NASHVILLE (May 18, 2023) – O.H. Ingram River Aged announced today that it has expanded its market reach into Georgia to meet growing demand for its fleet of whiskies aged inside the only floating barrelhouses in the world. “We are excited to bring O.H. Ingram River Aged to the Peach State – a place with its own remarkable history and […]
NASHVILLE (May 18, 2023) – O.H. Ingram River Aged announced today that it has expanded its market reach into Georgia to meet growing demand for its fleet of whiskies aged inside the only floating barrelhouses in the world.
“We are excited to bring O.H. Ingram River Aged to the Peach State – a place with its own remarkable history and culture” said Founder Hank Ingram. “Our expansion strategy continues to be based on finding people and places that we feel will connect with our product and process, and Georgia certainly meets that criteria.“
The addition of Georgia to O.H.Ingram’s reach comes on the heels of the Company’s announcement of its relocation to Columbus, KY from Wickliffe as well as its doubling of capacity for barrel aging.
The expansion includes a second floating barrelhouse bringing total aging capacity to over 6,000 barrels. The new location can also accommodate more than 15 additional floating barrelhouses. O.H.Ingram’s new operations are located beside the gorgeous Columbus-Belmont State Park, a 156-acre gem with a remarkable Civil War history that is part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.
Inside the only floating barrelhouses in the world, barrels of O.H.Ingram River Aged whiskies spend their years exposed to the climate and constant motion of the Mississippi River. The motion of the river ensures that the whiskey never stops working creating an extraordinary spirit with robust flavor. They call it Mellowed on the Mississippi. You can see full details about the unique aging here.
COPY DIRECTLY FROM FORBIDDEN PRESS RELEASE BARDSTOWN, KY (May 16, 2023) — Marianne Eaves, Kentucky’s first titled female Master Distiller, today debuts Forbidden, the spirits industry’s first white corn and white winter wheat expression of bold Kentucky bourbon. Inspired by Southern cooking, Forbidden is the culmination of nearly a decade of work by Eaves to […]
BARDSTOWN, KY (May 16, 2023) — Marianne Eaves, Kentucky’s first titled female Master Distiller, today debuts Forbidden, the spirits industry’s first white corn and white winter wheat expression of bold Kentucky bourbon. Inspired by Southern cooking, Forbidden is the culmination of nearly a decade of work by Eaves to capture the essence of an elegant mature bourbon achieved by nontraditional low-temperature fermentation.
“Total creativity involves a certain degree of rebellion. To be completely creative, I tend to do things that are a little bit forbidden,” said Eaves, who has fully controlled the distillation, aging and bottling of Forbidden from grain to glass. “While creating Forbidden, I have had the freedom to cross deep into uncharted territory by using nontraditional ingredients and techniques. The resulting bourbon, on my palate, is perfection.”
The first release of Forbidden is a small batch, hand-blended 5-year-old bourbon bottled at 95.2 proof. This bold and elegant expression is beautifully balanced and complex. Forbidden’s unique blend of cuisine-quality white corn, white winter wheat and malted barley give it a sweet and smooth profile. Darker notes balance Forbidden and originate from both charred barrels and fruity, floral yeast. Aroma leads with vanilla bean and crème brûlée, dried fruit, hazelnut, light sweet citrus notes and gentle layered spice. The palate: caramel, citrus oil and delicate floral along with baking spices, oak sugar, soft chewy sweet with a hint of grain. The finish lingers creamy sweetness with oak and spice.
“With Forbidden, we’ve taken our time to create something completely original in Kentucky bourbon,” said Daniel Rickenmann, who is one of the new brand’s four South Carolina-based partners along with Eaves in Kentucky. “Forbidden is a bourbon you finish and say, ‘This is my first drink and my last drink of the evening.’ It’s a symphony of flavor, complexity and warmth.”
Rickenmann adds about Eaves, “Marianne’s preoccupation with achieving such a high level of work means she doesn’t follow the usual script. For nearly two decades, Marianne has steadily stepped outside of the norm in her career and with her work to create Forbidden, she defies every expectation.”
