Eve's Wine 101

WoodCraft Bourbon Blender is Taking Craft Bourbon Back to Its Roots

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Cincinnati, Ohio – The innovators at WoodCraft Bourbon Blender have created a system that brings the custom bourbon of the 1800s to all bourbon lovers today.  This has translated into a new way of consuming bourbon by giving patrons what they want; their own personal single barrel bourbon by the glass or bottle.

Initial consumer and industry reaction has been so positive that the team is now franchising WoodCraft Bourbon Blender.  The first WoodCraft Bourbon Blender franchise, Barrels & Billets, opened its doors in Louisville, on the famous Whiskey Row, on February 23rd.

This exciting new bourbon experience where guests can blend, create and bottle their very own bourbon will complement Louisville’s thriving bourbon tourism industry by offering guests a fun and unique way to participate in the blending of their own personal bourbon.  Guests will blend with six award-winning WoodCraft bourbons which include a 200 Year Oak, European Oak, American Oak, Cherry Wood, Maple Wood, and Smoked Oak. During the experience, guests will learn the art of bourbon blending before the blending process begins. Once the blending experience is complete, guests can have their recipe bottled onsite.

The franchisee is the  Hillerich family – famous for their Louisville Slugger baseball bats.  They have a link to whiskey as the original family immigrant, J. Frederick, was a barrel maker.  They also have showcased years of expertise with consumer experiences such as their famous Louisville Slugger Museum & Factory.

“Some may be wondering why a sports and attraction company is getting into the bourbon business, but Barrels & Billets is actually a continuation of H&B’s long history of creating uniquely Louisville experiences for our fans and guests,” said John Hillerich, President & CEO of Hillerich & Bradsby Co.

Co-founders Doug Hall and Joe Girgash created the WoodCraft finishing system to offer everyone the ability to have their own custom bourbon.  Despite the chaos of Covid, they’ve worked through massive regulatory and production issues to make it possible for everyone to have their own bourbon again – one drink or one bottle at a time for a reasonable price. As Doug says, “Owning your own custom bourbon distillery is a ton of fun.  That said, you need to have patience as the process for regulatory approval is painful.”

It took three long years to turn this dream into a reality. Doug leveraged the invention skills from his other company, The Eureka! Ranch, and worked through the many challenges including those outlined below.

  • Working through state and federal rules and regulations
  • Teaching customers how to create their own custom bourbon recipes
  • Creating a way for the custom bourbon to have reliability so that it can be repurchased at later dates
  • Discovering a cost-effective system for creating individual bottles for the custom bourbon

The process is simple. Consumers can create their custom bourbon three ways:

  1. Enjoy a one hour blending experience, while learning about the art and science of master bourbon blending
  2. Work with a 2 minute Artificial Intelligence Bourbon Wizard
  3. Buy a custom Bourbon Blending Kit to do at home guided by an internet accessible video.

However, it doesn’t end here. Doug and Joe are constantly working on next steps.

They will continue to expand the franchising of the free-standing WoodCraft Bourbon Blending Machines in stores, as well as fractional franchising in over 20,000 distilleries, breweries, and wineries.  With a low investment, and small space requirement – franchisees can soon offer custom bourbon experiences and bourbon bottles to their clients.

They are also developing a way for a version of the blending machine to be available in bars and restaurants.  Additionally, they are building on their initial success of Dexter Bourbon and Noble Oak Bourbon and working to develop limited edition releases for franchisees to sell.  And, Doug, as a Canadian-American, is in talks to take the franchising of custom bourbon to Canada, and ultimately, around the world.

WoodCraft Bourbon Blending Franchising is currently not available in all states.  In keeping with Federal and State laws there is a disclosure process that must be followed.  To learn more, please visit www.BourbonFranchise.com

Brad Paisley to Launch ‘American Highway’ Bourbon

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BARDSTOWN, Ky., /PRNewswire/ — Global country music superstar Brad Paisley will launch “American Highway” Bourbon this month, a whiskey aged in barrels stored in a 53-foot semi-trailer that followed his 2019 nation-wide tour for 7,314 miles across 25 states, from coast to coast.

 

Global country music superstar Brad Paisley launches “American Highway” Bourbon

“Bourbon is like songwriting, it’s a blend of things coming together to make something incredible,” said Paisley. “These are really special barrels that saw more of the United States than most people I know.”

The fluctuating climate of the barrels’ journey expanded and contracted their staves, imparting oak and char that cultivate the characteristics flavors of America’s native spirit. This well-traveled batch was then blended with three-year, 13-year and 15-year-old Kentucky bourbons to create the final product. The next batch, to be released in 2022, was aged on the Rolling Rickhouse during Paisley’s 2021 tour.

Paisley sums up the creative process that derived his bourbon: “It’s so similar to what goes into a great guitar. The right woods, the right craftsmanship, the right alchemy that makes this intangible, magical thing, and that’s what makes this so great to me.”

“American Highway’s” literal path-to-market wasn’t the only unique aspect of its creation: Rather than just sourcing whiskey and lending a celebrity name to it, Paisley worked closely with award-winning bourbon distiller Bardstown Bourbon Company to create the final blend. Located in Bardstown, Kentucky the “Bourbon Capitol of the World,” this modern bourbon distiller creates custom whiskey, bourbon and rye for more than 30 different brand-owners worldwide and has won critical acclaim for its releases.

Paisley collaborated with a team of experts at Bardstown, including VP of New Product Development Dan Callaway. “You don’t get to see many celebrities that have such a technical palate,” shared Callaway. “It was a super collaboration that resulted in a travelled bourbon in an exemplary expression.”

Callaway describes the bourbon as “A blend of four rye-forward bourbons ranging in age from 3 to 15 years. The flavor profile is incredibly unique. Subtle, complex, spicy, well-traveled. As we like to say, it was, ‘born in Kentucky, aged across America’.”

