Happy 4th of July

 

 

 

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!

Memorial Day - Remembering Paw Paw!

Today is Memorial Day!  A day to remember and reflect on those brave men and women who served in the Armed Forces, both in war and in peace, and paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live as we do. But don't forget the ones that are currently serving because they are standing guard so that we can continue to live the life we lead. 

I remember the stories my grandfather, I called him Paw Paw, used to tell of fighting in World War II in Europe. How they came ashore at Normandy after the initial waves had secured the beachhead. How he remembered looking at the men who didn't make it off the beach and thinking, "I know him!" With tears in his eyes, he would tell me stories about fighting along side brave men, people he didn't know a year before but who were now his closest friends. He would tell about how some were there one minute and then gone the next. When he would tell me these stories, you could see the pain in his eyes. Later in life, when Alzheimer's had taken his mind and ravaged his body, Paw Paw no longer remembered even his closest family members but he still remembered me and he still told me those stories. He couldn't tell you what he had for breakfast but he could still relive those moments from WWII and you could still see the pain in his eyes right up until the very end.

So for all the soldiers, past and present, who took to arms and heeded the call, like my Paw Paw, I salute you and want to say thank you! And Paw Paw, I know you're looking down on me and still protecting me, I just want to say I love you!