[Review] Shady Mile High Wheat Bourbon

The “backstory” above is taken from the Shady Mile Bourbon website. I honestly have no idea if it’s true but it sounds awesome.

Now, this review has been a long time in the making. A couple of months ago Shady Mile Bourbon asked me to review their two bourbon releases. I said, "Sure, I'd be happy to" and then life got in the way. The next thing I know my wife is in the hospital and I am suffering from ongoing medical complications and I’m not allowed to drink alcohol. I finally got to where I could drink again and what do you know, it is Bourbon Heritage Month. I decided to coincide my review for Shady Mile with the opening of the NFL season. My selections for the 9th and 10th days of my 30 Days of Bourbon Challenge were the Shady Mile Wheated Bourbon and the High Rye Bourbon, respectively. I enjoyed both expressions and prepared my notes but the more I thought about it, the more I became dissatisfied with my tastings. Both bottles are young and it shows but what if I did another tasting after they had a month to… breathe?

Before I get into my actual review, let me explain how I review bottles. I like what I like. That's it. I can detect some of the different flavors and tastes but don't expect me to post a review saying I am “getting a slight hint of wet pavement with a bit of dried corn husk baking on an adobe wall in New Mexico on a Thursday” or something wild like that. I'll give you my impression, plain and simple, and there will be no sugarcoating. After all, I'm not Willy Wonka. Also while I'm at it, let's get this disclaimer out of the way.

DISCLAIMER: Samples of the products reviewed were provided by the respective company for a no strings attached review.

Now, let's get on with the review. I am extremely partial to wheated bourbons so I decided to try the Shady Mile High Wheat Bourbon first. 

• Product: Shady Mile High Wheat Bourbon
• Company: Specialty Cellars
• Classification: Straight Bourbon
• Distillery: Green River Distillery (DSP-KY-10)
• Proof: 90 (45% ABV)
• Mashbill: 70% corn, 21% wheat, 9% malted barley
• Color: Medium amber
  
• Price: ~$30

Method: Rested in a Glencairn for 15-20 minutes; tasted a second time after a month

Initial Tasting

Nose: Light alcohol, cinnamon, cherry with a hint of chocolate

Palate: Cherry is back along with notes of honey, caramel and vanilla

Finish: Warm lingering medium-to-long finish with a sweet pepper spiciness

Second Tasting After A Month

Nose: Still young but the alcohol has dissipated, cinnamon, cherry but the chocolate is more pronounced

Palate: Cherry is back along with notes of honey, caramel and vanilla, maybe a little tobacco and cereal 

Finish: Warm lingering medium-to-long finish with a sweet heat giving hints of cereal/bread

Conclusion: Not what I have come to expect from a wheated bourbon but it is young. The chocolate notes caught me by surprise and the caramel played well off of that. My initial impression was "it was okay" but after revisiting it a month later, I could see it becoming part of the rotation, especially future releases that will have more age to them. I'll say it gets a 3 (just barely) out of 5.

 Check back tomorrow for my Shady Mile High Rye Bourbon review. Until then...

Bourbon Barrel Blurbs, Volume 01, Issue 17

Just in time for NFL pregame perusing, another issue of BBB is live. With blurbs on MB Roland, Willow Creek Distillery, Whiskey Thief Distilling Co., Fierce Whiskers Distillery, Woodford Reserve's Holiday Bottle, Unbound Spirits, and more, there's sure to be something to pique your interest.

MB Roland Introduces First 7-Year and 8-Year Single Barrels & Dark Fired Bourbon Returns

Images courtesy of MB Roland

The wait is finally over for two very special releases from MB Roland Distillery.

The 7-year single barrel has:

• An earthy nose with hints of toasted marshmallow.
• On the palate, tastes of leather, clove, and pine tickle the taste buds.
• The medium mellow finish will leave you with notes of tobacco and anxiously awaiting your next sip.

The 8-year single barrel:

• Graces the nose with scents of caramel, vanilla, and ginger spice.
• Expect tastes of charred oak, rich molasses, and dark cherry.
• The finish is long with charred oak prominent.

Hitting the MB Roland gift shop shelves on Sunday, October 16th, the 7-year single barrel is priced at $99.95 and the 8-year single barrel is $124.95. There is a limit of one bottle each per customer due to the high demand and limited supply.