With just 30,000 bottles of the initial release produced, the 96-proof blend has a suggested retail price of $99.99. The bourbon will be available in AL, CA, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, MS, NC, NV, NY, OH, TN, TX, WI and WV, and exclusively online through www.seelbachs.com.

The stats:
Proof: 96 / ABV 48%
Mashbill: 28% 3YO 71/21/0/9; 25% 3YO 60/36/0/4; 24% 13YO 74/18/0/8; 23% 15YO 78.5/13/0/8.5
Suggested Retail Price: $99.99 per 750ml bottle

For more information on American Highway Reserve Bourbon, or to find out where you can purchase locally, visit: www.AmericanHighwayReserve.com.

About Brad Paisley:
Brad Paisley has earned his place in country music history as one of the genre’s most talented and decorated male solo artists. Over the past 21 years, his songwriting and unmatched showmanship have won him numerous awards, including three GRAMMYs, two American Music Awards, 14 Country Music Association Awards and 15 Academy of Country Music Awards, among many others. A member of the Grand Ole Opry since 2001, Paisley has written 21 of his 24 No. 1 hits, and in 2008 became the first artist to achieve 10 consecutive Billboard Country Airplay No. 1 singles. The 2010 CMA Entertainer of the Year’s past works have amassed over 4.6 billion worldwide career streams. Paisley continues to collaborate with Peyton Manning in a multi-year ad campaign with Nationwide insurance. In 2015, the global superstar partnered with Boot Barn® to develop Moonshine Spirit by Brad Paisley, an exclusive line of jeans, hats, T-shirts, jewelry, belts and woven shirts. A prolific entertainer, Paisley’s first prime-time special, Brad Paisley Thinks He’s Special, aired on ABC in December 2019 and has garnered over 18.1 million viewers to date. Paisley and his wife, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, are co-founders of nonprofit organization The Store, a free-referral based grocery store, which aims to empower low-income individuals and families in the Nashville area. For more information, visit www.thestore.org.

BradPaisley.com | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

About Bardstown Bourbon Company:

Founded in 2014 by Peter Loftin in the heart of Bourbon Country on 100 acres of active farmland, Bardstown Bourbon Company, 1500 Parkway Drive, Bardstown, Ky., is one of the country’s most modern and technically advanced whiskey distilleries. Celebrating the art of making high-quality, authentic bourbons, the innovative distillery produces custom rye, whiskey and bourbon for prominent brands including High West, Belle Meade, Hirsch and many others through its one-of-a-kind collaborative distilling program. Bardstown Bourbon Company honors tradition and drives innovation with their exceptional destination experience for visitors, offering the only full-service restaurant located within a distillery on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail, The Kitchen and Bar at Bardstown Bourbon Company.

Blue Run Spirits Unveils Its First Distillation From Bourbon Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge – Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Whiskey

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GEORGETOWN, KY. (PRWEB) – The first Blue Run Spirits whiskey with Bourbon legend Jim Rutledge serving as the contracted master distiller is now available. Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Whiskey can be found in select retailers in the U.S. and Canada, as well as online at BlueRunSpirits.com. This is the company’s second fall release, following closely on the heels of the instantly sold-out, gold medal-winning Blue Run Kentucky Straight Golden Rye Whiskey.

Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon is a small-batch whiskey and is the first Blue Run product with Bourbon Hall of Famer Jim Rutledge overseeing the production (on all previous Blue Run products, except Golden Rye, Jim served as the Liquid Advisor). Rutledge distilled this batch at Castle & Key Distillery.

“For a four-year-old Bourbon, I’m impressed with the quality of this release, and I look forward to evaluating the subsequent releases of these barrels – after additional maturation,” said Jim Rutledge.

Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon is distilled from a 65% Yellow Corn, 30% Rye, 5% Malted Barley mash bill. Just 100 carefully selected barrels were chosen for this bottling, each toasted to a #4 alligator char and aged in Frankfort and Bardstown, KY. Blue Run High Rye Bourbon clocks in at 111 proof.

“As we celebrate our one-year anniversary as a company, we wanted to release something that really made a statement and honored the deep traditions of whiskey making,” said Mike Montgomery, CEO and cofounder of Blue Run Spirits. “The legendary Jim Rutledge helped us craft a bold, spicy Bourbon that even at 111 proof is incredibly sippable, with a pronounced, memorable finish. We are very excited to see how these barrels evolve over time for subsequent bottlings.”

On the tongue, Blue Run High Rye Bourbon is a caramel beauty full of baking spices and a toasted oak frame that crescendos with a stone fruit and black pepper finish. Each bottle features an iridescent coating on the brand’s signature gold butterfly to create a prismatic, rainbow-hued medallion, making it easily identifiable on any back bar.

Since Blue Run Spirits launched in October 2020, the company has released five whiskies: the inaugural 13-Year-Old Bourbon; 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon, which was awarded top category honors at the prestigious 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition winning Best Single Barrel Bourbon – 11 Years & Older, as well as a Double Gold Medal; 14-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon, which won Best Small Batch Bourbon – 11 Years & Older, along with a Double Gold Medal; and the most recent release – Golden Rye Whiskey – which received a Gold Medal in San Francisco.

Blue Run Kentucky Straight High Rye Bourbon Whiskey is available for $89.99 SRP and can be found wherever high-end luxury Bourbons are sold. It will be followed by several holiday releases.

Blue Run Spirits can be purchased in Kentucky, Louisiana (RNDC); Georgia (Savannah); South Carolina and Tennessee (Advintage); Washington, D.C., Maryland and Delaware (Prestige-Ledroit); Illinois and Colorado (Breakthru); California and Florida (Park Street); New Jersey (Fedway Associates); Canada (Evergreen); and online through Seelbach’s at http://www.bluerunspirits.com/shop.