Distilled, aged and bottled at Bardstown Bourbon Company by Marianne Eaves, Forbidden will be available initially in these states: Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and South Carolina and online at an SRP of $129. The first release will include a highly allocated number of hand-blended bottles along with three single-barrel cask strength expressions.
PRESS RELEASE From Rabbit Hole Distillery QUICK FACTS 108.8 Proof (Cask Strength) Blend of Cavehill and Heigold Finished in Char 1 Toasted Barrels Less than 1,000 Bottles SRP $650 Now Available Rabbit Hole’s Founder and Whiskey Maker Kaveh Zamanian presents Tenniel, a limited edition Double Barrel Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that reflects his […]
Rabbit Hole’s Founder and Whiskey Maker Kaveh Zamanian presents Tenniel, a limited edition Double Barrel Cask Strength Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey that reflects his relentless commitment to crafting original expressions of bourbon over the ten years since the brand was founded.
Tenniel is an expression that melds his two signature Kentucky Straight bourbon recipes to an intriguing new creation.
Tenniel blends Cavehill, Rabbit Hole’s signature four grain triple malt bourbon with Heigold, the brand’s high rye double malt bourbon and finishes the spirit in a number one char toasted barrel. Per the brand, the result is a luxurious sipping bourbon with an alluring aroma of baking spices, stone fruits, toasted nuts and almonds that unfurls into layers of oak, tobacco, nutmeg, cumin and vanilla on the palate and cascades to a captivating finish of custard, allspice and mint.
The expression is presented at full cask strength with a proof of 108.8 (54.4% Alc/Vol).
Kaveh notes,“When it comes to creating one-of-a-kind bourbon, I have always kept one foot in the past, one foot in the present and my eyes firmly fixed on the future. Tenniel embodies this approach. As we reflect on our ten-year anniversary, it’s the perfect opportunity for me to give a nod to the original recipes that put us on the map and take them to the next level. By flexing my blending muscles and increasing the complexity from a whiskey-making standpoint with double oak, I believe we have created a spirit that speaks to how far we’ve come as a brand in a relatively short time and foretells how much more we will contribute to the American whiskey space in the decades to come.”
Rabbit Hole Tenniel is now available. A total of 939 sequentially-numbered crystal decanters and premium gift boxes are being released for sale at Rabbit Hole Distillery and for purchase online in limited markets for a suggested retail price of $650.
Kaveh Zamanian recommends that Tenniel is enjoyed at full strength or with a touch of water to release added layers of detail and encourages imbibers to enjoy the spirit according to their personal preferences.
Bottle Namesake
Tenniel is named in tribute to John Tenniel, the artist who boldly illustrated the original scenes of life down the rabbit hole in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and whose works inspired the spirit’s bespoke packaging. Against a teal background with gold artwork and accents, the box detail features an illustrated clock set to 10 which gives a nod to the ten years since Rabbit Hole’s founding. Upon opening, an ornate crystal bottle complete with a crystal stopper is revealed alongside a certificate with special messaging from Kaveh Zamanian.
Going back 227 years, the Beam name is a dynasty in the Bourbon world. Now, a brand new chapter begins. For the very first time in its tradition enriched distilling history, they are releasing an American Single Malt (ASM) whiskey – Clermont Steep. This has significance in one of the “bigs” dipping its toes in […]
Going back 227 years, the Beam name is a dynasty in the Bourbon world. Now, a brand new chapter begins.
For the very first time in its tradition enriched distilling history, they are releasing an American Single Malt (ASM) whiskey –Clermont Steep.
This has significance in one of the “bigs” dipping its toes in the relatively newer ASM category. Of the majors, Jack released a limited ASM in 2022. But to this point, it is a rarity amongst the Bourbon behemoths. It will be interesting to see how Clermont Steep moves off the shelves and if this will be a defining moment for ASW gaining more substantial national market traction. Where will the ASW category be in 5 years from now? But for now, back to Clermont Steep!
