Dustin Scoggins

Booker’s Bourbon Releases First Batch Of 2023 Collection

April 27, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Booker’s Bourbon has released its first batch of the 2023 collection, Booker’s Batch 2023-01 “Charlie’s Batch.”

A statement from Booker’s noted that this batch is named in honor of Charlie Hutchens, the craftsman behind the signature wooden box that each Booker’s bottle comes in.

Officials from Booker’s noted that Charlie worked at the distillery when Booker Noe was master distiller and is also a long-time friend of the Noe family. During his time at the distillery, Charlie was quite the storyteller and would entertain others throughout the workday. He was detail oriented, like Booker with his whiskey.

After several years, Charlie left the business to open his own cabinet shop with his brother. Charlie handcrafted the very first Booker’s Bourbon wooden boxes in his garage and has created the boxes for the brand since.

He and his brother have expanded their business to create other wood products for different brands and projects in the Beam family, such as supplying custom furniture to the new Fred B. Noe Distillery – where Booker’s Bourbon is now distilled.

Charlie still lives near the Booker Noe Distillery and spends his free time fishing and vacationing with his family in South Carolina.

Like all batches of Booker’s Bourbon, Booker’s “Charlie’s Batch” was selected by seventh generation Master Distiller Fred Noe.

The distiller noted Booker’s “Charlie’s Batch” is a well-aged amber color and has a balanced aroma of oak, toasted nuts and vanilla notes without too much wood. It has a slightly warm taste with a pleasant finish.

Booker’s Bourbon is bottled uncut and unfiltered, and inspired by a 200-year-old family tradition. Sixth Generation Beam Master Distiller Booker Noe first created Booker’s Bourbon as a Christmas gift for close friends and family. Booker took barrels found in the center-cut of the rack house and bottled the bourbon straight-from-the-barrel.

Each batch is released in limited quantities and features a unique label and batch name that honors Booker Noe, his love of family and his spirit of experimentation.

Booker’s “Charlie’s Batch” was aged 7 years, 1 month, and 8 days and clocks in at 126.6 proof. It’s now available nationwide in limited quantities with a suggested retail price of $89.99 for a 750 mL bottle.

For more information, check out www.BookersBourbon.com.

Tattersall Distilling to release whiskey from new, perennial grain Kernza

April 27, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Perhaps you’ve never heard of Kernza, a perennial grain. Yet the drought-tolerant grass might just show up in your next happy hour, as Tattersall Distilling Co. releases its new Tattersall Kernza Perennial Grain Whiskey.

It is the first 100% Kernza whiskey in the country, and it is being launched with a tasting and celebration on April 29 in River Falls.

Jon Kreidler is chief officer of Tattersall Distilling Company, which he co-founded with his childhood friend Dan Oskey in Minneapolis in 2015. In 2021, they crossed over the Wisconsin border and opened a 75,000-square-foot tasting room, restaurant and event space in a former Shopko in River Falls. It is home to the largest solar array of any craft distillery in the nation, plus a first of its kind water reclamation system.

Tattersall was tapped by the Land Institute of Kansas and the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green initiative to see if there was an interest in working with the perennial. Sustainability is a large part of Tattersall’s approach.

Whiskey made with Kernza is a test and an experiment for the distillery, and part of a growing goal for the perennial grain. This has been years in the making, starting with the investment in the grains and a farmer in Cambridge, Minn., who grows them for the distillery.

“Bang Brewing, a really cool brewery out of St. Paul, has featured Kernza. Dogfish Head has made beer with it, but at the time we started nobody was distilling,” said Kreidler.

While there is still a learning curve for growing and using Kernza, which is the first commercially available perennial grain, Kreidler sees it as worth the investment. Interest is growing as availability continues to move forward.

“The concept of the perennial grain itself, if you aren’t tearing up the land, you aren’t releasing a lot of carbon. If you can avoid that, it is pretty awesome,” Kreidler said. “In addition, the Kernza taproot is between 8 and 15 feet, so it is a drought-resistant grain, which is super important.”