Arriving to gift shop shelves in November: a very special single barrel release of fan-favorite Dark Fired Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey.

"This barrel aged for 4 years and is a perfect combination of smoky and sweet. Sipping on a pour is reminiscent of sitting by the campfire on a crisp Autumn evening."

Pre-orders to secure a bottle are being accepted at MB Roland's online store!

 

Willow Creek Distillery Releases Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Willow Creek Distillery Straight Bourbon

Willow Creek Distillery in Paso Robles, California, has released its first-ever straight bourbon. The artisanal spirit was aged for two years in new charred American oak barrels. The bourbon is the latest spirit to come from Willow Creek Distillery, which was established by sister winery Opolo Vineyards in 2013.

Read the full story here.

Three Boys Farm Distillery Changes Name Back To Whiskey Thief Distilling Co.

After a decade of distilling bourbon on a 127-acre working farm in Franklin County, Kentucky, Three Boys Farm Distillery is going back to its old name, Whiskey Thief Distilling Co., according to a news release. Whiskey Thief is the original brand of bourbon distilled on site. Whiskey Thief Distilling Co. is the first Kentucky distillery to offer every visitor a single-barrel experience with the opportunity to fill their own bottle. 

Read the full story here. 

Five Facts About Austin’s Up-And-Coming Local Distillery, Fierce Whiskers

Image courtesy of Fierce Whiskers website.

The Austin Chronicle’s Wayne Alan Brenner gives us a view of Fierce Whiskers Distillery, an "up-and-coming spirits company" at 5333 Fleming in Southeast Austin.

1. Fierce Whiskers was founded by Houston natives Tri Vo and Tim Penney.
2. Fierce Whiskers' bright array of equipment is anchored by a copper pot still from Vendome Copper and Brass Works out of Louisville, Kentucky.
3. Sept. 24 of this year was the first time the company ever sold a bottle.
4. Fierce Whiskers is often promoted as an Asian-owned business.
5. The company's name is from a comment by Rutherford B. Hayes in 1849: "Austin is an inconsiderable village with large expectations … full of discharged 'Rangers' … costumes of every variety … fierce whiskers, gaming, and drinking very abounding in all quarters."

Read the full facts and story here.

UPROXX Ranks Every Standard Bottle Of The Jim Beam Whiskey Line

Image courtesy of Jim Beam website.

Zach Johnston with UPROXX ranks “all eight bottles of Jim Beam that you can pick up on pretty much any shelf, nationwide (and internationally), right now.”

“Look, these bottles are crazy cheap all things considered. It’s 2022 and a good $20 bottle of whiskey is getting a little harder and harder to find these days. What’s amazing about Jim Beam is that you could go to your local liquor store and buy all eight of these bottles and still spend less than what you’d likely pay for a single “premium” expression which, honestly, isn’t going to be that much better.”

Here is a look at numbers eight through five.

For the full list, including Zach's tasting notes, click here.

Woodford Reserve Unveils Their 2022 Holiday Bottle.

Woodford Reserve has introduced its 2022 Holiday Bottle in preparation of this year's gift-giving season. This edition of this yearly launch comes with a gold label. The bottle includes a festively-decorated version of Woodford Reserve's regular bourbon expression.

Woodford Reserve Holiday Bottle 2022.

“A Woodford Reserve holiday bottle is the perfect gift for any whiskey lover,” says Woodford Reserve Master Distiller Chris Morris. “This bottle is guaranteed to put everyone in the holiday spirit and will stand out beautifully on a bar cart.”

With a suggested retail price of $50, the one-liter Woodford Reserve holiday bottle is offered for purchase all around the world. It may also be found on Reserve Bar.

Great Lakes Bourbon Boat?

We’ve seen river-aged whiskey, ocean-aged bourbon and whiskeys aged while being hauled in trucks across America's roadways. Now we have Great Lake-aged bourbon. Green Bay’s WBAY profiles Kerry Shaw Brown and his Unbound Spirits in Oconomowoc.

Kerry initially imagined this moment years ago, when he couldn't find the good bourbon he was looking for and began to wonder.

“Could I blend a series of bourbons and create something that was really complex and refined, but still a really smooth type of sipping bourbon,” questioned Kerry.

Image courtesy of Unbound Spirits website.