The baby of 8th generation Beam Distiller, Freddie Noe, Clermont Steep is a five-year-old liquid distilled and aged in Clermont, Kentucky. Matured in bespoke barrels (more on this below) to deliver warm toffee sweetness on the palate without overshadowing the unique, bready taste of American barley and bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV). It will begin hitting shelves nationally in June, SRP of $59.99.
“As a new venture, crafting Clermont Steep has been one of the toughest challenges I have ever faced in the distillery, and I am incredibly proud of where we’ve landed,” said Noe. “This American Single Malt Whiskey is smooth, sweet and incredibly balanced, and it deserves a spot on any whiskey lover’s bar cart, right alongside their bourbons and ryes.”
Some context behind the namesake, this ASM is a whiskey “steeped” in influence from both process and place. Per the brand, just as single malt couldn’t exist without steeping the grain, this whiskey couldn’t exist without Clermont, Kentucky – the soul place of the James B. Beam Distilling Co. and the heartland of American Whiskey distilling culture.
Noe and his team hand-selected the American malted barley for the mash and used Beam family jug yeast in the natural fermentation process. It’s the same yeast that is used in all Beam products, adding a sense of familiarity to every sip. The single malt was then distilled on a column still and aged for five years in barrels that were toasted, then quickly charred to a char level 1.
The launch of Clermont Steep marks a significant milestone in the American Whiskey landscape as James B. Beam Distilling Co., the world’s largest producer of Bourbon, takes a stake in a rapidly growing segment that has yet to be fully explored.
“I’m always looking toward the future of American Whiskey, and the boundless runway in this category intrigued me,” said Noe. “We don’t just want to participate in American Single Malt Whiskey; we want to help define it for the future of the category.”
The foray into an American Single Malt Whiskey is proof of the innovation possible within the Fred B. Noe Distillery under Freddie Noe’s guidance. The Fred B. Noe Distillery was named after 7th Generation Master Distiller Fred Noe and serves as the home to legacy small batch brands, such as Booker’s® Bourbon, as well as new-to-world whiskies, including Little Book® Whiskey, Hardin’s Creek® Bourbon and, in the future, Clermont Steep.
Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisk…
Welcome to Inbox, our weekly round up of whisky news and PR material that has found its way in to our WFE email. It was created as we cannot write full articles or do justice to every piece received. It features items from around the world of whisky and is published by us each Friday. Within Inbox we aim to write a few lines detailing each press release/piece of news/PR event that we have received and provide links, where possible, for you to find out further information.
Here is the round-up of the news from this week.
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Cù Bòcan
The innovative peated Highland single malt of Cù Bòcan has announced a new addition to its core range - Cù Bòcan 12 years old. The spirit is matured for a short period each winter at the Tomatin distillery near Inverness. The new bottling features part-maturation in ex-rum casks sourced from the Caribbean, Barbados and Guyana in particular, and is released at 46% ABV. It is both non chill-filtered and of natural colour, and will be produced in small batches. The Cù Bòcan 12 years old will be available in selected specialist whisky retailers worldwide and will cost £65/ $US80.
Johnnie Walker
The world's best selling Scotch whisky has announced a special limited edition to celebrate the legacy of retired former Master Blender and whisky maker Dr. Jim Beveridge OBE. The Johnnie Walker Master's Cut is a blend of just two whiskies taken from contrasting distilleries - a single grain from Cameronbridge, one of brand owner Diageo's oldest distilleries, and a single malt from Roseisle, one of their most recent.
The Master's Cut is released at 40% ABV and there are just 1,000 bottles available. These will be initially exclusive to the Johnnie Walker Princes Street shop in Edinburgh, before seeing a limited release to selected world markets. Each bottle will cost £1000.
"The Master's Cut is my final Johnnie Walker blend, made at a turning point in the Johnnie Walker journey when the baton is passed from one master blender to another. It is an exercise in simplicity, doing more with less to create something which has a uniquely complex character."