Find Blue Run Spirits online at http://www.bluerunspirits.com, and on social media: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT BLUE RUN SPIRITS
Blue Run Spirits is a new kind of spirits company, creating a unique luxury proposition by tapping into the deep heritage and craft that makes a truly great whiskey, then elevating it through a modern design and marketing lens to reach a younger, broader and more diverse whiskey drinker. The company’s founders include a Nike designer, the first director-level employee at Facebook, a hospitality executive, a political advisor, and a philanthropist – all huge whiskey fans and individuals who acutely understand how to build demand and buzz for a contemporary consumer product. They are backed by a team of advisors including Nike marketing experts; the Campari communications veteran behind Wild Turkey and the Aperol Spritz; a former spirits distributor; and others with deep industry experience. The Blue Run name is a nod to one of our founder’s upbringing in Georgetown, KY.

2019’s Craft Producer of the Year Kentucky Peerless Unveils Double Oak Bourbon

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LOUISVILLE, KY. (PRWEB) – Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company announces the release of their newest whiskey, Peerless Double Oak Bourbon.

This expression was born out of necessity, not marketing tactics. Peerless Double Oak Bourbon will be available in Kentucky, California, Illinois, Florida and New York.

Kentucky Peerless started crafting Double Oak whiskies with the original intention of rescuing whiskey from a leaky barrel, losing too much quantity to Angel’s share. When a barrel has a leak that cannot be repaired, the whiskey is transferred into a new charred oak barrel to continue its journey.

By exposing the whiskey to a second barrel, the whiskey develops unparalleled complexity as well as a heavy mouthfeel.

The Single Barrel Double Oak whiskies offered in the past at Kentucky Peerless have received overwhelmingly positive feedback, which has led to this release. Master Distiller Caleb Kilburn said: “With the amazing response to our very limited Double Oak program to date, we have decided to improve the quality and accessibility of the product. Where in the past we would leave things up to chance, we are now intentionally curating barrels to become Double Oak.”

Kilburn shares that the tasting notes reflect the characteristics of both barrels, and the dedicated tasting team is looking for prominent grain, fruit and herbaceous characteristics. Kilburn writes the tasting notes, including spicy oak, cinnamon, honey and leather as the more pronounced elements.

Find out more at kentuckypeerless.com or visit the distillery at 120 N. 10th Street in downtown Louisville. The distillery is open for tours and tastings by reservation Monday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

About Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co.
The Peerless family’s very first bourbon went into a barrel in 1889. They have since revived the craft in their own state-of-the-art distillery in the Bourbon District, where they use the finest ingredients. The Peerless family believes that patience builds character and fine Bourbon and Rye can never be rushed. All under one roof, the select Kentucky Peerless grains are milled, cooked, fermented, double-distilled and barreled as Bourbon and Rye.

2017 Awards
Tricor Braun’s Spirits Division Package of the Year
Small Batch Rye named Top 20 Most Exciting Whiskies of the Year by Whisky Advocate Magazine

2018 Awards
Small Batch Rye named Top 5 Best American Whiskey in Forbes magazine

2019 Awards
“Craft Producer of the Year” for the Americas by Whisky Magazine
“Global Craft Producer of the Year” by Whisky Magazine

2020 Awards
Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon named “Best Kentucky Bourbon” by World Whiskies Awards
Peerless Small Batch Kentucky Straight Rye awarded Category Gold for Rye 12 Years and
Under by Whisky Magazine
Master Distiller Caleb Kilburn was a finalist for best distiller by Whisky Magazine
Peerless was among the 12 final nominees for best distillery tour by Whisky Magazine

2021 Awards
Small Batch Bourbon received 92 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine
Small Batch Rye received 93 points from Wine Enthusiast magazine

For more information, visit kentuckypeerless.com
Contact: Kentucky Peerless Distilling Company
120 North 10th Street, Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 566-4999
Contact@KentuckyPeerless.com
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Learning, Tasting and Joining: Vegas Drammers!

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As we have been in Las Vegas a lot more these days I sought out all kinds of food and drinking establishments. Through my “research” I found the global Drammers club founded by Charlie Prince and their newly established Las Vegas Chapter run by Bob Brown. Eddie and I attended our first meeting at a strip location where we had more than enough brown and clear spirits to warrant a second meeting. Below is the second invitation to join the club, with liquor descriptions by Prince, shared with his permission and in italics are my notes:

Vegas Drammers!

We wanted to make sure everyone had seen that our next Drammers Las Vegas tasting will be Sunday, September 26th at 6:30pm.  We’re coming hot off visits to both Scotland/Europe and to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, so we’ve got a bunch of fun bottles in tow that you’re unlikely to get another chance to try!  Drumroll please…

  • Very Old St Nick – Curia – Kentucky Bourbon Fest Exclusive. We’ll be coming to Seattle straight from the Kentucky Bourbon Fest, and we’ve got some fun bottles in tow to share. The team at Preservation (behind Very Old St Nick and Rare Perfection) released this bottle exclusively at the fest. It’s a bourbon bottled at 47.6% abv, and since it was released under the Very Olde St. Nick line, you know it’s not a young whiskey. I’ll try to find out more before we get there, but this is definitely a one-off-shot to pick this up. This was the first whiskey we tasted and was an immediate favorite for many of us. Charlie, along with his notes above, shared that this distiller was making wood-heavy bourbons before vodka took over in the U.S. The flavor was very popular in Japan before becoming well-liked again in the U.S. Aromas included sweet roasted and buttered corn, suede and no burn on the palate.

    Flavors like suede, toffee, corn nuts, creamy and smooth. Charlie said it had cherry cordial flavor and another bourbon lover noted fig.

