I have known Albert Schmid for many years. He once taught at Sullivan University in their culinary school and taught many students how to cook with Bourbon. He has since taken a job teaching in North Carolina but I hear… Continue Reading →
I have known Albert Schmid for many years. He once taught at Sullivan University in their culinary school and taught many students how to cook with Bourbon. He has since taken a job teaching in North Carolina but I hear... Continue Reading →
InchDairnie 5 yo 2017/2022 ‘Finglassie Small Batch #01’ (46%, Rest & Be Thankful, Islay whisky cask, oloroso sherry butt finish, 4,998 bottles)Dalmunach 6 yo ‘The Wulver’ (60%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, Scottish Mythical Creatures, American oak, 2023…
InchDairnie 5 yo 2017/2022 'Finglassie Small Batch #01' (46%, Rest & Be Thankful, Islay whisky cask, oloroso sherry butt finish, 4,998 bottles) Dalmunach 6 yo 'The Wulver' (60%, OB for The Whisky Exchange, Scottish Mythical Creatures, American oak, 2023) Glasgow Distillery 5 yo 2017/2022 (57.1%, Watt Whisky, sherry butt, 2016 bottles) Dornoch 4 yo 2018/2022 (58.7%, Thompson Bros., first fill bourbon octave, cask #99, 85 bottles) Holyrood 2023 'Bub Project ? Control' (60%, OB, The Liquid Antiquarian Bub Project, new make, chevalier barley) Holyrood 2023 'Bub Project' (60%, OB, The Liquid Antiquarian Bub Project, new make, chevalier barley)
Trey Zoeller has come a long way in 25 years since founding Jefferson’s Bourbon, alongside his father Chet. The Bourbon scene was a lot different back in those days versus the present hay day of the Bourbon Renaissance. Starting on a shoestring budget and gutting it out took good old fashioned entrepreneurial grit. Apparently, that […]
Trey Zoeller has come a long way in 25 years since founding Jefferson’s Bourbon, alongside his father Chet. The Bourbon scene was a lot different back in those days versus the present hay day of the Bourbon Renaissance. Starting on a shoestring budget and gutting it out took good old fashioned entrepreneurial grit. Apparently, that toughness and fighting “spirit” is in the blood, going back eight generations to be precise.
Marian McClain is Trey’s 8th generation grandmother. Trey’s father, a masterclass researcher, discovered and uncovered an interesting connection to their Revolutionary War era ancestor. Marian’s husband passed during the War of American Independence. Needing to feed her five children, the gritty gal turned to making moonshine. She was charged with making booze and not paying the required taxes on it.
Paying homage to his family roots, Trey has created Jefferson’s newest release “Marian McClain” Whiskey. The blend is marriage of 5 purposefully selected Bourbons and whiskies. The number 5 representing her number of children. The flavor range of the chosen 5 whiskies is quite incredible. From different ages. To different finishes ranging from a wheated double barrel to a rum cask finish. And a nice proof at 102.
We’re excited to hopefully score a dram of this one!
Bottled at 102 proof (51% abv), with a SRP of $300 nationwide, now available.
“We started Jefferson’s on a shoestring budget and with Marian’s vivacious spirit in mind – it’s why we do what we do,” says Zoeller. “This entrepreneurial fund is our way of helping other people who, like Marian and Corcoran, are risking everything to pursue their dreams.”
Marian McClain Entrepreneurial Fund: $20,000 Prize
To embody Marian’s gutsy go-getter grit, Jefferson’s has partnered with highly successful entrepreneur Barbara Corcoran (Shark Tank) in creating the Marian McClain Entrepreneurial Fund. The gist, potential contestants are encouraged to submit a short video of their snappy business idea HERE. Trey and Barbara will choose the grand prize winner and award of $20,000. The winner will also get the chance to connect with Trey and Barbara to help cultivate the winning idea.