Kerry has spent the last five years making at least two dozen different batches of bourbon. He wanted an aggressive aging method, one that could age the bourbon years in just a few months. Following his ancestors path as Great Lakes captains, he turned to a charter boat, named The Kinndred. Once the six 15-gallon casks of bourbon were loaded onto The Kinndred and placed in her berth, the waves of Lake Michigan awaited. Three months later, and countless charter fishing trips by The Kinndred, the day Kerry had been waiting for was finally here.

Kerry named his whiskey The Maelstrom, a reference to the famed whirlpool off the coast of Norway known for “eating boats.”

Read the full story here.

UPROXX Blind Tasted And Ranked Affordable & Good Bourbon Whiskey

UPROXX’s Zach Johnston blind taste-tested and ranked 10 of the most recognizable and affordable bourbons on the shelf. Those cheap straight bourbons that actually win awards and make those subjective “underrated” lists all the time. These are all bottles that are also still gettable and affordable (depending on where you live). 

Bottles tested were: Maker’s Mark, Old Tub, Elijah Craig Small Batch, Wild Turkey 101, Benchmark Small Batch, Heaven Hill Old Style Bourbon 6 Years Old, Jim Beam Single Barrel, George Dickel Bourbon Whisky Aged 8 Years, Weller Special Reserve, and 1792 Small Batch.

Here's a peek at bottles 10 through 7.

For the full list, including Zach's tasting notes, click here.

Latest Buzz in the World of Mead, Volume 01, Issue 08

Hey there my fellow mead connoisseurs. We are back with another issue of the Latest Buzz. It has been a while since we’ve had an update but it’s not from lack of trying. There just doesn’t seem to be an abundance of mead news floating around out there. But I did manage to find some so without further adieu, let’s rundown the topics for this edition. Getting us started is  the announcement for Washington’s 2nd Annual Mead Fest featuring 9 different meaderies. Then we have the latest on Fitzgibbon Meadery, Loew Vineyards, W A Meadwerks, and new releases from B. Nektar. So grab your favorite mead, enjoy a quick read, and have a wonderful day! Skål!

Washington's 2nd Annual Fall Mead Festival at Skål Beer Hall

Plan on heading out to Seattle's Skål Beer Hall on Sunday, October 30th for a celebration of Washington Mead! Nine local meaderies will be on hand to pour their Fall favorites. Come mead the makers, sample a variety of meads, and take home a bottle or two! 

Participating Mead Makers include: 

• Æsir Meadery - Everett, WA 
• Artivem Mead - Bellingham, WA 
• Ethereal Mead - Battleground, WA 
• Hierophant Mead - Freeland, WA 
• Contrivance Mead - Tukwila, WA 
• Oppegaard Meadery - Tukwila, WA 
• Thunderland Mead - Duvall, WA 
• Sky River Mead - Redmond, WA 
• BeeHaven Mead - Tukwila, WA

Skål Beer Hall is located at 5429 Ballard Avenue Northwest, Seattle, WA 98107. For more information and to purchase tickets, click here.

 

Fitzgibbon Meadery Brings Authentic Mead to Ellwood City, PA

Image Courtesy of Fitzgibbon Meadery

When Eric and Misa McAnallen first met, both were into medieval culture and reenactments with a closet full of medieval costumes. On a trip to Tennessee in 2019, the pair visited a Nashville meadery (Honeytree?) which inspired them to open their own place. The two opened their own meadery to sell their products in 2020 as Fitzgibbon Meadery at 536 Lawrence Ave. in Ellwood City. Fitzgibbon Meadery is inspired by Norse and Viking mythology. “It’s not terribly realistic, but it’s fun,” Misa said. Since their opening, their products have won eight awards, including seven this year.

For the full story, click here.

MD Winemaker Creating Her Own History

Image Courtesy of Loew Vineyards

In March 1982, William and Lois Loew purchased a 37-acre tract in Frederick County, planted grapes, and by 1986, they were selling their first bottles of wine. When her grandfather died in April, Rachel Loew Lipman, 29, was already working full-time at Loew Vineyards in Mt. Airy, Maryland.

While Lois remains the winery's owner, Lipman is keen to resuscitate the business and use it as a vehicle to communicate the family story, which spans multiple generations of wine and mead producers.