  • Bardstown Bourbon Co. – Distillery Collection – Triple Stave Finish.  Released to coincide with the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, this special release was only available at the distillery when we picked it up a few days ago and is almost certainly now sold out. It is a blend of straight whiskies finished with oak staves.  54.% abv. I asked Charlie about this bourbon, as I knew one of my favorite Napa wineries – Phifer Pavitt – collaborated on a bourbon with them. He said they do a lot of collaborations, using a barrel that held Phifer Pavitt Napa Cabernet Sauvignon being one of them. He hadn’t had the Phifer Pavitt collaboration but he had plenty of others, and that the distillery is “huge…well financed…(and) shockingly big like an Olympic swimming pool.” The one we tasted wasn’t a collaboration but instead they had incorporated a “Triple Stave Finish” instead. On the nose there was that cream, white pepper and a lot of vanilla bean and toasted oak. A new friend said she noted maple syrup and waffles, that we all had to agree with. That same maple syrup over waffles was also apparent in the taste with some burn, vanilla, walnut and Charlie noted sweet marmalade.
  • 2 Expressions of Buzzard’s Roost Rye.  Bourbon Bistro was arguably the first major whiskey bar in Louisville, a game changer that was way ahead of its time, and today it is rightly celebrated as one of the powerhouse drivers of bourbon culture in Kentucky.  So it was particularly exciting to learn on our recent trip that they have launched their own line of whiskies – Buzzard’s Roost!  We’ll be trying two of them this evening — a straight rye in a peated barrel (!), bottled at a delicious 52.5% abv (batch 1), and a barrel strength, also bottled at 52.5% abv (batch 2).  These releases were limited to 800 and 1100 bottles respectively.  We’ve tasted them, and we’re really excited about them. Charlie told a story about the Bourbon Bistro – a game-changing bar in Louisville with a secret menu of prohibition era whisky. Of course he got his hands on that menu, and spent about $1,000 that night enjoying drams from it. These ryes are a launch of their own whisky line. First came the barrel strength. My new whisky pal immediately noted that it was almost like a tawny port, I agreed. Aromas reminded me of sweet frozen vanilla custard, hazelnuts, a wood sauna; with flavors of sweet Kettle corn, caramel corn and a hint of banana. Next we sampled the rye finished in a peated smoked barrel – something none of us had heard of before. Peat bogs were not used, instead the rye was aged in a peated smoked barrel, giving it a more subtle peat flavor. Reminded me a bit of the Ardbeg An Oa. I noted salted nuts and smooth white chocolate on the nose; with a drop of water it became a very easy sipper, maybe a gateway for those new to peated whisky, lots of nuts and others noted flavors of gingerbread and that the peat in the nose came out after tasting it.
  • Mlody Ziemniak 2020 and The Barell Spirits Whiskey finished in a Pear Brandy Cask at 59.9$ abv, a Drammers Club pick. Whisky enthusiasts tend to be respectful of all other spirits categories except one — vodka. But these bottles might change your mind. The logic goes that by definition, the spirit needs to be tasteless and odorless, so what’s there to be proud of? The culprit here is that vodka is by definition distilled up to at least 96% alcohol, thereby eliminating a lot of the potential flavors. But what if you took the same distillate, and only distilled it once, stopping at 60% abv? And what if Poland’s most prestigious craft vodka distillery made a point to do it in a special limited edition series to highlight flavor differences among potato varietals? That’s exactly what Chopin did, and we were so blown away by the results, we flew to the distillery in Poland to do an event live with the founder, where our US members tried samples and voted to pick an exclusive batch for our club. That batch hasn’t arrived yet, but in the meantime, we’ve secured the very limited 2019 and 2020 special editions (From Eve: The 2019 was unavailable for this tasting) released under their “Mlody Ziemniak” (or “young potato”) line. These bottles can only be found in Poland currently, and in our opinion, they’re a game changer. Very anxious to cleanse my palate with a vodka, one where we could possibly taste the base potato spirit. Most of us didn’t care for this one much. On the Barell Spirits Whiskey Pear finish Charlie said that they make about 100 different weird finishes and this unaged version was finished in a pear brandy cask. Aromas reminded Eddie of bubble gum, while I noted dried berries, a boxload of Harry and David pears, flamed orange peel and fruitcake; with flavors of Triscuit crackers, hay, spam, Umami, and another person noted distinct “burnt popcorn”. This was not a favorite of the group. 
  • Glenkinchie Distillery-Only Cask Strength Handfill. Diageo put a lot of money into revamping the visitor center at this Lowlands distillery just outside Edinburgh, and it opened in the middle of Covid, so that so far, they haven’t been able to welcome many visitors.  If you haven’t heard of this distillery, it’s no surprise — over 90% of what they distill goes into the Johnnie Walker blends, so very little has been released under the “Glenkinchie” brand in the US, and of that virtually none of it is at cask strength, making this distillery only handfill bottle a particularly rare treat. Distilled in 2009, bottled in 2021, so approximately 11 years matured. I tried a small sip at the distillery, which was amazing, but otherwise haven’t really had a chance to try this yet.  55.2% Charlie said this was possibly 12 years old, hard to find, he picked up about 30 bottles just for his clubs. This was not the favorite in the line-up, but nothing wrong with it. While Charlie got notes of red apple cider, I noted toast, both sweet and spice notes, and a softness on the palate after adding some water.
  • Lagavulin Feis Ile Bottling 2020. About 10 of us had made plans to attend Feis Ile in 2020, and but for Covid, we just might have done it. If we had, the only way we would have had a shot at getting this bottle would have been if we’d camped out overnight at the distillery for Lagavulin’s big day. Instead, with the fest taking place virtually, we were able to pick up a bottle in their gift shop a couple weeks ago for us to taste! Bottle 1,924 of 6,000 bottles, it’s a vatting of 20yo refill and PX/Oloroso seasoned hogsheads personally selected by (then) distillery manager Colin Gordon and bottled at cask strength. Charlie said that before Covid maybe up to 3,000 people could score two bottles each of this whisky. This is a 13 year old. Found cream, grass, mushroom and umami notes on the nose, others also noted an earthy quality. The taste reminded me of olive brine and white pepper, another drammer noted Spanish olives.

That’s our lineup! And you never know with us, we might show up with a bonus surprise or two.  We hope you can join us.

We’ll also provide yummy pizza as usual. A huge thank you to our Las Vegas chapter head Bob Brown for organizing!

