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

May 27, 2021 by evebushman

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.

Vintage Eve Circa 9/2018 – Mutual Trading Show 2018: An Array of Japanese Food and Drink Reviewed

April 13, 2021 by evebushman

This would be the second year of discovery for us: attending the Mutual Trading Japanese Food and Restaurant Expo. While the wide array of Japanese food and beverages takes center stage, I really like to cover the show to learn something new, and I do every time.

If you just want to see the food and drink, my photos are here. Of special note for me:

Japan’s #1 Nama Sake in a CAN: Funaguchi Kikusui Ichibanshibori. It was served to us three ways: fresh and cold from the can, sweetened with citrus juices and with slices of cucumber. Each was quite remarkable.

Masahiro Shuzo, a company that has “been in business for more than 130 years”, Awamori – a distilled 30% ABV (60 proof) that is produced in Okinawa.

The Umepon liqueur was a favorite last year for us so I was happy to see them back and also try a cocktail version. It is orange and plum liqueurs blended with rice shochu.

I had Dassai sake in my WSET level one sake course, also noted that one of the numbered versions is served at our local Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ. (The bottles are numbered and that number correlates with how much the rice grain is milled to. The lower the number the finer the grain, and hence, the finer the sake.) At the show I expected to see the usual 50, but they also had a 23 to sample, which was really delicious.

The brand “Dragon God” sold only to restaurants, had a couple of different sake that I enjoyed. Look for these when you dine out.

Of the displays I was duly impressed by the many award winning beverages, glass and pottery sake serving sets and the array of sashimi, sushi, tofu, sesame seed – from oils to desserts – and noodles. The longest line is always for small servings of ramen. If I were to work with a Japanese restaurant I’d put my money on ramen.

If you want to know what I learned about this year, namely pairing sake with all kinds of food, read on:

Attendees were extremely lucky to have a class offered on food pairing with Antony Moss MW and Chef Nobuo at Teeter House.

Moss is the Director of Strategic Planning for WSET (Wine and Spirits Education Trust) and though he has earned his MW his focus for the last five years has turned more to sake. He said sake pairs easily with food as there are no tannins or acid.

Chef Nobuo said that drinking sake with a meal will “clean whatever stays in the mouth” and the “combination of contrasting things (makes pairings) delightful.”

During the seminar we were given two samples to try: Miyazaki beef and Bluefin tuna. Both were served with a specifically selected cold sake that would enhance the flavor of the dish, and by a show of nods when Moss asked, both pairings succeeded. The selection of a sweeter sake with the beef was truly inspired. Of course both the fish and the beef had been marinated as well as served with a topping, which was all taken into account in the selection of the sake. Long story short, this was just really the beginning of what we would learn about pairing sake with dishes other than sushi.

Moss said that he often enjoys a sparkling sake with English Fish and Chips or an Italian calamari dish. Junmai or Honjozo sake paired better with Bolognese than a Chianti in his educated experience. Moss further explained that during the first half of the 20^th century menus had a “wide mix of styles” in European cuisine, especially French cuisine. There were sauternes on the menu that were paired with steaks. This wholly positive experience he believes “dispels the myth of (having to have) red wine with steak.” What may sound “radical” to us is “deeply rooted with both Japanese and European history.”

A couple of questions by the audience that I found interesting:

Did restaurants have to provide a different type of glass if we were going to replace wine with sake at the dinner table? Moss contemplated that Riedel does have glasses for every need…however he said the traditional Japanese cup or glass is fine. And if a wine glass was preferred then a small white wine glass would suffice perfectly. He also said not to feel intimidated by this, and to use your personal preferences as a guide.

A second questions was on temperature. As we had been discussing cold sake pairings would warm sake work as well? While Moss enjoyed sake between 40 degrees and room temperature, he said warming up the sake “can be very satisfying.”

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.

Tasting the Latest from the Opolo Vineyards Spirit Portfolio

October 9, 2015 by evebushman

Opolo Vineyards donated two different spirits to the recent Cocktails on the Roof non-profit event I co-hosted. They were very generous in sending a total of 3 cases for our 400-person event…and since they sent the cases to me…I asked if I could pilfer a couple of the bottles to drink…err taste…and they said yes. Truth be told even more, I had tasted their grappa during a recent visit with distiller Paul Quinn but the other spirit I received for our event, the pear brandy, was still being made.

I was very happy to taste:

Williams Pear Brandy

Eau-de-Vie “Water of Life”

42.5% alcohol (85 proof)

Excerpt from back label: “…The aroma and flavor of the brandy should feel exactly like biting into a ripe Bartlett pear. Serve chilled or neat.

Aroma: Yes, I do get fresh cut pears, then a bit of hazelnut, almond, yogurt, vanilla, juniper, lime, mown grass, suede…my imagination ran the full gamut of memories this one called up.

Flavor: Lots of pears in light pear syrup, banana, rye toast, unsalted butter, viscous and a pleasant burn that ends in a nice round finish. (Note: I often use brandies, liqueurs and even flavored vodkas instead of vermouth in a vodka martini. The whisper of a flavored spirit can enhance your vodka, and not make it cloyingly sweet like say a Cosmopolitan or Lemon Drop Martini. This Opolo Pear Brandy would lend itself well to that approach.) 96 Eve pts.

Grappa Lozovaca

42.5% alcohol (85 proof)

Excerpt from back label: “…in Italy (grappa is made) to reduce wasted pomace from wine making. (It) should be served chilled, neat or enjoy with espresso.”

Aroma: Welcoming as there is no burn, toffee roasted walnut, black licorice, baked red delicious apple, creamy finish.

Flavor: There’s the burn, but only at the finish as expected. Robust viscosity and mouthfeel, fresh cut anise, Mandarin orange and meringue. Wholly pleasant. Would be a great aperitif or digestif in my opinion. 96 Eve pts.

From the Opolo Distillery

With Opolo’s rich ties to the Balkan coast, co-owners Rick Quinn and Dave Nichols have combined their winemaking expertise with traditional recipes to create complex fruit brandies. Distilled from the fermented fruit itself, the brandies have not been adulated with added flavors. Our first release includes Grappa from Opolo’s estate grown Muscat Blanc, a William’s Pear Brandy distilled from northern California Bartlett pears and a Nocino, a walnut based liqueur made from our organic estate walnuts. Come by and experience the distillery!

Available for purchase in the Tasting Room.

Eve Bushman has been reading, writing, taking coursework and tasting wine for over 20 years. She has obtained a Level Two Intermediate Certification from the Wine and Spirits Education Trust, has been the subject of a 60-minute Wine Immersion video, authored “Wine Etiquette for Everyone” and recently served as a judge for the Long Beach Grand Cru. You can email Eve@EveWine101.com to ask a question about wine or spirits that may be answered in a future column. You can also seek her marketing advice via Eve@EveBushmanConsulting.com