Heaven Hill Press Release: Elijah Craig announces new Toasted Barrel Bourbon

Here is today's press release from Heaven Hill announcing the Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel release:

New expression finished in custom toasted new oak barrels continues Elijah Craig’s spirit of innovation
Elijah Craig, a leading premium Kentucky Bourbon, today announced the launch of Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The latest line extension from the award-winning Elijah Craig family, Toasted Barrel adds an extra layer of sweet oak complexity to the traditional Bourbon.

The process begins with fully matured Small Batch, which is dumped and then re-entered at barrel proof into a second, custom toasted new oak barrel designed in partnership with Independent Stave Company. Made with 18-month air dried oak, the finishing barrel is first toasted and then flash-charred using a moderate toast temperature and toast time. An extensive research and development process resulted in a final barrel toast profile bringing forward dark sugar flavors within the wood to create a balance of smokiness and sweetness after months of finishing. The resulting taste is big, rich and complex with spice and pepper notes that fade into milk chocolate with a hint of smoke as the finish lingers with chocolate and baking spices. Only charred new American oak barrels are used throughout the process to maintain the standards of identity class and type designation for Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

“Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel pays homage to our namesake’s pioneering spirit as the first to char oak barrels through thoughtful innovation in the barrel-aging process,” said Max Stefka, Elijah Craig Senior Brand Manager. “It was a pleasure partnering with Independent Stave Company to create a custom toast profile and char level designed to best complement fully matured Elijah Craig. Twice barreled for nuanced flavor, Toasted Barrel showcases a Straight Bourbon process unique in the marketplace.”

In 1789, Elijah Craig was the first to char oak Barrels to make Bourbon, earning his place in history as the “Father of Bourbon.” Toasted Barrel celebrates this pioneering spirit by pushing the Bourbon barrel-aging process a step further. Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel is bottled at 94 proof, consistent with Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon and Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, and joins the rest of the award-winning lineup of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

Packaged in the iconic Elijah Craig bottle, Toasted Barrel is distinguished by new bottle decoration, face, side and neck labels with smoky blue features. With an SRP of $49.99, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel will launch nationally on an allocated basis this September.

About Elijah Craig Bourbon
Elijah Craig Bourbon bears the name of the Reverend Elijah Craig, known as “The Father of Bourbon,” who established his distillery in 1789 on the banks of Elkhorn Creek in modern day Georgetown, Kentucky. He is credited with being the first distiller to age his wares in charred oak barrels. The clear, unaged corn liquor became transformed into a bold amber liquid with a distinctively smooth flavor that makes Bourbon what it is today. Produced by Heaven Hill Distillery, the family of whiskeys includes Elijah Craig Small Batch, Elijah Craig Straight Rye Whiskey, Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, and Elijah Craig Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.
First brought to market in 1986, Heaven Hill Distillery’s Master Distillers were selecting a small number of barrels of the finest Bourbon to make Elijah Craig Small Batch long before the term “small batch” even existed. It is this attention to detail and superb craftsmanship that give Elijah Craig an ideal balance of age, robust body and rich flavor. Elijah Craig accolades have included Whisky Advocate’s Whisky of the Year, Best Small Batch Bourbon and Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, and Excellent Highly Recommended honors at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge. For more information, please visit www.elijahcraig.com.

ABOUT HEAVEN HILL DISTILLERY: Founded in Kentucky by the Shapira family in 1935, Heaven Hill Distillery continues its legacy as one of the foremost American Whiskey producers. Heaven Hill has cultivated the traditions and history of America’s Native Spirit with its fierce independence, passionate family ownership, dedication to quality, and thoughtful innovation. Today, Heaven Hill Distillery maintains over 1.7 million barrels aging in 60 warehouses throughout Nelson and Jefferson Counties. It is home to an award-winning collection of American Whiskeys including Elijah Craig Bourbon, Larceny Bourbon, Evan Williams Bourbon, Pikesville Rye Whiskey, Rittenhouse Rye Whisky and Parker’s Heritage Collection. Heaven Hill Distillery currently holds the title of 2019 San Francisco World Spirits Competition Distillery of the Year, Best in Show Whisky, and previously held the titles of 2018 San Francisco Spirits Word Spirits Competition Best Bourbon, 2017 Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, 2016 Whisky Magazine Distillery of the Year, 2016 Whisky Advocate American Whiskey of the Year and 2016 Rye Whiskey of the Year from “Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible.” For more information, please visit www.heavenhilldistillery.com.