Dr. Jim Beveridge.
Method & Madness
The experimental whiskey series from Irish Distillers of Method & Madness has announced its latest release - the Method & Madness Garryanna Oak. The whiskey has been triple distilled using malted and unmalted barley at the Midleton Microdistillery in Co. Cork. Initial maturation has been in American oak ex-bourbon casks before a finishing period in Garryanna oak casks. Garryanna oak or Quercus Garryanna is only native to the American Pacific Northwest states of Oregon and Washington. The whiskey will be available initially in Ireland, the UK and travel retail. It will be debuted in the USA later in 2023. A bottle will cost €95.
Redbreast
The Irish single pot still brand of Redbreast has revealed details of its annual Dream Cask release. The Redbreast Dream Cask Port To Port Edition is the sixth bottling in the series and is released at 27 years old. The whiskey has been matured in ex-bourbon and ex-Ruby Port casks before a finishing period in ex-Tawny Port barrels, sourced from Portugal by Master Blender, Billy Leighton. There are just 780 bottles and the Port To Port Edition is released at the natural cask strength of 56.3% ABV. The bottles will be available from The Birdhouse - the Redbreast online members' club - via a ballot that begins on May 22. Each bottle will sell for €580.
"The two single pot still whiskeys which had been maturing separately in ex-bourbon and ex-Ruby Port were already an outstanding pairing, but the marrying period in the ex-Tawny Port casks elevated the expression to new heights."
Billy Leighton.
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It’s This Week in Bourbon for May 19th 2023. Justins’ House of Bourbon has had all charges in Washington DC dropped, Log Still Distillery launches their own single barrel program, and Jim beam enters the American Single Malt Category with Clermont Steep.
Show Notes:
The Michelin Guide US has named Basil Hayden its official American whiskey partner
Justins’ House of Bourbon has had all charges in Washington DC dropped
Log Still Distillery launches their own single barrel program
Frankfort, KY offers bourbon incentives for remote workers to relocate
Ezra Brooks 99 Straight Rye Whiskey and a newly reformulated Ezra Brooks Bourbon Cream
The Jack Daniel Distillery introduces Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof Rye Whiskey
Kentucky Senator Bourbon is set to unveil its fourth release
Marianne Eaves introduces Forbidden
Jim beam enters the American Single Malt Category with Clermont Steep
The New Riff Distillery is located in Covington, Kentucky. When the New Riff Distillery was founded, they were heavily influenced by their neighbor distillery north of the Ohio River – MGP, and they sought advice from the people at MGP… Continue Read…
The New Riff Distillery is located in Covington, Kentucky. When the New Riff Distillery was founded, they were heavily influenced by their neighbor distillery north of the Ohio River – MGP, and they sought advice from the people at MGP... Continue Reading →
Laphroaig 9 yo 1987/1996 (46%, Murray McDavid, bourbon)Laphroaig 14 yo 1987/2002 (60.26%, Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask for Potstill Vienna, 126 bottles)Laphroaig 8 yo 1998/2007 (46%, Douglas Laing ‘Provenance’, two refill hogsheads)Laphroaig 13 yo 1998/…
Laphroaig 9 yo 1987/1996 (46%, Murray McDavid, bourbon) Laphroaig 14 yo 1987/2002 (60.26%, Douglas Laing Old Malt Cask for Potstill Vienna, 126 bottles) Laphroaig 8 yo 1998/2007 (46%, Douglas Laing 'Provenance', two refill hogsheads) Laphroaig 13 yo 1998/2012 (59.0%, A D Rattray, cask #10475, bourbon barrel, 227 bottles Laphroaig 21 yo 1992/2013 (50%, Hunter Laing 'Old Malt Cask' for Japan, refill barrel, 243 bottles) Islay Single Malt 32 yo 1990/2022 (49.3%, Thompson Bros, refill barrel, 275 bottles) Islay Single Malt 30 yo 1990/2022 (51.3%, Nanyang Whisky 'The Peninsula Collection', 310 bottles) Islay Single Malt 1989/2021 (52.1%, Thompson Bros for Kirsch Import, 250 bottles) Laphroaig 1976/1997 (50%, Lombard's Jewels of Islay for Japan) Laphroaig 10 yo (90 US proof / 45%, OB, Julius Wile Sons & Co New Hyde Park NY, circa 1980) Laphroaig 30 yo (43%, OB, 75cl) Laphroaig 16 yo 1974/1991 (54.6%, Signatory Vintage, cask #5119, sherry, 225 bottles) Laphroaig 14 yo (91.4 US proof, OB, Carlton Import for USA, 1950s) Laphroaig 14 yo (91.4 US proof, OB, Carlton Import for USA, 1950s)
This time of year brings warm afternoons and cool evenings, which means plenty of time to enjoy a refreshing sip on the porch before the night turns crisp. The Fool’s Gold recipe is a deceptively light bourbon cocktail, featuring a refreshing combination of bourbon, lemon juice, and limoncello liqueur. Enjoy a glass this weekend… Ingredients […]
This time of year brings warm afternoons and cool evenings, which means plenty of time to enjoy a refreshing sip on the porch before the night turns crisp.
