America’s Best Bourbon Bars in the NORTHEAST REGION has a range of coveted Bourbon staples like brown water mecca Flatiron Room and the gorgeous and elegant Brandy Library. TITLE SPONSOR: “The B-Line®”: A very special thanks to our title sponsor, The B-Line®, Northern Kentucky’s unique bourbon experience and an Official Gateway to the northern portion of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, featuring 25 authentic Bourbon-immersed experiences […]
America’s Best Bourbon Bars in the NORTHEAST REGION has a range of coveted Bourbon staples like brown water mecca Flatiron Room and the gorgeous and elegant Brandy Library.
TITLE SPONSOR: “The B-Line®”: A very special thanks to our title sponsor, The B-Line®, Northern Kentucky’s unique bourbon experience and an Official Gateway to the northern portion of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, featuring 25 authentic Bourbon-immersed experiences – 7 Kentucky Bourbon Trail® distilleries + 9 Bourbon bars (100+ Bourbons per bar) + 9 Bourbon-centric restaurants (50+ Bourbons per restaurant).
Kentucky is The Bourbon State as it has the Bourbon Bar prowess to match its mighty distilling chops. Here’s your insider’s look at the best watering holes in the Commonwealth including one of the country’s oldest bourbon bars, the Old Talbott Tavern & Inn in Bardstown (it’s said to be haunted – make a special trip for spooky season). […]
Kentucky is The Bourbon State as it has the Bourbon Bar prowess to match its mighty distilling chops. Here’s your insider’s look at the best watering holes in the Commonwealth including one of the country’s oldest bourbon bars, theOld Talbott Tavern & Inn in Bardstown (it’s said to be haunted – make a special trip for spooky season).
Just a few highlights from Northern Kentucky’s The B-Line®district – check out Smoke Justis who specializes in smoked meats with a massive 400+ Bourbon collection. Goodfellas Mainstrasse has you covered with mouth watering Brooklyn style pizza on the 1st floor and a cool speakeasy vibe lounge on the 2nd armed with a world class Bourbon selection and cocktails. Rich’s Proper is at the top of our list crushing both food & drink. Oysters, huge sammies, massive Bourbon selection, fantastic cocktails.
TITLE SPONSOR: “The B-Line®” – Speaking of, a very special thanks to our title sponsor, The B-Line®, Northern Kentucky’s unique bourbon experience and an Official Gateway to the northern portion of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail®, featuring 25 authentic Bourbon-immersed experiences – 7 Kentucky Bourbon Trail® distilleries + 9 Bourbon bars (100+ Bourbons per bar) + 9 Bourbon-centric restaurants (50+ Bourbons per restaurant).
Come to Kentucky for the distilleries, stay for the bars and restaurants!
According to a report in India, Pernod Ricard is considering selling its whisky brand Imperial Blue. When Just Drinks contacted the company, it refused to comment on the “rumors” about its plans. Other reports in the local business publication LiveMint, said that the group is looking to sell Imperial Blue whisky. This would allow it […]
According to a report in India, Pernod Ricard is considering selling its whisky brand Imperial Blue. When Just Drinks contacted the company, it refused to comment on the “rumors” about its plans.
Other reports in the local business publication LiveMint, said that the group is looking to sell Imperial Blue whisky. This would allow it to better focus on its other brands, including Chivas Regal, Glenlivet, and Jameson.
Several sources close to the matter told LiveMint that the sale would be valued at about $595.4 million. The company’s CEO Alexandre Ricard said India is the company’s “second largest market” for the fiscal year ending in June.
Pernod Ricard to Offload Imperial Blue Whisky Brand
The reason is India’s developing GDP, “very strong and favorable macro fundamentals” and an increasing middle class and affluent population, with “25 million people joining the legal drinking age population” every year.
“Premium plus western style spirits” are experiencing an upward trend in India, according to Pernod. Seagram whiskies such as Royal Stag and Blender’s Pride contributed to the 5% growth in Pernod’s strategic local brands segment during the full year.