So learning a few weeks ago that two of the Loew meads had been acknowledged in multiple competitions couldn't have come at a better time. Its Klara mead, named for Klara Margulies Löw, "the lovely mother of our co-founder, William Loew," was a 2022 Maryland Governor's Cup gold medal winner and the Jack Aellen Award winner for the best fruit wine, mead, or cider. Meanwhile, the Malka, a traditional mead, won a gold medal in both the Maryland Governor's Cup and the Valkyries Horn Mead competitions.

For the full story, click here.

W A Meadwerks in Lindenhurst Moving Tasting Room Into Its Production Space

Image courtesy of W A Meadwerks/Facebook

Roger Wanner, a co-founder of W A Meadwerks in Lindenhurst, NY, confirmed earlier this month his meadery is not closing, but rather relocating. W A Meadwerks will remain in Lindenhurst Village, according to Wanner, and the tasting room at 26 West Hoffman Ave. will be relocated to the company's manufacturing site at 290 N. Wellwood Ave.

Wanner stated that the intention is to fully reopen the tasting room in the North Wellwood Ave. storefront by the end of the year. Customers can also anticipate new meads, adjustments to W A Meadwerks' tasting and flight programs, as well as an expanded food menu.

Meanwhile, W A Meadwerks is planning a brunch fundraiser for the Babylon Breast Cancer Coalition, according to Wanner. The "Bees for Boobs" event will take place at W A Meadwerks' tasting room on October 23 from 1-6 p.m. Participants can enjoy mead and food, enter a 50/50 raffle, and participate in a Chinese auction.

For the full story, click here.

B. Nektar Announces New Releases

B. Nektar, everyone's favorite Ferndale, MI, meadery, announced their latest releases in an email blast.

Dark Dark Goose, 16.9% ABV
This one time, we tasted some coffee... and then we made a honey wine with the coffee... and then we aged it in a bourbon barrel... and then we went on a road trip to pick up an imperial stout barrel... and then we put it on top of the car... and then we drove home... and then we put the honey wine in the stout barrel... and it was so good... and then we made some for you.

Ain't Misb.havin', 14.4% ABV
B. Nektar's collaboration with Misbeehavin' Meadery
Starring Orange Blossom Honey, Pineapple Puree, Raspberry Puree, Raspberry Juice, Pineapple Juice, Natural Ginger Extract. Producers Brad Dahlhofer and Clint Wadsworth

Black Fang, 6% ABV
Don't be afraid. We're going to give you the choice to accept this dark gift. The mead is the life, and it can be yours. The seductive honey, clove, and orange zest penetrate the flood of blackberry in this forbidden libation. You never know what life was until it ran out in a cold black rush over your tongue. Drink up and meet your maker.

Eyeball, 16% ABV
They watch, but they do not see. They hear, but they do not listen. Don't think you are anonymous, however. Your digital fingerprints are everywhere, revealing all of your likes, fears, and secrets. Watch yourself, and stay in line. BigBrother is watching us, but are we watching him? Open your eyes and speak out.

For all the latest, or to order a bottle or five, visit B. Nektars website.

Bourbon Barrel Blurbs, Volume 01, Issue 16

Just in time for the Major League Baseball playoffs, we are here with another edition of Bourbon Barrel Blurbs. In this BBB we have news on Uncle Nearest grabbing three Masters and a Gold; Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish Bourbon; Grand Teton Distillery 8-Year Private Stock Straight Bourbon; Seven Brothers Distilling; Jack Daniel's Distillery Series releases and JD American Single Malt announcement; Sagamore Spirit's latest Reserve Series release; FEW Spirits' Rye Bottled-in-Bond; and Templeton Distillery Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey 2022. Enjoy!

Uncle Nearest Awarded Three Masters and a Gold Medal in Annual Autumn Blind Tasting Competition

Uncle Nearest Is Only American Whiskey to Win Masters Awards From the Global Spirits Masters Competition