Five consolation winners will get $1,000 (the same amount of money Corcoran had to start her real estate business). Submissions to the contest have opened and will close on May 7, 2023.
I’d like to tell you a tale. It is a tale most harrowing and yet most satisfying. It is a tale of joy, heartbreak, danger, and fun. And it begins thusly:
Ahem. Sorry about that. Kinda got carried away channeling my inner Dungeon Master there.
Anyway, about three weeks ago, I reviewed a sample from Maker’s Mark that was intended to highlight why they have continued to use a 110° proof barrel-entry proof in spite of a majority of their competitors using the maximum allowed barrel-entry proof of 125° proof. In that article, I stated:
The lower entry proof that Maker’s Mark employs (110° proof) is one of the elements that Maker’s thinks make them special. And maybe it does. I have yet to taste a Maker’s product using the industry standard 125° entry proof, so I don’t know.
Well, that statement inspired one of your fellow readers to reach out to me. He is a member of the Maker’s Mark Whiskey Drop Club (and if you live in Kentucky, Nebraska, North Dakota, or Washington, D.C., you can get on the waitlist for this club at the Maker’s Mark website). Apparently, in December 2021 and February 2022, the drops were of something called the Maker’s Mark DNA Project. A series of four bottles of cask-strength Maker’s Mark. The difference between each bottle was the barrel-entry proof of the distillate. December 2021 included one bourbon that was entered into the barrel at 110° proof, and another entered at 115° proof. The February 2022 shipment included bourbons entered at 120° proof and 125° proof.
So Phil (@bgphilt on both Instagram and Twitter), being both an avid reader of BourbonGuy.com—I assume—and a member of the Whiskey Drop Club, reached out to me to offer me the opportunity to taste samples of these four bourbons that Maker’s Mark released to show you why they stick with a barrel-entry proof of 110° proof even though it is more expensive to use that lower-proof distillate to fill their barrels. I happily accepted, and he sent me a small sample of each. This is the joy I spoke of above.
The heartbreak comes when I tell you that as I was taking a photo of the samples for the lead photo of this article, I knocked the 115° proof version off of the deck railing and onto the cement patio 13 feet below. Shattering the bottle and sending whiskey and broken glass across my grilling area. That is the heartbreak and the danger I spoke of. (I mean, come on. I was in serious danger of poking my finger as I cleaned it up. It may have even made me bleed my own blood.)
Now onto the fun. I still had the most important samples left. If I needed to destroy one on my way to happiness, the 115 was the least important to discovering the difference between the Maker’s 110° proof entry and what would happen if they used the industry-standard 125° proof. And so I set out to do tastings of the three remaining at cask strength, take formal tasting notes of them, and then dilute them all to the standard Maker’s Mark proof of 90° proof and see what the alternate realities would be like where Maker’s decided to switch to either 120° or 125° proof for barrel entry. And I’m going to include photos of bottle shots and explanatory posters that Phil was kind enough to send photos of as well. So dig in. Here we go.
From the bottle labels (same text on each aside from the entry proof and the bottling proof):
Key Question: What is the impact on taste profile when we change the barrel entry proof?
Outcome: Historically, our bourbon has always entered the barrel at 110 proof. These bourbons experiment with multiple entry proofs to understand its influence on flavor. Sip this batch, alongside the others in the series, to discover the difference that barrel entry proof makes on the bourbon.
For this project, the variables were all the same aside from the initial barreling proof and the final bottling proof. As such I’ll list the variables that remained constant here:
OUR TASTE VISION: When Bill and Margie Samuels started crafting our iconic whisky, they wanted a refined flavor-forward spirit they could share with friends. A whisky with less bite. Their original taste vision started with our soft red winter wheat, creating a more delicate distillate and rounded mouthfeel. And, it was this distillate that would enter the barrel at 110 proof and later become what we know today as Maker's Mark.®
Bill and Margie wanted to make something they'd be proud to put their mark on, a new kind of bourbon experience that was full-flavored and inviting, one that brought "good taste" to "tastes good."
