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.