Superstition Meadery releasing 4 new meads

Prescott, Arizona-based Superstition Meadery has just announced, via email, the upcoming release of four brand new meads. 

First is Electric Sunrise, which is a pyment made with Sangiovese grapes and wildflower honey. This is only the second canned session mead for Superstition and will basically be a one-off for when it’s gone, they will not make more. This carbonated mead comes in 16 ounce cans and is packaged at 6.5% ABV. 

Secondly, Superstition announced the first release of their brand new Contingency Series. Le Fey, a hopped pyment is bottled at 16% ABV in 500 ml bottles. Le Fey combines Arizona wildflower honey, white Zinfandel grapes and Barbe Rouge hops. As previously stated, this is the first release in Superstition’s new Contingency Series which continue monthly and “will be releasing small-batch products of curated creativity direct from the imaginations of [their] Superstition Mazers!”

Next is Barrel Aged Peanut Butter and Jelly Crime which will be bottled at 13% ABV in 375 ml bottles. Superstition took their Peanut Butter and Jelly Crime (blueberry mead with peanuts added) and aged it for 12 months in Double Barrel Aged Aphrodisia barrels. This is also a limited release so you need to act fast before it’s all gone.

Finally, we have Cha-Cha Shake. Bottled at 14.5% ABV in 375 ml bottles, this collaboration with Great Notion Brewing from Oregon is a mango, coconut, vanilla, and lactose mead with a silky and decadent expression of tropical flavors. 

All of these releases will be available at Superstition’s tasting room this Saturday, 2/29 (Leap Day). It appears that all but Electric Sunrise will be available in their online store on 3/3.

So make sure to swing by the tasting room or hop online and grab some of these meads while you can. Until next time, 

Buffalo Trace Distillery the 2020 Distiller and Visitor Attraction of the Year

BUFFALO TRACE NAMED THE AMERICAN DISTILLER OF THE YEAR BY WHISKY MAGAZINE

Also named Best American Whiskey Visitor Attraction of the Year

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Feb. 18, 2020) –The Icons of Whisky America Awards by Whisky Magazine named Buffalo Trace Distillery the 2020 Distiller of the Year and Visitor Attraction of the Year at a recent ceremony in New York City. The magazine also awarded E.H. Taylor, Jr. Straight Rye as the Best American Rye Whiskey of 2020.

“From our whiskies to our guest experience, our team at Buffalo Trace is focused on producing the very best, so we’re honored to be recognized in both respects,” Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said. “These awards encourage us to continue investing in the Distillery, increase our whisky production, maintain our uncompromising quality standards, innovate through experimentation and win even more awards!”

Buffalo Trace Distillery focuses tirelessly on producing great whiskies, which have garnered more than 1,000 awards over the years, distinguishing it as the World’s Most Award-Winning Distillery.

As the popularity of its whiskies continues to grow, the Distillery has embraced an ongoing $1.2 billion investment to expand its distilling capabilities and make more whiskey. This investment includes the recent installation of four brand new 22-foot tall cookers, four new fermenters which each hold 92,000 gallons of mash, and seven new warehouses which each hold 58,800 barrels, with two more under construction and several more on the way.

The Icons of Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year award follows Buffalo Trace’s recent announcement that it welcomed nearly 300,000 visitors over the course of 2019; a record-breaking 35 percent increase over the previous year.

In keeping with the Distillery’s commitment to provide a top-notch visitor experience, Buffalo Trace has begun working to expand its Visitor Center further back into its existing building, which will ultimately triple the size of the current Visitor Center and allow the Distillery to better accommodate the continued tourism growth. This renovation comes just five years after its last Visitor Center expansion, and is anticipated to be complete later this year. The expanded space will allow Buffalo Trace to further develop its visitor experience with new tour routes, tasting and events spaces and archive exhibits. More information about Buffalo Trace’s Distillery and Visitor Center expansions can be found here.