Through ingenuity, patience and a determined taste vision, Bill not only reinvented the family whisky, he and his collaborator—Margie—also revolutionized an industry.
This experiment was conducted to validate choices made in 1953 on how to best craft our whisky. Those choices were made without the modern amenities we have today.
Nose: Toffee, Vanilla, red fruit, bubblegum, and almond.
Mouth: Cinnamon, toffee, almond, oak, and a touch of vanilla.
Finish: Warm and on the longer side of medium. Notes of vibrant cinnamon, dark chocolate, and oak linger.
Maker’s Mark DNA Project: 115 Proof Barrel Entry
From the Poster:
A BARREL-ENTRY PROOF HISTORY: No Kentucky bourbon can be distilled above 125 proof. This became law in 1962 for whiskies qualifying as Straight
Bourbon Whisky. The proof limit didn't just lighten the flavor. It also decreased the number of barrels used, seeing as you can only use barrels one time. At 125 proof, it would take eight years to achieve the flavor of products that were produced at proofs post-Prohibition between 100-110 proof.
This was just about a decade after Bill Samuels, Sr., laid down the first Maker's Mark barrels using the entry proof of 110. In the 1980s, 125 proof became standard in practice and widely adopted by distillers. At Maker's Mark, we opted to keep that low barrel proof as part of our commitment to honor our original taste vision.
To understand our flavor journey, our DNA projects use modern methods of analytics to explore the decisions made by our founders during the early development of our whisky.
Barrel entry proofs tested: 110, 115, 120 and 125.
We can produce really good whisky at other proofs, but they are not Maker’s. Our 110 Barrel Entry Proof held up best as it did in 1953.
Tasting notes: are unavailable as I am a klutz and destroyed the sample before tasting. I’m pretty sure it was delicious, though.
Maker’s Mark DNA Project: 120 Proof Barrel Entry
From the Poster:
THE CONCLUSION: This is a combination of scientific analysis overlayed with our team’s sensory notes for each liquid. The graph shows how the flavors work together. They are not individual.
Nose: This will sound weird, but the initial note I get is the smell of warm sunshine hitting a hay field. Other notes include mint, cocoa, cinnamon, and oak.
Mouth: Spicy with notes of cinnamon, cola, ginger, and oak.
Finish: Long and warm with notes of cinnamon, ginger, caramel, and tannic oak.
Maker’s Mark DNA Project: 125 Proof Barrel Entry
From the Poster:
THE CONCLUSION: After reviewing the results, we found that entry proof had a material impact on the bourbon taste. After eight years of working on this project, we realized that entry proof is way more impactful to your whisky than we could have imagined. While the flavors created in the alternate proofs are unique, they weren't the original taste vision of our founders, and so we determined we needed to retain an entry proof into the barrel of 110 even though it yields less mature volume that a higher original entry proof.
In conclusion, with the science and analytics available today, we were able to reaffirm the decision to enter the barrel at 110 proof made by Bill Samuels, Sr., in 1953.
While we are pleased to share these with you in experimental form, we will never alter our barrel entry proof. The Samuels family had it right from the start.
Nose: The first thing that jumps out at me is oak. Past that, I'm finding ginger and caramel.
Mouth: Hot. Brown sugar, tannic oak, cinnamon, ginger, and red fruit.
Finish: Sweet, hot, and long. Notes of cola, ginger, and tannic oak.
Impressions on samples cut to 90° proof
Nose: 120 shows much more sweetness and mint than 110. 125 is a lot like 110. 120 is the outlier.
Mouth: There is a subtle difference between 110 and 120 at this proof. 120 is showing more oak influence. 125 shows even more oak influence. It's the most tannic of the three. It also brings more sweetness and spice than the other two. That oak influence continues into the finish.