Nearest Green Distillery's Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey is the only American whiskey to win a Master medal at The Spirits Business and The Drinks Business Annual Autumn Blind Tasting. The producer picked up the top award for Uncle Nearest 1856 Premium Aged Whiskey, found to have a “lovely depth and richness mid-palate, very long finish with nice woody notes”. Uncle Nearest Uncut & Unfiltered Straight Rye Whiskey also took home a Master medal. The whiskey was described as having “very rich cocoa notes” with “pear, caramel and flower notes”. Master medalist Uncle Nearest Master Blender Edition Batch 012 was celebrated for its “big sweet and smoke” aromas, leading to “fruitiness and wood character” on the palate. Uncle Nearest 1884 Small Batch Whiskey was awarded Gold and described as having a "sweet palate with a long and luscious finish". In 2022 alone, the brand has so far won 159 medals including 18 Best in Class awards, with an average critic score of 92 points. The permanent portfolio of Uncle Nearest will expand by three additional premium whiskeys before the end of 2022. "From the moment I accepted this mission and embraced that whiskey has always been in my blood, I knew we were about to do something never before seen," says Master Blender Victoria Eady Butler.

For more information, including full results, click here.

Basil Hayden Releasing Red Wine Cask-Finished Bourbon

 Image courtesy of Basil Hayden

James B. Beam Distilling Co.'s eighth-generation master distiller Freddie Noe, the creator of the excellent Little Book blends, has taken regular Basil Hayden and blended it with bourbon that was partially aged in California red wine barrels. Basil Hayden Red Wine Cask Finish (SRP $59.99). Noe said "We continue to reach new audiences with the unexpected addition of a red wine cask finish."

For more information, including a review, click here.

Grand Teton Distillery Releases 8-Year Private Stock Straight Bourbon

Grand Teton Distillery’s Private Stock series

Aged since 2014, this is the longest-aged whiskey to be released from an Idaho distillery to date. This release is the second in Grand Teton Distillery's Private Stock series, following last fall's release of Straight Corn Whiskey. Only 16 barrels of this limited-release spirit are for sale. A caramel colored, rich-tasting whiskey, Grand Teton's 8-Year Straight Bourbon is best served neat.

Product specs include:

• 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% barley
• 750ml bottles
• 100 proof, 50% ABV
• Suggested retail price, $79.95

This bourbon, now available at the distillery, can be purchased online and is available at select retailers throughout the West while supplies last.

For more information, click here.

Ohio’s Seven Brothers Distilling Opens New Tasting Room, Larger Distillery

Image courtesy of Seven Brothers Distilling Co.

Seven Brothers Distilling Co. has moved from Leroy Township in Lake County to Harpersfield Township in Ashtabula County. The distillery now has a 1,800-square-foot tasting room and more than quadrupled its production space. Visitors can sample spirits, quaff craft cocktails and buy bottles to go at the new facility. Not far from the stills are racks of 10- and 30-gallon white oak barrels aging Seven Brothers' first bourbon – a wheated bourbon -- which will be released at a tasting event before the holidays.  Sure espresso and cinnamon vodkas are common, but it's rare to find a Palo Santo gin or a gin aged in pinot noir wine barrels.

For the full story, click here.

Jack Daniel’s Unveils Two New Cask-Finished Rye Whiskeys - Single Malt on the Way

 Image courtesy of Jack Daniel's

Jack Daniel's has gone well beyond its classic Old No. 7 Tennessee whiskey over the past few years, releasing excellent new expressions that are innovative in flavor, maturation, and style. The whiskeys are part of the experimental Distillery Series, which used to be called the Tennessee Tasters' Selection. Each was specially selected by an important wife and husband team at the distillery - assistant distiller Lexie Phillips and taster Josh Phillips. Lexie's pick is the Toasted Barrel Finish Rye, a straight Tennessee rye whiskey originally barreled in the summer of 2014 and then re-barreled into toasted (not charred) new barrels in October of 2019. Josh's pick is the Toasted Maple Barrel Rye, a straight Tennessee rye whiskey barreled in March of 2017 and then re-barreled into toasted (not charred) maple barrels in September of 2021.

 Image courtesy of Jack Daniel's

The Jack Daniel Distillery is also releasing the new Jack Daniel’s American Single Malt is made with 100% malted barley and matured in new charred American oak barrels for five years and finished in oloroso Sherry casks for two years and eight months. This whiskey will only be available in travel retail, and it won't arrive until June of 2023.

For the full story, click here.

Sagamore Spirit Announced the Latest Release in Its Limited Edition Reserve Series

Image courtesy of Sagamore Spirit

Sagamore Spirit announced the latest release in its Reserve Series: Sherry Finish Rye Whiskey. The distillery's four-year-old straight rye whiskey was aged for an additional 18 months in 132-gallon PX Sherry barrels. It has velvety notes of toasted almond, dried fig, candied orange peel, and soft spice. Sagamore Spirit Reserve Series Sherry Finish Rye Whiskey is available nationwide in 750-ml bottles at a suggested retail price of $79.