In addition to these two Icons of Whisky America awards, and award for Best American Rye, five other whiskies from Buffalo Trace received medals at the American 2020 World Whiskies Awards.

Gold Medal Winner:

• Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Colonel E.H. Taylor, Jr. Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Silver Medal Winners:

• W. L. Weller 12 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Bronze Medal Winner:

• W. L. Weller Full Proof Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Whiskies in each category were subject to blind tastings in a three-round judging process to reward and promote the world’s best whiskies to consumers and trade across the globe. The winners from the World Whiskies Awards and the Icons of Whisky Awards America 2020 will now compete with counterparts from all over the world, and global winners will be announced March 26 in London. For more information about the World Whiskies Awards visit www.worldwhiskiesawards.com, and for more information about the Icons of Whisky visit www.iconsofwhisky.com.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery's rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 35 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018” and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2nd and 3rd finest whiskeys in the world, respectively, in the “Jim Murray Whiskey Bible 2020.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com. To download images from Buffalo Trace Distillery visit http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/media.

NOTE: This was meant to be posted on Feb. 19 but was left in draft by accident. 

Four Roses’ Small Batch Select expanding to more states

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Four Roses’ acclaimed addition to its Bourbon lineup expanding to more states

Non-chill filtered and 104 proof, Four Roses Small Batch Select to appear on more shelves this spring

LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. – Four Roses Distillery’s “fourth rose” will become available to more Bourbon lovers this year.

Launched last year as the award-winning distillery’s first permanent product-line extension in more than a decade, Four Roses Small Batch Select had previously been available in just five states. The non-chill filtered and 104 proof Bourbon will now expand into 13 new markets.

New markets where Small Batch Select will be available in the coming months include: Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington and Wisconsin. These will join Four Roses’ home state of Kentucky, along with New York, California, Texas and Georgia where Small Batch Select is currently available.

“I look forward to sharing this unique offering with more Bourbon drinkers

across the country,” said Brent Elliott, master distiller at Four Roses. “Small

Batch Select showcases some of our Bourbon recipes and flavors that aren’t as forward facing in the rest of our lineup of Single Barrel, Small Batch and Four Roses Bourbon.”

Named Master Distiller/Blender of the Year at the 2020 Icons of Whisky America award ceremony, Elliott is particularly proud of Small Batch Select, as it was the distillery’s first permanent product-line extension since 2006, and is the biggest addition to the storied history of the 132-year-old brand since he became master distiller in 2015. The noted international media outlet Whisky Advocate rated Small Batch Select No. 3 in its Top Whiskies of 2019 list, and it was the highest ranked Bourbon on the list. The Bourbon was also awarded Category Silver for Kentucky Bourbon at the 2020 World Whiskies Awards.

Four Roses is the only Bourbon distillery that combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to produce 10 distinct Bourbon recipes, each with its own unique characteristics. Master Distiller Elliott hand- selected and mingled six of Four Roses’ 10 Bourbon recipes, each aged a minimum of 6 years, to create Small Batch Select. It features recipes OBSV, OBSK, OBSF, OESV, OESK and OESF.

“Small Batch Select is an extension of what we do at Four Roses, and what we do well,” Elliott said. “Balancing notes of candied fruit with warmth and spice, it’s enjoyable to both casual drinkers and Bourbon connoisseurs.”

For more information on Small Batch Select, visit fourrosesbourbon.com/bourbon/small-batch-select/.

About Four Roses Distillery

Established in 1888, Four Roses is the only Bourbon distillery that combines two mashbills with five proprietary yeast strains to distill and age 10 distinct Bourbon recipes, each with its own unique flavor profile. With distilling and warehousing operations in Lawrenceburg and Cox's Creek, Kentucky, respectively, Four Roses is dedicated to producing award-winning Bourbons with smooth and mellow tastes and finishes. Four Roses is available in all 50 states. For more information, visit www.fourrosesbourbon.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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Blanton’s Gold will be Available in the U.S.

Buffalo Trace Distillery Announces Blanton’s Gold will be Available in the U.S. 