Thoughts: Of the three, I think that the 110° proof is my favorite when diluted to the standard bottle proof. 125 is my wife's favorite. She really likes some oak influence, though. 120 and 125 are similar at this proof though we both agreed that 120 was the clear number three of the group.
Final Thoughts
This was such a fun exploration! I love when companies allow fans to explore how changing one variable in how you make whiskey affects things. In this case, upping the barrel entry proof seems to have extracted more tannic oak notes. It also seems to have accentuated the spicy notes allowing more ginger and cola to come to the forefront as the barrel-entry proof increased. Trying these at full proof, I have to say that 120 is my favorite of the three (125 is my wife's), but neither of them tastes like Maker's Mark. I totally understand why they don't want to change things up.
Thanks again to Phil (@bgphilt on Twitter and Instagram) for sending these samples along. I hope he had as much fun reading this as I did tasting these.
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In what seems like an April Fool’s joke, but sadly isn’t… Giant beer maker Molson Coors ($10.701 billion in revenue in 2022) has announced a new bourbon brand called Barmen 1873 that they will market to beer drinkers. David Coors, vice…
In what seems like an April Fool's joke, but sadly isn't... Giant beer maker Molson Coors ($10.701 billion in revenue in 2022) has announced a new bourbon brand called Barmen 1873 that they will market to beer drinkers.
We’re meticulous about quality, and Barmen 1873 reflects the care we put into each one of our blends. Barmen plays in the space of sweet on the front and a long, lingering spice finish on the end, and it’s available at an approachable price point for bourbon fans.
Not much is known about this new brand other than it comes in at 92 proof (46% alcohol) and was proofed with Kentucky water (which is so vague of a statement, it doesn't actually mean anything) and bottled in Bardstown. The suggested retail price is between $39.99 to $42.99. It is currently available in 13 states (not Ohio), with more on the way in the future.
My Take
First of all, I don't think we need more multi-billion dollar conglomerates in the bourbon business, but here we are. At the most basic, this is simply a sourced bourbon. Molson Coors doesn't do any of the distilling or warehousing. They simply throw a brand together and do the marketing. It's disappointing on so many levels. It feels like they are going for a quick money-grab with a sub-par product. For that, this is one brand I'll be staying miles away from.
What do you think? Drop a note in the comment box below.
We’ve got two juicy topics to tackle so here’s what we’ve got. Last year we saw the release of Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse limited edition offering. That sparked a Vine Pair article that asked if single rickhouse bottlings will be the next big thing? I wanted to challenge that a bit and figure out if we really think there are varied flavor profiles based on rickhouses or are they cherry-picking barrels to make another marketing angle. In the second half of the show we discuss the current state of single barrels. They are flooded on shelves across the nation and they aren’t selling like they used to. How will this get fixed or is this a side-effect of the COVID buying frenzy?
Show Notes:
Above the Char with Fred Minnick (@fredminnick) talks about entry proof.
Are single rickhouse bottlings going to be the next big thing?
Do different rickhouses provide different flavor profiles or is this a marketing angle?
How will we fix the abundance of single barrel offerings on the shelves across the nation?
