grab a bottle of both releases as Pinhook, in my opinion, is damn good.

From the City of Brotherly Love comes Four Humours Bourbon Whiskey. This MGP-sourced juice is aged for four years and comes in at 90 proof (45% Alc./Vol/.). This bourbon release joins their rye in what looks like will be a decent spirit menu. They have plans for a five year bourbon, a wheated bourbon, a corn whiskey and a malted mash whiskey. You can find out more on their website.

Next we have M & O Spirits with their Black Bourbon Whiskey which they say is triple distilled and double oaked. Made from corn, rye, red wheat and malted barley, this whiskey hits the bottle at 90 proof (45% Alc./Vol/.) and is distilled, aged and bottled in Asheville, Ohio. You could check out their website for more information but unfortunately it's just a splash page.

Texas' own Rio Brazos Distillery is set to release a Single Barrel expression of their Texas bourbon. This young bourbon (aged for one year) is bottled at 100 proof (50% Alc./Vol.) and joins their lineup of Texas whiskey and corn whiskey. As of yet, there is no mention on their website but stay tuned.

Hailing from my home state of Michigan, Motor City Gas is coming out with their Belly Up Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Distilled and bottled in Royal Oak, Michigan, Belly Up tips the scales at 92 proof (46% Alc./Vol.) is "aged more than 2 years." You can subscribe to their email list for updates on their website which is another one that isn't much more than a splash page for now.

Oregon Ryegrass Spirits (aka Spiritopia) is adding to their rye whiskey and brandy portfolio by bringing us Rainbow Straight Bourbon Whiskey. According to the back label, Rainbow is made from 51% corn and 49% wheat (all from Eastern Oregon) and is bottled at 90 proof (45% Alc./Vol.). No mention on the Spiritopia website as of yet but I'll keep checking since I love wheaters.

PM Spirits looks like they are about to release another edition of their Mic Dop Straight Bourbon Whiskey. L19-01 is a MGP sourced bourbon that has been aged for four years. The mashbill consists of 60% corn, 36% rye and 4% barley malt and is bottled at a 111 proof (55.5% Alc./Vol.). No mention yet on a release date and no information on their website yet about this release.

Vapor Distillery's Boulder Spirits looks like they are adding a two-year Straight Bourbon Whiskey to their lineup which already includes bourbon, single-malt whiskey, gin and vodka. This Scottish copper pot still juice is made from 51% corn, 44% malted barley and 5% rye that was aged in No. 3 char white oak barrels and was bottled at 84 proof (42% Alc./Vol.). Vapor Distillery doesn't show the release on their website so there is no information on a possible release date. Make sure to follow them on Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr and Facebook for all the latest information.

Get ready for the Remus Repeal Reserve 2019 Medley from MGP's own G. Remus Distilling Co. This 100 proof (50% Alc./Vol.) release is comprised of 12% 2007 Bourbon (21% Rye), 78% 2008 Bourbon (21% Rye) and 10% 2008 Bourbon (36% Rye). There isn't any mention on the Remus website about the Limited Edition release but it will probably come out towards the end of the year to celebrate Repeal Day (Dec. 3rd). If it is anything like first two releases, grab it if you can!

That's all I have for this week. Please make sure to check back as I do some more COLA snooping and see what we have to look forward to in our bourbon future. Until then, drink more bourbon! Cheers!