FRANKFORT, FRANKLIN COUNTY, KY (Feb 27, 2020) Fans of Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon have long asked for the Gold Edition to be available in the United States. This summer those bourbon lovers will get their wish. Available as a limited release in 2020, Blanton’s Gold will be released once every year in the U.S. 

This is the first time the Blanton’s Gold Edition has been made available in the U.S. Previously the only version of the Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon available to fans stateside was the Original Single Barrel, bottled at 93 proof. While Blanton’s Original will still be available, the Gold Edition is now joining the ranks.

“We’ve seen Blanton’s soar in popularity over the last few years, and fans have asked us for the Gold version in the U.S. too,” said Kris Comstock, senior marketing director. “We’re thrilled to fulfill their requests this summer.”

The 103 proof Blanton’s Gold Edition is the same recipe as Blanton’s Original, but the proof is greater.  The bottle showcases a horse and jockey atop its stopper, in various poses to mimic running a horse race. The eight different horse and jockey stoppers feature a letter that collectors save to spell out the brand name “B-L-A-N-T-O-N-S.”  The horse and jockey on the Gold Edition is gold in color.

Tasting notes for Blanton’s Gold describe it as having a nose marked by honey, heavy rye, dried fruits, vanilla, and chocolate.The taste is described as full and rich, marked by apricot, butter, pepper, light honey, and oak. The finish has been called long, with toffee and apple, developing on pecan and caramel.

Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon is the world’s first single barrel bourbon, created in  1984  by  Elmer  T.  Lee.  Named  after  former distillery  president Colonel Albert B. Blanton, Elmer  recalled how Colonel Blanton would handpick “honey barrels” from the center cut of Warehouse H for the many parties Blanton held. Many years later, the Distillery called upon Elmer to create a new bourbon in 1984 and Blanton’s was born – the world’s first single barrel bourbon.

Today, Blanton’s Single Barrel has become one of the most revered and award-winning bourbons on the market. The Blanton’s Gold Edition was the second version created, after the Original 93 proof. Gold will be available in the U.S. on a very limited basis for a suggested retail price of $120. For more information on Blanton’s Gold Edition visit www.blantonsbourbon.com. 

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is an American family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The Distillery's rich tradition dates back to 1773 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee. Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational Distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is a National Historic Landmark as well as is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won 35 distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Whisky Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. Its Col. E. H. Taylor, Jr. Four Grain Bourbon was named World Whiskey of the Year by “Jim Murray’s Whiskey Bible 2018” and its William Larue Weller and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac were named 2nd and 3rd finest whiskeys in the world, respectively, in the “Jim Murray Whiskey Bible 2020.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 1,000 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotracedistillery.com. To download images from Buffalo Trace Distillery visit http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/media.

World’s Best Bourbon

Everyone knows Kentucky is the bourbon capital of the world. Most people are also familiar with the bourbons and Tennessee whiskey pouring out of the Volunteer State. It also goes without saying that Midwest Grain Producers (MGP) is pumping out some top-notch whiskey and bourbons from Indiana. So on February 11th, when the World Whiskies Awards named their selection for “World’s Best Bourbon”, it of course came from… Texas. Wait, what? Yes, you read that right. I said Texas.  North Texas-based Ironroot Republic’s Harbinger Bourbon walked away with the award for “World’s Best Bourbon”.

Photo from Ironroot Republic's website

Ironroot Republic, distilled in Denton, Texas, uses select heirloom corn varieties and adapted French brandy distilling techniques. It is currently only available in select markets outside of Texas. The SRP is around $50 and after receiving this award, I’m sure it will be widely sought after. For more information on Ironroot Republic’s Harbinger Bourbon, as well as their other releases, check out their website.

Until next time,

Announcing TX Straight Bourbon: Barrel Proof

Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co., the distillers of TX Bourbon, recently announced they are set to release their TX Straight Bourbon: Barrel Proof. This is their “bourbon right from the barrel- uncut and unfiltered- so that you can experience the flavors of [their] Texas ingredients, barrel aged in their purest form.”

Picture courtesy of Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co.