Nc’nean 2018/2022 ‘Batch No.18’ (46%, OB, 5,040 bottles)Holyrood ‘Aged New Make Spirit 04’ (50%, OB, First fill European oak Port hogshead, Belgian ale yeast, cask #376, 2022)Ardnamurchan 5 yo 2016/2021 ‘The AD/05:21 Venture Release’ (55.1%, OB, sherry…
Nc'nean 2018/2022 'Batch No.18' (46%, OB, 5,040 bottles) Holyrood 'Aged New Make Spirit 04' (50%, OB, First fill European oak Port hogshead, Belgian ale yeast, cask #376, 2022) Ardnamurchan 5 yo 2016/2021 'The AD/05:21 Venture Release' (55.1%, OB, sherry octaves, 348 bottles) Ardnamurchan 2016/2022 'AD/02:16' (57.8%, OB, Poland Exclusive, Spanish oak oloroso hogshead, cask #66, 335 bottes) Abhainn Dearg 10 yo 'X' (46%, OB, +/-2022) Isle of Raasay 'Peated Ex-Rye' (63.5%, OB, Na Sia Single Cask series, first-fill ex-rye, 2022) Dornoch 5 yo 2017/2022 (55.9%, Thompson Bros., first fill bourbon octave, cask #13, 72 bottles) Ailsa Bay 10 yo 2011/2021 'Paddy's Milestone' (54.6%, The Duchess, blended malt, bourbon, cask #801404, 213 bottles) Kininvie 'Aldunie' 24 yo 1997/2021 (48.9%, The Whisky Blues, Taiwan, barrel, cask #1511, 171 bottles)
BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength features notes of rolled oats, vanilla wafer, fig, maple sugar, and toffee on the nose. On the palate are hints of walnut, caramel, and vanilla creme with a brown sugar, ancho chile, and a cinnamon spice finish.
BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength is a Blend of Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskeys Finished and Sonically-Enhanced in Brandy Casks Bottled at Cask Strength
New York, NY (May 2, 2023) - Today, award-winning BLACKENED Whiskey® announces its release of Cask Strength, starting with Volume 01, as a nationwide rollout and will include Canada. BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength features the same award-winning blend of the finest North American bourbons and ryes as in the original expression. The whiskeys are then married and finished in brandy casks, bottled at cask strength, and non-chill filtered, offering a viscous mouthfeel with an even bolder flavor profile. Each volume of Cask Strength is its own unique batch and limited in quantity.
After receiving overwhelmingly positive feedback on previous limited Cask Strength releases, which have received a 91 rating from Whisky Advocate and Gold from the John Barleycorn Awards, BLACKENED Whiskey is answering consumer demand with this expression and rolling it out across the U.S. and multiple provinces in Canada.
The makers of BLACKENED Whiskey sonically-enhance their whiskeys to extract more flavor from the finishing casks, using a patent-pending scientific process co-developed by the sound engineers at Meyer Sound, a global leader in sound technology. Dubbed Black Noise™, this sonic-enhancement process produces low hertz sound waves causing the whiskey to reverberate at a fast rate, interacting with the oak staves of the finishing barrel, measurably releasing wood compounds and flavors.
BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength features notes of rolled oats, vanilla wafer, fig, maple sugar, and toffee on the nose. On the palate are hints of walnut, caramel, and vanilla creme with a brown sugar, ancho chile, and a cinnamon spice finish.
“I absolutely love cask strength whiskey,” said BLACKENED Whiskey Master Distiller & Blender, Rob Dietrich. “You are drinking whiskey in its purest form; unfiltered, uncut and born straight from the barrel with one unapologetic purpose - to be savored.”
“When creating BLACKENED, we didn’t want to create just another whiskey. Our goal was to create something unique and refined that would appeal to even the top notch whiskey experts,” said Metallica bassist, Robert Trujillo. “We are so proud of Rob’s latest accolades with Rye The Lightning receiving the #14 spot on Whisky Advocate’s Top Whiskies of 2022. We know fans are going to be excited for the release of BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength, starting with the newly released Volume 01.”
BLACKENED Whiskey Cask Strength is on shelves now with an SRP of $69.99. To find local retailers or gather information, visit BLACKENED Whiskey’s website www.BlackenedWhiskey.com and follow on social at @BlackenedAmericanWhiskey.
This whiskey is made at Distillery 291 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is a barrel proof unfiltered rye whiskey finished with toasted Aspen staves added to the new charred oak barrel. The whiskey is made in a copper pot still… Continue Reading →
This whiskey is made at Distillery 291 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. It is a barrel proof unfiltered rye whiskey finished with toasted Aspen staves added to the new charred oak barrel. The whiskey is made in a copper pot still... Continue Reading →