For the full story, click here.

FEW Spirits Announces FEW Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond

Image courtesy of FEW Spirits

FEW Rye Whiskey Bottled-In-Bond is a four-year-old, limited-release bottling and will be available beginning in October. FEW Spirits is a distillery built on a spirit of defiance in the cradle of the Temperance Movement. "And, of course, we'll continue to release bottled-in-bond products as well as new, innovative, and sometimes quirky releases that FEW has become known for producing," said FEW Spirits founder Paul Hletko.

FEW Rye Whiskey Bottled-In-Bond by the numbers:

• 1,200 initial cases
• 750 ml bottles
• Bottled at 100 proof/50% ABV under the guidelines of the US Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897
• Mashbill: 70% Rye, 20% Corn, 10% Malted Barley
• Aged in new, charred American oak barrels for a minimum of 4 years
• Initial availability: AZ, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, KY, MA, MD, MN, NY, TX, WI
• SRP: $50

For the full story, click here.

Templeton Distillery Releases Barrel Strength Rye Whiskey 2022

Image courtesy of Templeton Distillery

Templeton Distillery, an award-winning, state-of-the-art distillery producing high-quality rye whiskey, launches the 2022 edition of their Barrel Strength expression. Each edition celebrates the exceptional aging casks that are currently maturing at the Templeton, Iowa distillery. "We're delighted to share this new Barrel Strength 2022 expression with the world of our fans who seek a quality rye," says Blair Woodall, Senior Vice President of Templeton Distillery.

Tasting Notes:

• Aroma: Intense aromatics, succulent exotic fruit and honey with decadent aromas of toasted oak
• Palate: Rich and fully rounded with sweet notes of sugar-dusted raisins, subtle dark chocolate, complimented spectacularly by black pepper spiciness
• Finish: Long and lingering with a warming balance of wood spice and dried summer fruits that slowly fades to delicate notes of spiced ginger and oak

To read more, click here.

 

Bourbon Barrel Blurbs, Volume 01, Issue 15

I'm back with another BBB. This edition features blurbs on Remus Gatsby Reserve, High West, 2022 Van Winkle Collection, Garrison Brothers' 2022 Cowboy Bourbon, Knob Creek 18 Year Old Expression, Booking Kentucky Bourbon Trail Distillery Tours in Advance, and Company Distilling's First Limited Release.

Ross & Squibb Announces Remus Gatsby Reserve

Ross & Squibb Remus Gatsby Reserve.

Ross & Squibb Distillery, formerly MGP, has launched its new Remus Gatsby Reserve. The 15-year-old straight bourbon is created to celebrate F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel, The Great Gatsby. Made by master distiller Ian Stirsman and his team at the Lawrenceburg, IN distillery, it retails for a suggested $199.99 per 750-ml bottle. "The Remus Bourbon brand is inspired by the finest bourbon of the Prohibition era, and The Great Gatsby offers arguably the most well-known depiction of those times," adds Shanae Randolph, Brand Manager for Remus Bourbon. 

Read the full story here.

High West Releases the 10th Edition of Its Coveted Shakespeare-Inspired Whiskey

Photo Credit: High West

Utah's High West Distillery has announced the launch of the tenth edition of its limited-release A Midwinter Night's Dram Act 10, a blend of rye whiskeys finished in tawny and ruby port barrels. The 2022 release will be bottled at 98.6 proof and is a distillery-only release with an SRP of $150. And to celebrate a decade of this Shakespeare-inspired spirit, the distillery is also releasing A Midwinter Night's Dram: The Encore, an even more limited limited-release that was finished in white port barrels.

Read the full story here.

Buffalo Trace Unveils 2022 Van Winkle Collection

Buffalo Trace has unveiled their 2022 collection of Van Winkle whiskeys. The wheated recipe allows for longer aging, in some cases two decades or more, than the traditional rye recipe used in most bourbons. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the partnership between the Van Winkle family and Buffalo Trace Distillery.