According to the Firestone & Robertson Distilling Co.’s website:

“Each batch of TX Straight Bourbon Barrel Proof will carry a unique Harvest Date on the label. The date denotes the month and year that the barrels were harvested. The precise point in time the barrels are harvested will determine the bourbon’s age, proof, and flavor. No two batches of our Barrel Proof will be identical. On every bottle you can expect to see the exact proof, age, and harvest date handwritten on the label to encapsulate that batches story.”

This release will be available at their distillery, Whiskey Ranch, on March 13 when they are holding a huge launch party. For more details, check out their website. 

Until next time,

Nathan Green 1870 UPDATE

Labels from the TTB Online COLA Registry

Just a quick update on the Nathan Green 1870 Premium Whiskey from Uncle Nearest. I reached out to the distillery and haven’t heard anything back yet. But I did hear from Fawn Weaver, the CEO and co-founder of Uncle Nearest, on Instagram. She was kind enough to let me know that since this is cask strength, the proof for each barrel will vary. Even though they got the label approval on January 14, according to Ms. Weaver, “it is not releasing soon. We just got our labels approved for when we do release it later this year.” She also went on to say, “What I will say is we like to drop special gifts for our whiskey family on our bday. Last year it was 1884. Who knows what it will be this year…”? Could she be hinting at a possible July release? When I informed her that I had reached out to her assistant for more information, I had to laugh at one of my favorite responses ever. “I am the only one that has that… and my lips are sealed!” Ms. Weaver replied.

So, it looks like we will have to wait for more information from Uncle Nearest about the 1870. But thank you Fawn for what information you did give us. Oh, and sorry for letting the cat out of the bag. Apparently when I posted the labels on Instagram, her social media manager reached out asking. I posted it before she had a chance to announce it internally. Umm… my bad! While we all wait, make sure you check out one of Uncle Nearest's earlier releases. Grab a bottle of 1856, 1884 or 1820 and raise a glass to Nathan "Uncle Nearest" Green (and Fawn Weaver) who made them all possible.

Until next time,

Old Charter Oak Chinkapin Oak

On December 6, 2018, Buffalo Trace announced their first release in the Old Charter Oak series, Old Charter Oak Mongolian Oak. Since then they have released Old Charter Oak French Oak (Spring 2019) and Old Charter Oak Canadian Oak (Fall 2019). Now it appears they may be about ready for the next release in the series, Old Charter Oak Chinkapin Oak.

Labels from the TTB Online COLA Registry

As of this post, I don’t really have much information on this release other than the label which I found on the TTB Online COLA Registry. I have reached out to Buffalo Trace to see if they can provide any information and I will update you here if I hear anything.

A Chinkapin Oak (photo courtesy of arborday.org)

Since we don’t know much about the release, let’s look at the chinkapin oak. According to arborday.org,

“the chinkapin oak is also commonly referred to as a yellow chestnut oak, rock oak or yellow oak. Early pioneers used its straight wood to make thousands of miles of fences in the states of Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. Later on, the trees were used to fuel the steamships that ran from Pittsburgh to New Orleans. They were also used as railroad ties for the new railroads that crisscrossed the Midwest.”

 Native to the Chicago area, the chinkapin oak can also be found in the central and eastern United States.

Unfortunately, that is all I really know at this time but I will post an update if I learn any new information. Until then,

I'm Back and Nathan Green 1870

That's right bourbonites and meaders, I'm back. Sorry for the long absence but it was unavoidable. I’ve been battling some very serious health issues and I’m still not over them but I am going to try to get this place back up and running. So hopefully I will be able to regularly update the blog and keep you entertained with news from the bourbon and mead world.

If you have read any of the previous posts, you know that I really like Uncle Nearest Tennessee Whiskey. I have reviewed a couple of their expressions on here and even talked about another release (which I will review also). Well folks, I couldn’t think of a better way to kick the blog back off than to tell you that the Nearest Green Distillery is preparing to release a new expression. This distillery only release is a cask strength (114.8 proof/57.4% ABV) 15-year Tennessee Whiskey called Nathan Green 1870 Tennessee Whiskey.

Labels courtesy of the TTB Online COLA Registry

As of this post, I do not know when this release will be available at the distillery and I also don’t know of any tasting notes. But rest assured, I will do my best to find out as much as I can and whatever I find out I will post here and on social media.

Until the next time,