Author name: Chuck Cowdery

Has the Next Great Whiskey Glut Begun?

 Whiskey maturing in Kentucky.Ever since the “bourbon boom” began, about 20 years ago, people have speculated about a future whiskey glut. Now, we have data.Bernstein is a research firm that helps institutional investors manage their portfolios. R…

The House that Old Crow Built

 Seaview Terrace, also known as the Carey Mansion, in Newport, Rhode Island.If you recognize the mansion pictured above, it probably has nothing to do with Old Crow Bourbon. The house is famous in its own right, as the fifth-largest of Newport’s f…

I. W. Harper Deserves Better

 I. W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, 41% alc/volIn 2015, Diageo relaunched I. W. Harper bourbon, a 19th century brand created by the Bernheim Brothers. The relaunch did not set the world on fire. Some old brands have been suc…

Prohibition Is an Awful Flop. We Love It!

 The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 was widely celebrated.National Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933) was always divisive, and many otherwise law-abiding Americans never accepted its legitimacy. Several years in, the “noble experiment” wa…

What’s in a Name? (Beam’s Version)

 Fred, Freddie, and Booker Noe, at the Jim Beam Distillery, Bullitt County, Kentucky.What’s in a name? That which we call a roseBy any other name would smell as sweet;So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call’d,Retain that dear perfection which he ow…

Have I Learned Anything About Life? Maybe

Grant Wood “American Gothic” (detail)In 2003, two of my friends were getting married. They’d both been around the block a few times and requested, in lieu of gifts, that we offer them our advice “on conflict resolution and the making of a successf…

A Train Ride to a Distillery? Yes, Please!

 For special events, you can park at the Kentucky Railroad Museum in New Haven and ride the train to Log Still Distillery.Okay, I’m a sucker for a train ride.Log Still Distillery’s premier event venue, The Legacy, kicks off its Southern Supper Ser…

Step In, Step Up

 What to try next?Today, most of what you see and read about bourbon and rye is focused on limited editions, finishes, and other mostly premium expressions. That’s fine if that’s what you’re into, but it’s a nightmare for newcomers trying to get t…

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