The 2022 Van Winkle collection release consists of:

• Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10-Year-Old (107 proof, suggested retail price: $69.99 per 750-ml. bottle.)
• Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old (90.4 proof, SRP: $79.99)
• Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13-Year-Old (95.6 proof, SRP: $119.99)
• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15-Year-Old (107 proof, SRP: $119.99)
• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20-Year-Old (90.4 proof, SRP: $199.99)
• Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23-Year-Old (95.6 proof, SRP: $299.99)

The W.L. Weller Bourbons were formally produced by the Van Winkle family until 1972, when the Weller brand was sold, and eventually acquired by Buffalo Trace Distillery. "The best chance to find our products at a fair price is through lotteries offered by many retailers, where fans have a chance to buy our bourbon at MSRP. Many of these lotteries benefit charities, so it's a win-win for everyone," said founder Robert van Winkle. Enthusiasts are also reminded to avoid online resellers such as private Facebook groups and Craigslist.

Read more here.

Garrison Brothers' Boozy New Cowboy Bourbon

 Photo Credit: Garrison Brothers

The 2022 edition of Garrison Brothers’ new Cowboy Bourbon clocks in at 134.8 proof, a big, bold, brash bourbon for cowboys, cowgirls and everyone in between. Garrison Brothers, Texas' first legal distillery, is located in the town of Hye just a little over an hour west of Austin in the Hill Country. Cowboy Bourbon is an annual release, and what sets it apart from Garrison Brothers' other bourbon expressions is that it's older and is bottled uncut and unfiltered. That proof is also the result of the intense Texas heat that the whiskey is subjected to as it ages.

Read more here.

Knob Creek Unveils 18 Year Old Expression

 Photo Credit: Beam Suntory

Knob Creek Bourbon, a leader in the Small Batch Bourbon category, announced the addition of a new, limited-edition bourbon to its portfolio: Knob Creek 18 Year Old.  "As we celebrate 30 years of Knob Creek, it's clear to me that Dad was ahead of his time in creating innovative expressions with big, bold flavors that defined pre-prohibition whiskey," said Fred Noe, Booker Noe's son and Seventh Generation Master Distiller.

Aged twice as long as its flagship bourbon and bottled at 100 proof, Knob Creek 18 Year Old offers a complex, yet balanced, liquid due to its mature age. This latest release comes just in time to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Small Batch Bourbon Collection.

Knob Creek 18 Year Old is bottled with the following characteristics:

• Proof: 100; 
• Color:  Rich copper tones with auburn hues;
• Aroma: Brown sugar and aged oak.
• Taste: Full-bodied with notes of caramelized oak and hints of sweet vanilla and baking spices;
• SRP: $169.99 for a 750mL bottle.
  

Read more here.

Kentucky Bourbon Trail Distilleries Recommend Booking Tours in Advance

Anticipating a new milestone, the Kentucky Distillers' Association (KDA) has launched a campaign asking people to "Book Now, Bourbon Later". In addition to social media and blog content created by the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, participating distilleries will also promote the campaign.  This thrilling milestone for Kentucky Bourbon Trail® and Kentucky Bourbon Trail Craft Tour® distilleries will likely exceed the record 1.7 million combined visits set in 2019, prior to pandemic shutdowns.  Many distilleries share availability, events and resources on social media to help visitors keep up with important updates.

"Kentucky's Bourbon culture is unlike anything in the world, and it deserves to be upheld with the utmost respect and appreciation," says Angel’s Envy brand home general manager Dee Ford. "Since most of our larger brands cannot accommodate walk-in visitors, reservations are the key to a successful Kentucky Bourbon adventure."

Read more here.

Company Distilling Launched Its First Limited Release

Company Distilling Cask Strength Bourbon

Company Distilling launched its first Limited Release: Cask Strength Bourbon on September 29, 2022. The Tennessee distillery listened to fan demand for a cask strength bourbon after the successful release of their Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished with Maple Wood in November of 2021. All 350 commemorative gift packages sold out within the first 36 hours of the pre-sale. Company Distilling's Cask Strength Bourbon is an approachable and balanced original wheated bourbon recipe uncut for maximum flavor with a bold maple finish.  "We're on the heels of opening both of our distilleries in Thompson's Station and Townsend, TN, and now we're able to add an additional product to our portfolio lineup," said Company Distilling Master Distiller, Jeff Arnett.

More information, including tasting notes and wait list signup, available here.