With a total net sales of 11.59 billion euros for FY24, Pernod Ricard reported a slight decline of 1 percent from the previous year. China and the US saw sales fall by 9 percent and 10 percent, respectively, while India saw 6 percent growth.
Ricard told analysts Pernod was on track to meet its “medium-term” growth goals, which include achieving organic net sales growth in the range of 4% to 7% and increasing organic operating margin by 50 to 60 basis points.
According to Barclays analysts, India had a more stable performance in the full year, however, it has a “lower margin than China”. He said this would not help overcome the current difficulties in the region.
Letting go of Imperial Blue could move resources to other brands and improve the opportunity to increase profits.
I’d like to thank West Fork Whiskey in Indianapolis, IN for providing these review samples with no strings attached.
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I’d like to thank West Fork Whiskey in Indianapolis, IN for providing these review samples with no strings attached.
Indianapolis is an easy city to drive through. Four separate Interstate Highways converge here, and with a beltway loop as part of the Interstate system, navigating through the city is quite straightforward. I know this because I’ve driven through Indianapolis on the way to other destinations more times than I can count.
However, there has only been one time that I’ve actually spent any time in the city itself. As much as I might wish it was because my beloved Golden Gophers made it to a Big Ten title game, that’s sadly not the reason I visited (and, unfortunately, I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that to happen anytime soon either). The one time I spent an afternoon in the city, we visited the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and took a tour before continuing on to our destination in another state. Once again, I was just passing through.
I’ve spent so little time in Indianapolis that I used to joke it wasn’t even real—that it was just a figment of our collective imagination. After all, other than being an oversized crossroad, what’s the draw if you’re not there for sports or a convention? Plus, it seems almost unnaturally situated at the exact geographical center of the state. Cities don’t usually pop up where there aren’t any navigable rivers, at least not when it was founded. It’s a bit unnerving.
Of course, I’m joking, but until now, I’ve only seen Indianapolis as a milestone on a road trip to somewhere else. It reminds me too much of my home here in Minnesota to make it a place worth visiting without a specific reason. But if I ever find that reason (maybe if my Gophers ever improve their football team to the point where I have an excuse to travel… sigh), I now know of someplace worth checking out.
Tonight, we’re looking at two bourbons from West Fork Whiskey Company, a craft distillery in the area. They produce two lines of whiskey. One, the West Fork Whiskey line, is grain-to-glass, distilled in-house. The other, which we’re focusing on tonight, is the Old Hamer line, sourced from MGP in southern Indiana. They use MGP’s 99% corn/1% rye mash bill to create this line. The two bottles we’re examining are from their barrel-finished Hugh Hamer line extension. Both are non-chill filtered, aged between four and six years, and bottled at 103° proof.
Mouth: Spicy cinnamon, wintergreen, caramel, oak, and a touch of cherry.
Finish: Warm and of medium length. Notes of cinnamon, cherry syrup, dusty oak, and wintergreen.
Thoughts: Pretty darn tasty. It's spicy and sweet with nice oak and cherry notes throughout. I wasn't sure what to expect with a 99% corn mash bill, but I am really enjoying it. Quite good.
Nose: Sweet ginger and molasses. It's like a cookie.
Mouth: Funky rum and tropical notes are layered over traditional bourbon notes of caramel, baking spice and oak.
Finish: Warm and of medium length with notes of dusty oak and rum funk.
Thoughts: This is also really tasty. I really enjoy the addition of rum funk to bourbon and often will add a touch of Jamacan Rum to a glass if I want something a little different. This is even better as the rum influence is more subtle than my relatively heavy mix. I like this one too.
In fact, if you mix the two together, they are even better yet. Really enjoying these two.
BourbonGuy.com will be off next week as we are on a real vacation with just the two of us. I won’t be traveling through Indianapolis this time and, sadly, won’t have the opportunity to visit West Fork Whiskey. But you can be assured that the next time I pass through, I will be stopping.
