February 2024 - Page 2 of 2 - U.S. Whiskey Report

BARDSTOWN, Ky.— Chicken Cock Whiskey has unveiled an exclusive Single Barrel Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey in partnership with Garden & Gun. Inspired by the South and its time-honored traditions, Chicken Cock Whiskey’s Garden & Gun’s Single Barrel Double Oak is imbued with history and is now available on Chicken Cock’s website and will be available soon in retail stores for $149.99.

Chicken Cock Whiskey’s Master Distiller Gregg Snyder is an avid hunter when he’s not hand selecting white oak for aging spirits, or sampling batches to find the perfect blend of flavors. Snyder describes Garden & Gun’s Single Barrel Double Oak Whiskey as “just phenomenal… full-flavored, full-bodied and smooth,” with a fragrance of caramel coffee and a crème brûlée finish – an ideal bottle to open after an adventurous day of hunting.

“It has the mash bill recipe for bourbon,” explains Chicken Cock Whiskey’s Brand Ambassador Will Woodington. However, due to the American white oak barrel shortage in 2014, the spirit was aged in bourbon barrels for seven years. “Then we finished it in new American white oak barrels to elevate the whiskey to our standards.” For this reason, the spirit cannot be qualified as a bourbon, but rather a Double Oak Kentucky Whiskey, though all other aspects of it align with those of a classic bourbon. Only 12 barrels of this exclusive spirit will be bottled and available for purchase.

“Garden & Gun is thrilled to partner with Chicken Cock Whiskey to present this limited-edition Double Oak single barrel collaboration,” shares Christian Bryant, vice president and publisher of Garden & Gun. “We know our readers will relish the warm and inviting hints of vanilla, steeped berries, and cinnamon. This bottle will add character to any home bar.”

About Chicken Cock Whiskey

Established in 1856, Chicken Cock Whiskey started in the heart of Bourbon County, Kentucky, and in a few short decades became a nationally distributed brand. Chicken Cock hit peak prestige when it was served as the house whiskey at the Cotton Club in Harlem, one of Prohibition’s most legendary speakeasies. The brand managed to survive Prohibition by swiftly moving production around and smuggling bottles into the United States in tin cans. After Prohibition, Chicken Cock enjoyed a resurgence before a distillery fire just after World War II put it out of business. In 2012, Matti Anttila, Grain & Barrel Spirits CEO, rediscovered the brand and set out to resurrect it to its Prohibition-era glory. Since then, the team has introduced a flagship KY Straight Bourbon and KY Straight Rye Whiskey, made in partnership with Bardstown Bourbon Company as part of its collaborative distilling program, along with several other highly sought after limited-releases.

About Grain & Barrel Spirits

Based in Charleston, South Carolina, Grain & Barrel Spirits is an innovative-driven global spirits portfolio that develops and scales authentic brands – connecting the best artisans with markets and consumers around the world. The company’s core brands include: Chicken Cock Whiskey, a historically significant whiskey brand established in Paris, Kentucky, in 1856; Tequila Eterno Verano, a range of ultra-premium tequilas made for adventurous souls; Dixie Spirits, which boasts a roster of five premium vodkas, including its signature award-winning Southern Vodka, alongside its first-ever whiskey, Dixie Delight; High Goal Luxury Gin, a small batch, ultra-premium gin produced in Charleston; Elvis Whiskey, Elvis Presley-inspired whiskeys; and Virgil Kaine Lowcountry Whiskey. Grain & Barrel Spirits has been named to the prestigious Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing privately held companies in America three years in a row.

About Garden & Gun

Garden & Gun is a multiplatform media company that celebrates stories of the American Souththrough powerful journalism, bold photography, exquisite design, and finely curated retail andexperiential journeys. The brand is anchored by its award-winning national magazine launchedin 2007, Garden & Gun, which reports on the South’s sporting culture, food, music, art, literature, and its people and their ideas. The coveted audience of 1.6 million is further engaged through numerous New York Times best-selling books, Fieldshop by Garden & Gun retail experience, the Garden & Gun Club restaurants, and 75+ events each year.

For More Information:
https://shopchickencockwhiskey.com/products/garden-gun-barrel-pick

Newport, Kentucky — New Riff Distilling announced head distiller Brian Sprance has been named master distiller, the first designation in the distillery’s history. Sprance has been with the company since its inception in 2014.

Ahead of the distillery’s founding in 2014, Sprance was recruited as head distiller by New Riff founder, co-owner and chief executive officer Ken Lewis, who, rather than hiring a distiller, understood that fermentation is where a spirit’s flavors are created; distillation only concentrates them. To Lewis, Sprance’s extensive expertise in fermentation as a former brewer for the Boston Beer Company in Cincinnati spoke for itself.

“When I founded New Riff in 2014, my goal was, and still is, for our Northern Kentucky distillery to become one of the great small distilleries of the world,” Lewis said. “The person at New Riff leading that charge to make world-class whiskey to share with the world is our head distiller Brian Sprance. So it’s fitting as we approach our tenth anniversary, that we recognize Brian for his leadership role in moving us forward toward that aspirational goal and for sharing with us all such outstanding whiskey by conferring on him the well earned title of master distiller.”

Upon joining New Riff, Sprance was mentored by consulting master distiller and “godfather of rye whiskey” Larry Ebersold, an unrivaled authority in the world of distillation and American whiskey. Together with New Riff co-founder Jay Erisman, they launched the distillery and laid the foundation for the flavor profiles of its spirits and aging regimen.

“Larry Ebersold was instrumental in my training as a distiller and I consider myself extremely lucky to count him as a mentor,” Sprancesaid. “Larry was an excellent teacher who rarely gave the answer, but instead, motivated me to reach a full understanding of each situation that presented itself in the whiskey making process. While I consider Larry one of my biggest influences in whiskey today, I’m even luckier to consider him a trusted and valued friend.”

While this transition serves as a unanimous nod to his exceptional contribution to the company’s quest to become one of the greatest small distilleries in the world and a testament to a decade’s worth of profound work mastering his craft, Brian’s primary focus as master distiller will remain in making world-class whiskey.

The master distiller announcement kicks off an eventful year for New Riff that will include expansion into new states, tenth anniversary celebrations and the release of older whiskey.

“2024 will be a transformational year for New Riff,” Lewis said. “The team has put in a lot of work behind the scenes and I’m excited to share those efforts with our customers.”

New Riff (Newport, KY)
New Riff is an independently-owned distillery in Northern Kentucky — the gateway to bourbon country. In 2014, founder Ken Lewis, a visionary Kentucky liquor retailer and entrepreneur, saw a need for a new riff on an old tradition when it came to Kentucky bourbon. The Newport, Ky., distillery produces bourbon, rye and Kentucky Wild Gin. Bourbon and rye are made with traditional sour mash methods and bottled-in-bond without chill filtration. Bourbon and rye are also available in single barrel selections, and the distillery boasts a popular private barrel selection program. New Riff sources its water from an aquifer under the distillery, accessed via a 100’ deep private well and providing water with four times as much dissolved minerals than found in other water supplies. New Riff believes in transparency, so all products feature an age statement and the mashbills are public. The modern venue hosts a variety of events and offers an on-site bar, The Aquifer.

For More Information:
https://www.newriffdistilling.com/

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Archives for February 2024

Chicken Cock Whiskey Releases Single Barrel Double Oak Whiskey

New Riff Distilling Names First Master Distiller, Brian Sprance