“Kernza has only really been on the landscape in a modestly signficant way since about 2019,” said Kimbler. “That is when the first commercial acreage started to be produced.”

Kimbler added, “Perennial means that Kernza is planted once, and it grows and produces grain for four to five years without having to replant it. You don’t have to till the fields.”

On April 29 in collaboration with the Wisconsin DNR, Tattersall will launch the Kernza perennial grain whiskey and give away 1,400 trees in honor of Arbor Day.

“We’ve always been about what drives us for the future. I’ve got kids, most of the guys on the team do too. There is relation business wise, but it is the right thing to do, and what everybody should be doing. We think everybody will get there eventually,” Kreidler said.

Kernza is just the beginning for Tattersall’s search for sustainable sips. The distillery is also looking at pea protein.

For more information please visit https://www.tattersalldistilling.com/

TX Whiskey Releases New Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond

April 23, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

All right whiskey fans get out your favorite rock glass set and prepare to sip TX Whiskey’s newest experimental libation, TX Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond. This new spirit is the fifth in a line of whiskeys straight out of the TX Experimental Series. Other expressions from this limited collection include TX Experimental Rye, TX High Rye Texas Straight Bourbon, TX Blended Straight Bourbon, and TX Straight Bourbon Whiskey Finished in Rum & Cognac Barrels.

According to a release, this new rye showcases the combination of Texas grain and Texas maturation, which highlights the flavors developed over four summers at TX Whiskey’s distillery, inside of the Whiskey Ranch. The aroma of light baking spice combined with the fruity balance of banana and apple carries through the palate, with a long finish of floral, caramel, and vanilla. This 100% rye whiskey expresses unique flavors crafted with a Texan’s palette in mind.

“This experimental release utilizes Texas rye grown for us by a single farm, Sawyer Farms, distilled on our column at Whiskey Ranch within a single season,” says head distiller, Evan Brewer. “It’s aged for over four years on the second floor of our rickhouse, being subjected to the Texas heat and manic weather. This combination has created a really nice whiskey that we felt was best showcased at 100 proof, with the added distinction of being bottled in bond.”

Only 1500 375ml bottles of TX Experimental Series TX Straight Rye Whiskey Bottled in Bond will be available for purchase at Whiskey Ranch.

About TX Whiskey and Firestone and Robertson Distilling Co.

We love everything about the world of whiskey: the history, the people, the techniques, the art, the science, the equipment and the satisfaction of sharing an incredible bottle with friends. But we didn’t always know that we shared the same passion – or that we both wanted to leave the corporate world to act on the same entrepreneurial instinct.

We became friends a few years ago, because our kids were in the same playgroup, but neither one of us had any idea of the other’s distillation dreams – until we both independently made plans to visit the same craft distillery to learn more about the trade.

Troy got there first, and while chatting with the owner, discovered that “another Fort Worth guy” had scheduled a visit the following week. Imagine Troy’s surprise when he found out it was Leonard.

“I hear you want to get into the whiskey business?” Troy said when he called Leonard later.

Leonard, who’d told no one but his wife about his plans, was floored. We got together for lunch the next day and quickly discovered we had the same vision for creating truly Texas whiskeys, and the same obsession with old-fashioned craftsmanship. We both had extensive experience with startup companies, and we immediately realized that together, we had the passion and know-how to make our whiskey dreams a reality.

We set out to find a suitable building for our distillery, and finally found the perfect location – a reclaimed prohibition-era warehouse just south of downtown Fort Worth. We completely renovated the interior, using materials we found in the building. Then we added two brand new copper pot-column hybrid stills, custom built to our specifications by Vendome Copper & Brass Works, Inc., the top still manufacturer in the United States.

We think the distillery is just awesome. And we think the whiskeys we’re producing are exceptional. We’d like nothing better than to show you how we create them, and, of course, give you a sample of each delicious product. Please come visit us. That would make us (and hopefully you) very happy.