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Bowmore will release Bowmore Appellations – a new travel retail-exclusive collection from the distillery which showcases whiskies matured in casks from wine-producing regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Douro Valley. Bowmore 14-Year-Old is matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks, finished in Bordeaux barriques and is said to offer notes of fruit and smoke. Bowmore […]
Bowmore will release Bowmore Appellations – a new travel retail-exclusive collection from the distillery which showcases whiskies matured in casks from wine-producing regions such as Burgundy, Bordeaux and the Douro Valley.
Bowmore 14-Year-Old is matured in American oak ex-bourbon casks, finished in Bordeaux barriques and is said to offer notes of fruit and smoke. Bowmore 14-Year-Old will be made available for $65 per bottle.
Bowmore 16-Year-Old single malt is also matured in ex-bourbon casks as well as European oak sherry casks, finished in ruby Port casks from the Douro Valley and is said to offer notes of smoke. Bowmore 16-Year-Old will be made available for $110 per bottle.
Bowmore 19-Year-Old was matured in ex-bourbon casks, finished in pinot noir casks from Burgundy and is said to offer notes of caramel and smoke. Bowmore 19-Year-Old will be made available for $200 per bottle.
Bowmore 22-Year-Old single malt was finished in Sauternes casks and will be made available for $500 per bottle.
All four whiskies in the Bowmore Appellations collection will not be available until October 2024 and then will only be available in select travel retail venues and the Bowmore distillery home on Islay.
Glenns Creek SWheat Bourbon is a wheat recipe Bourbon that I tasted last month when Rosemary and I visited the distillery with our friends John and Carlene. I was impressed with the quality of this pot still distilled Bourbon so… Continue Reading …
Glenns Creek SWheat Bourbon is a wheat recipe Bourbon that I tasted last month when Rosemary and I visited the distillery with our friends John and Carlene. I was impressed with the quality of this pot still distilled Bourbon so... Continue Reading →
Bardstown Bourbon’s Silver Oak finish is an expert blend of six 9- to 15-year-old bourbons, finished in Silver Oak Cabernet barrels for 17 months. The resulting bourbon offers an exquisite balance of ripe fruit, caramel and roasted nuts.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. will celebrate Bourbon Heritage Month with two new releases, a Silver Oak Finish brings together innovators in American wine and whiskey to create a singular whiskey that celebrates American craft, and the 12th iteration of the sought-after Discovery series, both launching September 6.
Bardstown Bourbon’s Silver Oak Finish
Bardstown Bourbon’s Silver Oak finish is an expert blend of six 9- to 15-year-old bourbons, finished in Silver Oak Cabernet barrels for 17 months. The resulting bourbon offers an exquisite balance of ripe fruit, caramel and roasted nuts.
Silver Oak honors a more than 50-year tradition of aging Cabernet Sauvignon exclusively in American Oak barrels. Like Bardstown Bourbon Co., Silver Oak vows that their best bottles are ahead, never settling and always looking to improve and innovate. Silver Oak remains one of the most sought-after brands in the global wine industry.
“In age-old crafts like winemaking and distillation, creating something new requires curiosity,” said Nate Weis, Vice President of Winegrowing, Silver Oak. “This is an ethos that Silver Oak and Bardstown share, be it in the way we connect with our customers in the Napa Valley or Kentucky, or exploring the horizons of our shared passion, American oak.”
On the nose, layers of baked strawberry, plum, and roasted nuts are highlighted by cinnamon and cocoa. A full-bodied palate of caramel and fig leads to an exquisite, lightly tannic balance of oak, spice, and blackberry, striking a noteworthy balance of fruit and barrel notes.
Bardstown Bourbon’s Silver Oak finish is presented at 108 proof (54% alc. by vol.) and is offered at a suggested retail price of $159.99.
Earlier this year, Bardstown Bourbon announced the full suite of collaborations planned for the year, including Blackberry Farm, set to be released regionally this fall, and Amrut Distillery, pioneer of Indian single malts. Bardstown’s Amrut Distillery Collaboration marked a first-of-its-kind finish for American whiskey and received 95 points and a prestigious Double Gold at the 2023 San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Bardstown Bourbon Co Discovery 12 Arrives September 6
Accompanying the Collaborative release, Bardstown will also release the 12th iteration of its award-winning Discovery Series. The Discovery Series highlights the Art of Blending, creating exciting expressions that together are greater than the sum of their parts. Through artfully combining rare and exemplary whiskies we discover from all over the world, this series pushes the boundaries of innovation by creating completely unique flavor profiles and styles. Each release provides something new to discover.