Of course, we’re only getting started here in Las Vegas, and looking to continue to grow our chapter, so if you know anyone you think might be a good fit for the club, please feel free to invite them to join us…

Cheers,

Charlie Prince

President, Drammers Club

www.drammers.com

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Blue Run Spirits Unveils Award-Winning Fall Release

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GEORGETOWN, KY. (PRWEB) – Blue Run Spirits’ first Rye Whiskey – already a Gold Medal winner at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition – is now available at select retailers in the U.S. and will be sold online at BlueRunSpirits.com beginning Monday, September 6 at 3 pm Eastern. Blue Run Kentucky Straight Golden Rye Whiskey is the fourth whiskey release since Blue Run launched in October of last year, having unveiled three award-winning, sold-out Bourbons in that time.

Blue Run Kentucky Straight Golden Rye Whiskey is a small-batch whiskey coming from just 91 select barrels, bottled at a very approachable 95 proof. Each bottle, adorned with an oxidized version of the Blue Run’s signature viceroy butterfly emblem, can be individually identified through a green neck strip with gold accents indicating the bottle number and the date it was bottled. The Golden Rye name is derived from both the distinct color of the choice grains that were used in the creation process and the resulting golden-hued whiskey.

“As any bartender or whiskey maker will tell you, Rye Whiskey can be a tough horse to train,” said Mike Montgomery, CEO and Co-Founder of Blue Run Spirits. “Our goal with our Golden Rye was to make it just as approachable as our Bourbons, but still maintain spicy elements that are the hallmark of Ryes. I think we were able to achieve the drinkability of Bourbon with the pronounced personality of Rye.”

This inaugural Rye Whiskey from Blue Run features a honey baked graham cracker aroma surrounded by sweet grains and wood sugar. The easygoing finish rests with honey and a dash of pear syrup, highlighted by touches of ginger that add just the right tingle.

Blue Run Kentucky Straight Golden Rye Whiskey follows Blue Run’s summer release, Blue Run 14-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon, which was awarded top honors at the prestigious 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition winning Best Small Batch Bourbon – 11 Years & Older, along with a Double Gold Medal. The company’s spring release, Blue Run 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Bourbon, was awarded Best Single Barrel Bourbon – 11 Years & Older, as well as a Double Gold Medal. Both bottlings sold out in minutes online.

Blue Run Kentucky Straight Golden Rye Whiskey is available for $99.99 SRP. It will be followed by a high-rye Bourbon in October. Additionally, Blue Run is contract distilling at Bardstown Bourbon Company this year, as they did at Castle & Key Distillery in 2020.

Blue Run Spirits can be purchased in Kentucky (RNDC); Georgia (Savannah); South Carolina and Tennessee (Advintage); Washington, D.C., Maryland and Delaware (Prestige-Ledroit); Illinois and Colorado (Breakthru); California and Florida (Park Street); and Canada (Evergreen) and online on http://www.bluerunspirits.com/shop.

Find Blue Run Spirits online at http://www.bluerunspirits.com, and on social media: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT BLUE RUN SPIRITS
Blue Run Spirits is a new kind of spirits company, creating a unique luxury proposition by tapping into the deep heritage and craft that makes a truly great whiskey, then elevating it through a modern design and marketing lens to reach a younger, broader and more diverse whiskey drinker. The company’s founders include a Nike designer, the first director-level employee at Facebook, a hospitality executive, a political advisor, and a philanthropist – all huge whiskey fans and individuals who acutely understand how to build demand and buzz for a contemporary consumer product. They are backed by a team of advisors including Nike marketing experts; the Campari communications veteran behind the U.S. launch of Espolòn Tequila and the Aperol Spritz; a former spirits distributor; and others with deep industry experience. The Blue Run name is a nod to one of our founder’s upbringing in Georgetown, KY, where Bourbon began in the Bluegrass State.

Introducing Basil Hayden Toast, A New Style Of Bourbon Marrying Innovation And History In Every Sip

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CLERMONT, Ky., /PRNewswire/ —  Basil Hayden® proudly announced the launch of Basil Hayden Toast, a super-premium Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and the newest addition to the award-winning Basil Hayden portfolio.1 Consisting of an entirely new mash bill, Basil Hayden Toast breaks away from preconceived notions of American Whiskey to deliver an inviting spirit for both familiar and new bourbon drinkers.

 

Expertly crafted by eighth generation Beam family distiller, Freddie Noe, Basil Hayden Toast represents a reimagining of Basil Hayden with the use of a toasted barrel. In lieu of traditional rye grain, Basil Hayden Toast is made using US-grown brown rice, which imparts a hint of sweetness and a touch less spice, while a secondary toasted barrel finish draws out notes of caramelized sugar and toasted wood. After aging, the toasted brown rice bourbon is blended back with more brown rice bourbon, which has been rested in level four char barrels, to achieve a final product with complex flavor grounded in sweet vanilla and rich roasted notes. In an ever-expanding and often intimidating bourbon market, the light, approachable palette of Basil Hayden Toast offers a fresh perspective.

“Basil Hayden Toast is truly a whiskey for fans of all taste and experience levels to share. When my grandfather Booker Noe first made Basil Hayden, his intention was always to create bourbon that opened people’s minds to what bourbon can be. Inspired by his mission, I’ve spent many years working to produce a new bourbon that speaks to this sense of discovery,” said Freddie Noe. “The unexpected addition of brown rice, as well as the toasted barrel finish of Basil Hayden Toast does just that. It delivers an intriguing avenue into the warm and memorable bourbon sipping occasion. I encourage you to raise a toast with friends to this exciting addition to the Basil Hayden family!”

