MGP - BourbonSphere

From One Nation to Another

O’Shaughnessy Distilling master distiller Brian Nation arrived in Minneapolis nearly three years ago after leaving Ireland’s Midleton Distillery, and it’s been an interesting transition. We’ll catch up with Brian and learn about the new Keeper’s Heart 21-year-old Irish single malt coming later this summer on WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Beam Suntory has changed its name to Suntory Global Spirits, while Buffalo Trace takes a look at global expansion with its first home place in London.

Episode 1055: May 5, 2024

Edrington To Sell Noble Oak Bourbon

Six years after launching the Noble Oak Bourbon brand, Edrington has agreed to sell the brand to A21 Wine & Spirits for an undisclosed amount.… Read More

Six years after launching the Noble Oak Bourbon brand, Edrington has agreed to sell the brand to A21 Wine & Spirits for an undisclosed amount. Edrington launched the brand in 2018 for the U.S. market as a way to enter the premium Bourbon category.

Noble Oak started with a “double oaked” Bourbon finished in Sherry casks, and later added a Rye Whiskey to the portfolio, using whiskey sourced from MGP for both expressions. The move is expected to cement Wyoming Whiskey as Edrington’s flagship U.S. whiskey brand.

The brand made its reputation by pledging to plant a tree for every bottle sold, and has accounted for more than 1.2 million plantings in reforestation projects nationwide.

Northern Ireland’s Distilling Resurgence

There was a time when Belfast and the surrounding counties led the world in whisky production. Several factors led to that tradition all but disappearing… Read More

There was a time when Belfast and the surrounding counties led the world in whisky production. Several factors led to that tradition all but disappearing over the last century, but now, the six counties of Northern Ireland are bringing new life to their distilling heritage. We’ll visit several of the country’s distilleries on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth. In the news, Chivas Brothers faces holiday strikes by distillery and bottling plant workers, while UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has given the country’s distillers a break by freezing excise taxes.

Episode 1032: November 26, 2023

Balcones Distilling Celebrates 15 Years of Texas Whiskey

Balcones Distilling in Waco helped put Texas whiskey on the map when it opened in 2008, and this past weekend, the distillery marked it’s 15th… Read More

Balcones Distilling in Waco helped put Texas whiskey on the map when it opened in 2008, and this past weekend, the distillery marked it’s 15th anniversary with a rain-soaked party. We spent the weekend in Waco for the celebration, and sat down with longtime head distiller Jared Himstedt to get answers to some of your questions. In the news, whisky cask investment schemes in the UK are coming under scrutiny, while a charity auction to benefit victims of the recent Irish floods has raised nearly €35,000.

Episode 1029: November 5, 2023

Remus Highest Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review

Remus Highest Rye Bourbon is the latest in the Remus line. It has the most rye a bourbon can have, while still being technically a bourbon. So, what’s it like? Read our review to find out!
The post Remus Highest Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review appe…

Remus Highest Rye Bourbon is the latest in the Remus line. It has the most rye a bourbon can have, while still being technically a bourbon. So, what's it like? Read our review to find out!

The post Remus Highest Rye Straight Bourbon Whiskey Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye Review (2023)

Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) recently announced the release of the newest member of the Rossville Union Rye family – Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye. It’s aged 6 years and made from a unique mash bill of 51% rye and 49% barley malt. So, what…

Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) recently announced the release of the newest member of the Rossville Union Rye family - Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye. It's aged 6 years and made from a unique mash bill of 51% rye and 49% barley malt. So, what's it like? Read our full review to find out!

The post Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Rye Review (2023) appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Old Ezra 7 Rye Review

Old Ezra 7 Rye is a blend of 95% and 51% rye whiskeys, distilled by Ross & Squibb Distillery (MGP) and released by Lux Row Distillers. It is bottled at 114 proof. How did it turn out? Read on to find out!
The post Old Ezra 7 Rye Review appeared fi…

The post Old Ezra 7 Rye Review appeared first on Bourbon Obsessed℠ .