Baked cherry, toasted oak, vanilla cream, and hazelnut create a decadent, complex aroma. On the palate, a balance of wood sugar and spice gives way to a lasting finish of coconut, red fruit, and caramel.
Discovery 12 is a thoughtfully blended collection of four whiskies, including a 6-year-old four grain recipe distilled and aged at Bardstown Bourbon Co. With each release, the Discovery series releases will include an increased percentage of Bardstown Bourbon’s estate distilled whiskies.
It is presented at 115.2 proof (57.6 percent alc. by vol.), and available for a suggested retail price of $139.99.
Continuing its 200th-anniversary celebrations, The Macallan has unveiled the Time: Space Collection. The edition adds two new releases honoring the brand’s interpretation of time travel. However, each release is presented in bespoke vessels using ancient craftsmanship and modern engineering. The first spirit, Time: Space, is a dual chamber vessel that houses the oldest whisky released […]
Continuing its 200th-anniversary celebrations, The Macallan has unveiled the Time: Space Collection. The edition adds two new releases honoring the brand’s interpretation of time travel. However, each release is presented in bespoke vessels using ancient craftsmanship and modern engineering.
The first spirit, Time: Space, is a dual chamber vessel that houses the oldest whisky released by The Macallan. A sovereign expression aged for 84 years now awaits its place in whisky libraries.
A tribute to the past, this expression was aged in first-fill American oak butts and second-fill European oak butts. Both were seasoned with Sherry in Jerez de la Frontera before maturation in Speyside, Scotland.
The Macallan Rolls Out Two New Spirits in Time: Space Collection
A rare single malt Scotch whisky, this 43.6% ABV single malt has a deep, natural color, a full, long-lasting flavor, and exceptional depth.
On the nose, appear notes of charred pineapple and baked peaches, followed by crystalized ginger, and aniseed. Hints of blackberry jam, and sweet woodsmoke, along with caramelized sugar floods the palette. Finishing with essence of dark chocolate and toasted oak.
The central chamber hosts a second single malt, the first from the Macallan’s new distillery. Recognizing a vintage from 2018. Notable, the 5-year-old has notes of golden sultanas and baked apples on the palate, forming a buttery pastry dusted in icing sugar. Hints of lemon and lime follow, alongside vanilla shortbread. With a medium finish, so creamy and sweet with oak.
Only 200 of each release will be available.
The Macallan Oldest Whisky to Date
The Macallan’s master whisky maker, Kirsteen Campbell, commented: “It was an absolute privilege to be able to reach back in time and select stock from the 1940’s to honour and celebrate our 200 year anniversary
“As a whisky mastery team, our roles are unique in the sense that we get to time travel – selecting whisky from the past crafted by our predecessors, whilst simultaneously laying down casks for future generations of whisky makers and consumers. To nose, taste and select whisky created over eight decades ago is an exceptionally rare occasion in the life of a whisky maker and one which I will treasure.
“For the 2018 vintage, the prospect of selecting a younger cask created a lot of excitement in the sample room – it is an opportunity to give others an insight into The Macallan’s future. This marked the first year of production in our new distillery, which is truly a significant moment to be cherished. Through a fusion of art and science, we have ensured the continuity of the character of our whisky.”
By Richard Thomas Rating: A- In some ways, the bourbon calendar is more predictable than the real passage of the seasons, especially here in Kentucky and in the era of climate change. Today it is dry and quite pleasant outside, but I have no idea if the next round of storms will bring with it …
By Richard Thomas
Rating: A-
Old Forester Birthday Bourbon 2024 (Credit: Brown-Forman)
In some ways, the bourbon calendar is more predictable than the real passage of the seasons, especially here in Kentucky and in the era of climate change. Today it is dry and quite pleasant outside, but I have no idea if the next round of storms will bring with it a return to steamy, late summer weather. Meanwhile, I know for certain the autumnal season of red hot American whiskey releases is around the corner, because Old Forester has dropped the year’s Birthday Bourbon.