In addition to being the newest permanent expression to join the Basil Hayden portfolio, Basil Hayden Toast marks the debut of a sophisticated, design-forward packaging update for the brand that elevates its most distinctive brand asset – the monogrammed belt. A nod to the metal hoops that encircle bourbon barrels, the belt holds both the physical bottle and liquid stories of Basil Hayden together. This new packaging will be featured across the portfolio, while leaving the liquid inside untouched. As a bourbon beloved for its warm and welcoming characteristics, the new Basil Hayden packaging better reflects the brand personality, inviting others to discover what bourbon can be and the many moments it’s made for.

“As one of the fastest growing super-premium bourbons on the market, Basil Hayden has been quick to respond to the increasing demand for elevated offerings in the bourbon category,” said Jonathan Marks, Senior Brand Director for Global Small Batch Bourbon at Beam Suntory. “The launch of Basil Hayden Toast is a testament to our expanding fan base and an exciting moment in our continued journey to redefine what it means to be a whiskey.”

To celebrate the launch of Toast, Basil Hayden is partnering with contemporary design studio and manufacturer, Fort Standard to help one lucky winner level up their entertaining space with a custom-made oak home bar crafted to show off the new toasted oak bourbon. For more information on how to enter for a chance to win, please follow @basilhaydens on Instagram.

Basil Hayden Toast is now available in the United States at a suggested retail price of $49.99/750mL. Enjoyed stirred into your favorite aperitif cocktail, neat or on the rocks, this 80-proof bourbon delivers an intriguing invitation into the warm, refined bourbon sipping occasion to both familiar and new friends.

About Basil Hayden®

Crafted in 1992 by Booker Noe as part of the Small Batch collection, Basil Hayden introduced a more subtle side of bourbon compared to its counterparts. Inspired by bourbons with high-rye mash bills, Booker set out to create a bourbon that would offer an approachable taste profile and defy preconceived bourbon perceptions.  Basil Hayden Bourbon welcomes new drinkers into whiskey and showcases new occasions to drink it. Beyond its flagship Basil Hayden Bourbon, the brand has pushed the boundaries of innovation in recent years. These intriguing offerings have included expressions such as Basil Hayden Dark Rye, Basil Hayden 10 Year, the limited time release of Basil Hayden 10 Year Rye Whiskey and Basil Hayden Toast.

About Beam Suntory Inc.

As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires human connections. Consumers from all corners of the globe call for the company’s brands, including the iconic Jim Beam and Maker’s Mark bourbon brands, Suntory whisky Kakubin and Courvoisier cognac, as well as world renowned premium brands including Knob Creek, Basil Hayden and Legent bourbon; Yamazaki, Hakushu, Hibiki and Toki Japanese whisky; Teacher’s, Laphroaig and Bowmore Scotch whisky; Canadian Club whisky; Hornitos and Sauza tequila; EFFEN, Haku and Pinnacle vodka; Sipsmith and Roku gin; and On The Rocks Premium Cocktails.

Beam Suntory was created in 2014 by combining the world leader in bourbon and the pioneer in Japanese whisky to form a new company with a deep heritage, passion for quality, innovative spirit and vision of Growing for Good.  Headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan.  For more information on Beam Suntory, its brands, and its commitment to social responsibility, please visit www.beamsuntory.com and www.drinksmart.com.

Share Generously. Drink Responsibly. Basil Hayden® Toast, 40% Alc./Vol. ©2021 James B. Beam Distilling Co., Clermont, KY.

1 Basil Hayden Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, New York International Spirits Competition, Gold (2020)

 

Blue Run Spirits 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon – Winner of Top Category Prize At the San Francisco World Spirits Competition – Now Available

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GEORGETOWN, KY. (PRWEB) – A Bourbon treasure hunt is about to commence as Blue Run Spirits unveils its Spring release, which recently won Best in Class and a Double Gold Medal at the prestigious San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Blue Run 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon launches today as ten separate limited-edition bottlings from ten different barrels, each hand numbered to denote the proof, barrel number and bottling date, enticing whiskey sleuths to find the entire collection and whiskey enthusiasts around the country to discover their favorite flavor profile. Each bottle comes in a custom, handmade black lacquered wooden box, adding to the collectability.

The unveiling of Blue Run 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon comes on the heels of Blue Run’s inaugural release in October of 2020. Blue Run 13-Year-Old Bourbon received exceptional reviews and sold out quickly. With Jim Rutledge as the company’s Liquid Advisor, this new batch of Blue Run will delight Bourbon drinkers around the country. Rutledge is a 50+ year whiskey industry veteran and a managing partner of J.W. Rutledge Distillery.

Each of the ten barrels comes from the same mash bill, same yeast, same still and same warehouse, but how the liquid reacted to the wood and its position in the warehouse can delicately change the characteristics of the whiskey. Blue Run 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon has the brand’s characteristic smooth and mellow flavor; a long, sweet and dry finish; little to no burn on the back end – even at cask strength – and a long tail.

Between 104 to 150 bottles will be available from each barrel, with the proofs varying from 124 to 132. The secret to which barrel the Bourbon came from can be found on the hand-numbered label, which gives a hint at that whiskey’s particular characteristics and flavor profile:

Barrel #1: Mellow sweet corn and brown sugar apple butter that develops into mellow oak tannins

Barrel #2: Deep chocolate and honey-drenched s’more

Barrel #3: Gorgeous crème brûlée with a burst of dark brown sugar and streaks of ginger

Barrel #4: Creamy toffee with bites of cocoa and black pepper

Barrel #5: Sultry black cherry and oak with clove honey

Barrel #6: Decadent dark chocolate with a marshmallow frame and clove cascade

Barrel #7: Layers of char smoke and rich vanilla wood sugar

Barrel #8: Roasted pecan and nutty campfire smoke

Barrel #9: Spice forward with bold black pepper and baking spices and an herbaceous wrap

Barrel #10: Oak tannin and dark raisin combination with a whip of smoke on the finish

Though each barrel has its own subtle flavor differences, consumers can expect the liquid in each bottle to have a deep glow, streaked with bronze highlights; an alluring aroma of molasses and brown sugar with a toasted, nutty frame that reveals itself around baking spices and cocoa; and a long, sweet and dry finish wrapped in dark cherry highlights.