The Fool’s Gold recipe is a deceptively light bourbon cocktail, featuring a refreshing combination of bourbon, lemon juice, and limoncello liqueur. Enjoy a glass this weekend…
1. Combine all ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. 2. Shake vigorously. 3. Strain into a rocks glass. 4. Garnish with a lemon wheel and fresh sage.
I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
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I’d like to thank ByrnePR and Lux Row for providing this review sample with no strings attached.
In previous years, I’ve shared my love of many of Lux Row Master Distiller John Rempe’s creations, including many of the Blood Oath series. They are always one-time recipes. Most of them have included some sort of finished bourbon in the blend. This time they are using Oloroso Sherry casks, which I usually don’t care for. Sherry will often overpower the bourbon. The thing that I think may save this is that, from my reading, only one of the bourbons used in the blend is finished in the sherry cask.
Anyway, let’s hear what Lux Row has to say about all of this.
Blood Oath Pact 9 combines some of the finest extra-aged bourbons Rempe could find, including a 16-year ryed bourbon and a 12-year ryed bourbon, as well as a 7-year ryed bourbon finished in Oloroso Sherry casks from the Sherry Triangle region in southwest Spain. These casks impart unique woody and ripe-fruit aromas and flavors to make Blood Oath Pact 9 a memorable pour. “Blood Oath Pact 9 contains three great bourbons, and the Oloroso Sherry cask finish has resulted in a deep, dark amber liquid with long legs,” said Rempe. “The Oloroso Sherry casks also bring out tasting notes of sweet sherry with hints of ripe fruit on the nose, as well as flavor notes highlighted by ripe fruits including figs, plums and raisins, with notes of molasses, chocolate and tobacco. This bourbon also provides a long-lasting finish characterized by fruit notes and complemented by hints of spicy oak. I’m proud to share Blood Oath Pact 9 with bourbon lovers.”
Purchase Info: This sample was provided by the producer for review purposes. The suggested retail price is $129.99 for a 750 mL bottle.
Price per Drink (50 mL): $8.67
Details: 49.3% ABV. Blend of three bourbons: a 16-year, a 12-year, and a 7- year that was finished in Oloroso Sherry casks.
Nose: Brown sugar, red fruit, spearmint, chocolate, vanilla, and honey.
Mouth: Dry and spicy with notes of dark chocolate, cinnamon, red fruits, and toffee.
Finish: Medium length and warm with notes of Cinnamon gum, dark chocolate, and red fruits.
Thoughts: This is very good. From the nose, I expected it to be sweet, so the dryness in the mouth was pleasantly surprising. I'm really a fan of the chocolate and cinnamon gum combo on the finish as well. I like it. Even though the price went up $10 this year, my very frugal accountant of a wife declared that she'd gladly pay the suggested retail if we found it. So interpret that how you will.
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