The 2024 Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is already unique in that it was bottled at 107 proof, which is the strongest ever bottling for the expression. The release was also attended by a sweepstakes, which saw 1,000 lucky contestants bypass the usual trouble of bottle hunting (or expense of paying market value). They won the right to go to the Old Forester Distillery on Louisville’s Whiskey Row and buy a bottle at MSRP. Past that, the tale of this year’s tribute to George Garvin Brown is typical. Master Distiller Emeritus Chris Morris and Master Taster Melissa Rift hand-selected 209 barrels for the release, with all those bottles being 12 years or older. That is part for the course for this expression, which is routinely middle aged.
The Bourbon The pour took a dulled, middle amber look in the glass, and I could tell right away that it was borderline on whether water should be added. I frankly find the fever for drinking Hazmat whiskeys neat baffling (as concentrate bottles, they’re great, but drinking something you could run your weed whacker on neat?), but 107 proof is a spot where maybe water is needed and maybe it isn’t. As I left the glass on the table to take some air, I detected a hint of heat. Subsequent nosing showed it stayed there, but a hint of heat is not problematic. So, no water added to this bourbon.
The nose was spice-forward, with the initial impression being very gingerbread before candy corn and caramel. Further nosing developed that spicy current on the front into cloves, ginger and charred oak, with the sweet side remaining quite rooted in candy corn and caramel, with a little green apple thrown in. Most interesting is the trademark Old Forester banana note is gone.
That spicy current morphs into a herbaceous spiciness on the palate. The ginger note continues, but now it is tied to spearmint. That sits atop a syrupy , thick bourbon sweetness of molasses, vanilla and pipe tobacco. The finish ran woody with an almost meaty undertone, before turning woody and spicy to fade away with.
The Price The official price for this year’s Birthday Bourbon is $200.
Bardstown Bourbon Company releases Silver Oak Bourbon Finish, featuring a blend of bourbons aged up to 15 years. This special release for Bourbon Heritage Month showcases a unique bourbon finished in Silver Oak Cabernet Napa wine barrels, as part of their Collaborative Series.
Bardstown Bourbon Co. tells BourbonBlog.com they are releasing the new Silver Oak Finish bringing together innovators in American wine and whiskey to create a singular whiskey that celebrates American craft launching September 6, 2024.
Bardstown Bourbon’s Silver Oak finish is an expert blend of six 9- to 15-year-old bourbons, finished in Silver Oak California Cabernet barrels for 17 months. (Please see below for the full breakdown of mashbills, ages of whiskey, origins, and percentages). Bardstown Bourbon’s Silver Oak finish is presented at 108 proof (54% alc. by vol.) and is offered at a suggested retail price of $159.99.
Silver Oak Cellars honors a more than 50-year tradition in California of aging Cabernet Sauvignon exclusively in American Oak barrels. Like Bardstown Bourbon Co., Silver Oak vows that their best bottles are ahead, never settling and always looking to improve and innovate.
Silver Oak is one of the most sought-after brands in the global wine industry.
“In age-old crafts like winemaking and distillation, creating something new requires curiosity,” Nate Weis, Vice President of Winegrowing, Silver Oak tells BourbonBlog.com. “This is an ethos that Silver Oak and Bardstown share, be it in the way we connect with our customers in the Napa Valley or Kentucky, or exploring the horizons of our shared passion, American oak.”
The brand says that on the nose, there are layers of baked strawberry, plum, and roasted nuts are highlighted by cinnamon and cocoa. A full-bodied palate of caramel and fig leads to an exquisite, lightly tannic balance of oak, spice, and blackberry, striking a noteworthy balance of fruit and barrel notes.
Earlier this year, Bardstown Bourbon announced the full suite of collaborations planned for the year including Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm, set to be released regionally this fall, and Amrut Distillery, pioneer of Indian single malts. Bardstown’s Amrut Distillery Collaboration marked a first-of-its-kind finish for American whiskey.
The post