“This limited-edition, high-proof release offers a uniquely customized experience based upon each whiskey fan’s palate, pairings and passions,” said Mike Montgomery, CEO of Blue Run Spirits. “While a bottle of Blue Run Bourbon will definitely stand out on your bar, it’s the flavor we are most proud of and glad to see experts like the judges at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition agree.”

Blue Run 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon will be found in May initially in Kentucky, California, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Washington, DC, as well as online. But here’s the twist: No state will receive bottles from all ten barrels. Each will get up to nine, encouraging collectors to reach out to friends to help amass the entire collection. The product will also be available through Seelbachs.com, with bottles from a different barrel made available every few weeks (but again, with only nine available). Seelbach’s will also offer a very limited number of ten-bottle complete sets.

Blue Run’s latest release will stand out on store shelves due to the modern design by Devon McKinney, the creative mind behind some of the world’s most-sought-after sneakers. The brand’s signature butterfly medallion, a nod to the Commonwealth of Kentucky butterfly the Viceroy, will be matte black on the Blue Run 13.5-Year-Old Single Barrel Cask Strength Bourbon bottle. This new offering will come housed in a striking, handmade black lacquered display box made of sustainable birch and imprinted with gold leaf.

Blue Run Bourbon will be available at $229.99 SRP. The company’s next release, a 14-Year-Old Small Batch Bourbon that also won Best in Class and a Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, will be launched this summer, followed by a Gold Medal-winning Rye Whiskey in late summer.

Blue Run Spirits’ distribution partners include Republic National Distributing Company (RNDC) in Kentucky; Breakthru Beverage Group in Illinois and Colorado; Savannah Distributing Company in Georgia; Advintage Distributing in South Carolina and Tennessee; Prestige-Ledroit Distributing Co. in Washington D.C., Maryland and Delaware; American Spirits Exchange in California; and Evergreen Beverage Canada in Canada.

Find Blue Run Spirits online at http://www.bluerunspirits.com, and on social media: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

ABOUT BLUE RUN SPIRITS
Blue Run Spirits is a new kind of spirits company, creating a unique luxury proposition by tapping into the deep heritage and craft that makes a truly great whiskey, then elevating it through a modern design and marketing lens to reach a younger, broader and more diverse whiskey drinker. The company’s founders include a Nike designer, the first director-level employee at Facebook, a hospitality executive, a political advisor, and a philanthropist – all huge whiskey fans and individuals who acutely understand how to build demand and buzz for a contemporary consumer product. They are backed by a team of advisors including Nike marketing experts; the Campari communications veteran behind the US launch of Espolòn Tequila and the Aperol Spritz; a former vice president of innovation from Brown-Forman; a former spirits distributor; and others with deep industry experience. The Blue Run name is a nod to one of our founder’s upbringing in Georgetown, KY, where Bourbon began in the Bluegrass State.

New-To-Me Puncher’s Chance Kentucky Straight Bourbon

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Bourbon fans unite! No one can argue against the popularity of Bourbon whisky these days, certainly not me. I recently wrote that I prefer Bourbon with dessert after a night of wine. I have my favorites, but love discovering new-to-me Bourbons. And here was my chance in sampling Puncher’s Chance!

Eve’s Tasting Notes

Dark caramel color, with a gamut of aromas (I sampled in a Neat tasting glass) including sweet toasted corn, caramel candy, rich molasses, roasted nuts, golden honey, vanilla bean, milk chocolate, toasted sesame seeds, charred oak, sweet pipe tobacco smoke and no nose burn whatsoever.

Going in for a taste there was a very full mouthfeel, and some burn, with many of the same remarkable notes I found on the nose with the addition of dried red berries, banana and with an unexpected strength. I added a capful of water to see what would happen and found that the aromas, thankfully, were unchanged. The taste benefitted from that small bit of water and softened some of the perceived strength, making this a perfect bourbon to serve on the rocks or a single extra-large rock.

This was a bourbon to linger over. My new What to Drink with What you Eat app (by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page) recommended pairing with chocolate brownies or cheese, which left me with a major craving!

From Puncher’s Chance™ 100% Kentucky Straight Bourbon:

Wolf Spirit Distillery’s newest brand, Puncher’s Chance™, is pure Kentucky Straight Bourbon inspired by two great American traditions: whiskey, and fighting for what we believe in. Famed sports and entertainment announcer Bruce Buffer, also known as the “Voice of Mixed Martial Arts,” explains: “A puncher’s chance means that anyone has the potential to succeed, whatever the odds, if he or she works for it. Being the underdog is often the greatest strength. Puncher’s Chance™ is the bourbon for everyone who believes and lives that credo.” 

PUNCHER’S CHANCE ™ BOURBON, for those who believe they can win against all odds. 

Where to Find it: As of Jan. 2021, sold in 19 states: AZ, CA, FL, GA, IN, KY, MA, MI, MN, MS, NE, NH, NV, OK, RI, TN, TX, WA, and WI. 

Puncher’s Chance™ 90 Proof

Puncher’s Chance™ Kentucky Bourbon is a marriage of 4-, 5-, and 6-year-old Kentucky Straight bourbons. The palate leads with caramel, spicy, slightly sweet, and creamy vanilla notes. The palate shows complex oaky sweetness alongside orange, dark chocolate, leather, and baking spices. The finish is long with sweet maple and sugar notes. Puncher’s Chance™ received a 95-point review from The Tasting Panel in January 2021.                                                                                               

Suggested Retail Pricing: $34.99/750mL       

ABV and Proof: 45% and 90                      

                 

Puncher’s Chance™ Private Barrel Selections

Once in a while a special barrel, with the perfect nose, taste, mouthfeel, and complexity, will be hand selected as a standalone bourbon. Each year we find a limited amount of these unique barrels and offer them to select accounts. Every bottle is customized with the store’s name on an elegant craft label.                                                                                                 

Suggested Retail Pricing: $59.99/750mL

ABV and Proof: 57-61% and 115-122              

 

About Wolf Spirit Distillery:

Wolf Spirit Distillery was founded in 2017 by a 17-year veteran of Campari, Umberto Luchini, who – in his late 40s, with his own savings at stake – walked away from his CMO position, hell-bent on upending the system to follow his dream as well as his personal mission to live courageously, honestly, and with great purpose. An initial $1.5M investment converted a laundromat into the distillery, and in its first full year the distillery sold 5K 9L cases across 23 states. The Wolf Spirit portfolio currently comprises Blood x Sweat x Tears Vodka, Tom of Finland Organic Vodka, and Puncher’s Chance™ Bourbon.