Reviving Rosebank Distillery After 30 Silent Years

When Rosebank Distillery’s stills went silent in 1993, many whisky lovers assumed the Falkirk distillery was gone forever – especially after thieves stole the copper… Read More

When Rosebank Distillery’s stills went silent in 1993, many whisky lovers assumed the Falkirk distillery was gone forever – especially after thieves stole the copper stills for scrap a couple of years later. Now, after 5 and a half years of work, Rosebank has come back to life, and the team at Ian Macleod Distillers filled the first casks of Rosebank since 1993 this week. We’ll talk with Ian Macleod’s Gordon Dundas about the revival of Rosebank on this week’s WhiskyCast In-Depth.

In the news, the whisky world pays tribute to the Bon Accord’s Paul McDonagh after the legendary Glasgow whisky bar’s owner passed away this week. Speyburn Distillery in Scotland is opening its doors to visitors for the first time starting next week, and we’ll have the details. We’ll take a look at sweet mash and sour mash distilling on Behind the Label, and our tasting notes this week include whiskies from Amrut and Arran distilleries.

Episode 1014: July 23, 2023

Photo courtesy Ian Macleod Distillers

A New Golden Age for Scotch Whisky?

The Scotch Whisky industry is roaring along, setting new records for sales every year as the global demand for whisky continues to grow. The last… Read More

The Scotch Whisky industry is roaring along, setting new records for sales every year as the global demand for whisky continues to grow. The last “golden age” for Scotch Whisky is generally considered to be the late 1800’s, when distilleries flourished all over Scotland. That begs the question: are we in a new golden age for Scotch Whisky? Veteran whisky writers, historians, and consultants Charles Maclean and Ian Buxton take on that question and other key issues in an extended WhiskyCast In-Depth conversation this week.

In the news, a Pacific Northwest malting house has left distilleries and brewers in the lurch after suddenly closing this week, while Speyside Distillers is being questioned about the location of casks sold to investors more than 20 years ago.

Episode 1010: June 25, 2023

Craigellachie Travel Retail Release Leads the Week’s New Whiskies

Craigellachie is releasing a 37-year-old Bourbon cask finished single malt. The whisky was distilled in 1984, and originally was matured in refill casks before being… Read More

Craigellachie is releasing a 37-year-old Bourbon cask finished single malt. The whisky was distilled in 1984, and originally was matured in refill casks before being transferred to ex-Bourbon barrels.

3,012 bottles will be available first at Gebr. Heinemann airport shops in Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Istanbul, then at retailers in the U-K, Germany, France, Taiwan, and China starting August 1 with a recommended retail price of £3,800.

Arran is releasing a new 25-year-old single malt. It’s the oldest in the Arran range so far, and will become part of the distillery’s core range. Only 3,000 bottles will be available globally, with 240 coming to the U.S. at a price tag of $789.99 a bottle…

Meanwhile, Arran’s sister distillery, Lagg, has released its first whisky. The peated Kilmory is matured in first-fill ex-Bourbon barrels and bottled at 46 percent ABV with no chill filtering. It’s available now through the Arran web site for £49.99 a bottle.

Douglas Laing and Company has released a new edition of its Timorous Beastie Highland blended malt. It’s finished in Port wine casks and kicks off the brand’s Cheese Cellar Collection of whiskies crafted to be paired with cheeses. In particular, this one is said to pair well with a Stilton. It’ll be available globally, and will carry a recommended retail price in the UK of £65 a bottle.

O’Shaughnessy Distilling in Minneapolis has released a cask-strength bottling of its Keepers Heart Irish whiskey and Bourbon blend. The blend brings together Irish Pot Still and grain whiskies from Great Northern Distilling in Ireland with four year old MGP Bourbon. It’s bottled at 58.5% ABV, and will carry a recommended retail price of $49.99 a bottle.

Nevada’s Frey Ranch is releasing what it calls a farm-strength uncut Bourbon using the same mashbill as the distillery’s award-winning Bourbon. It’s five years old and bottled at 62.1% ABV, and will be available at the distillery, online, and at retailers in California and Nevada for $79.99 a bottle.

Finally, it’s not a new whisky release, but Four Roses is marking the distillery’s 135th anniversary with a new tasting pack featuring all ten of the distillery’s recipes. It’s the first time all ten recipes have been available in one package, and comes with a QR code for a tutored online tasting with Master Distiller Brent Elliott. The pack costs $129.99 and will be available starting Friday at the Four Roses gift shops in Lawrenceburg and Cox’s Creek, Kentucky. In July, they’ll go on sale at select retailers in Kentucky, Georgia, Illinois, and California.

Published June 25, 2023