Eve Bushman has a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET), a “certification in first globally-recognized course” as an American Wine Specialist ® from the North American Sommelier Association (NASA), Level 1 Sake Award from WSET, was the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video (over 16k views), authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and has served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru and the Global Wine Awards. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits.

Coalition Whiskey Introduces the First 100% Rye Whiskey Finished in Bordeaux Wine Barrels

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NEW YORK (PRWEB) – A fascinating intersection of traditional hand-crafted American Whiskey and world-renowned French wines is on the horizon with the release of Coalition Whiskey – the first 100% Rye Whiskey finished in hand-selected Bordeaux wine barrels. Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey comes in three separate expressions: Finished in Margaux Barriques (barrels), Pauillac Barriques, and Sauternes Barriques. For those wanting to taste where it all started, Coalition uniquely also offers the original base 100% Rye Whiskey at barrel proof. All expressions became available in the U.S. in January.

Coalition Whiskey is a new brand started by three whiskey fans who form the actual “Coalition:” Leonid Yangarber, former CEO of Russian Standard Vodka USA; Steve Thompson, owner of Kentucky Artisan Distillery; and Ludwig Vanneron, a 20+ year veteran winemaker and global wine consultant. Together, they envisioned a new frontier for the industry using their collective skills to reimagine and elevate super premium whiskey.

The 100% Rye Whiskey in Coalition Whiskey heralds from Kentucky Artisan Distillery in Crestwood, KY. It is created utilizing time-honored, true handcrafting techniques, including zero automation and an all-copper pot still dating back to pre-Prohibition. Attention to detail is paramount at each step in creating the blend of five-year-old Rye Whiskies, including selecting the rye grain from just one mile away from the distillery.

“A 100% Rye Whiskey is a true rarity in the industry,” said Thompson. “While most rye whiskies use malted barley or added corn, Coalition Whiskey is made completely from rye. It’s a more expensive way to go, but there was truly no other way to create that truly deep, rich and spicy flavor we knew would be the ideal match for our velvety Bordeaux wine barrel finishing.”

Vanneron manages the time-consuming process of carefully hand-selecting each wine barrel used for Coalition Whiskey. With his deep relationships with local Bordeaux wine chateaus and cooperages, he knows exactly where to go looking for only the finest barrels. Extensive visual and, more importantly, smell inspections are required to unearth just the right Margaux and Pauillac red wine (Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot) and Sauternes white sweet/dessert wine (Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc) barrels.

“It took the inspection of nearly 150 barrels just to find the perfect 25 we are using to finish our Rye Whiskey,” said Vanneron. “You have to first start with the best, most voluptuous wines from the finest chateaus in all of France to get the best possible barrels for Coalition Whiskey. Following up to nine months of finishing, each barrel from the separate Bordeaux wine appellations enhances the whiskey in a different, intriguing way.”

Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Margaux Barriques (90.8 proof) features delicate and gentle flavors of red fruit and floral aromas. Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Pauillac Barriques (92.6 proof) delivers rich flavors of black fruit and spice, with an exceptionally long tail. Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Sauternes Barriques (94.2 proof) captures rounded, velvety flavors of dried fruit and honey with an engaging sweet spice.

“Our goal with Coalition Whiskey is to coax even more flavor out of our 100% Rye Whiskey,” said Yangarber. “A keen understanding of the science behind Rye Whiskey served as the foundation for this grand experiment. From there, we could use our deep wine knowledge to pick just the perfect Bordeaux wine barrels to gently enhance the handcrafted whiskey. This is a deep, rich Rye Whiskey like you have never before tasted.”

The original, base Rye Whiskey is also offered to whiskey aficionados at full barrel strength (108.8 proof), allowing for side-by-side sampling to clearly identify how each Bordeaux barrel enhances the base spirit.

Coalition Whiskey comes packaged in an Art Deco-inspired ridged glass bottle echoing the cut crystal decanters made famous during the 1920s – Rye Whiskey’s heyday. It is crowned with a glass domed closure and accentuated with 18k gold accents, providing a hint to the precious liquid contained within.

Each Coalition Whiskey barrel finished expression retails at $90 MSRP. The barrel-proof whiskey retails at $130 MSRP. Coalition Whiskey can be found at fine whiskey stores in New York, New Jersey, California, Florida, Kentucky, Illinois and Colorado, as well as online at https://www.coalitionwhiskey.com. The company plans to explore additional barrel finishes in the near future.

Follow Coalition Whiskey on Instagram and Facebook.

About Coalition Whiskey
Coalition Whiskey was created when three whiskey fans had a radical thought: what if we found the absolute best wine barrels from world-renowned chateaus in Bordeaux – arguably the most famous wine region on the planet – and used them to draw even more flavor out of their favorite brown spirit. The result is Coalition Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey Finished in Margaux Barriques, Pauillac Barriques and Sauternes Barriques. The “Coalition” is Leonid Yangarber, former CEO of Russian Standard Vodka USA; Steve Thompson, owner of Kentucky Artisan Distillers; and Ludwig Vanneron, a 20+ year veteran winemaker and global wine consultant. Together, they envisioned a new frontier for the industry using their collective skills to reimagine and elevate whiskey.