For more information visit https://www.frdistilling.com/

‘A Real Flavor Bomb’: Milam and Greene Announces 2nd Single Barrel Bourbon in Extremely Limited Wildlife Collection

April 23, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

On Wednesday, Milam and Greene Whiskey unveiled Bobcat Single Barrel Bourbon, the second release in the brand’s Wildlife Collection, a limited-edition series of cask-strength, single-barrel whiskeys intended to show the effects of Texas weather on aging whiskey.

The Wildlife Collection pays homage to the wildlife that thrives in the hot climate of Texas. Bobcat is the second release in the series, following Scorpion, which was released in February.

Milam and Greene Wildlife Collection Bobcat Single Barrel was distilled in Tennessee from a mashbill of 80% corn, 10% rye and 10% malted barley. It was barreled on March 15, 2018, and bottled March 31, 2023, at 119.48 proof.

Bobcat Single Barrel was aged more than four years in new oak barrels with a #4 alligator char in Tennessee before spending 10.5 months at the Milam and Greene distillery in Blanco, Texas. During the time the barrel spent at Milam and Greene, Blanco saw almost two months of triple-digit temperatures, a drought and a multi-day ice storm.

Bobcat Single Barrel will be available exclusively on the Milam and Greene Whiskey website and in the distillery tasting room beginning at 3 p.m. CST on April 26. The single barrel yielded only 209 bottles, which will be available for $99.99 each. Of the 209 bottles, 168 will be available online, and the other 41 will be for sale at the distillery.

About Milam & Greene Whiskey

Milam & Greene was created by founder Marsha Milam, whiskey expert and Master Blender Heather Greene, and Kentucky veteran Master Distiller Marlene Holmes. Our charming distillery sits in the lush, Texas Hill Country where the hot summers, mild winters, and wild temperature variances add spark and personality to our spirit. To achieve excellence, we bring in grains, yeast, barrels and experience from all across America to create our award-winning whiskies. As well as multiple gold, double gold and platinum awards from credible spirits competitions and high marks from Wine Enthusiast, in 2021 Milam & Greene was awarded the “People’s Choice Award” at The Texas Whiskey Festival and “Best in Show” out of 550 entrants at The American Craft Spirits Association.

For more information please visit https://milamandgreenewhiskey.com/

Furman University Releases ‘FU All The Time’ Bourbon

April 23, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

On Saturday, Furman University launched a straight bourbon whiskey, named “FU All The Time.” The university debuted the whiskey at a launch party on campus for the Clearly Furman campaign. The campaign aims to raise $426 million by the university’s bicentennial in 2026.

Furman is a private university in Greenville, South Carolina.

FU All The Time Straight Bourbon Whiskey is distilled from a four-grain mashbill (corn, wheat and rye from Virginia, and malted barley) by Virginia-based Ironclad Distillery. Ironclad aged the bourbon for at least three years in oak barrels from South Carolina before bottling it at 100 proof.

Presumably, the school is aware its initials sound like “Eff you” and is in on the joke. The chant goes “FU one time, FU two times, FU three times, FU all the time!”

FU All The Time is available to be ordered online from the Ironclad Distillery website, priced at $83.69. It also will be sold in liquor stores and restaurants across upstate South Carolina, with statewide distribution coming soon.

About The Clearly Furman Campaign

“The launch of the Clearly Furman campaign was an exciting time, with hundreds of alumni and donors and other friends on campus,” Elizabeth Lichtenberg, senior director of brand strategy and visual communications for Furman, said in a news release. “We thought FU All the Time bourbon would be popular, and it was a huge hit. Everyone loved it. It felt good to be able to offer the Furman Family something new and unique that they can enjoy and take some pride in, and give them a new way to toast and celebrate Furman. We expect this new product to be a favorite for a long time.”

About Iron Clad Distillery

In 1862, one year into the American Civil War, the first ships to be armored in iron engaged in the waters off the Port of Newport News, Virginia. A few hours later, the Navy would be changed forever.

That mighty battle inspired our name. And it’s why we stick to our guns. We make authentic bourbon. That’s it. Nothing else. It’s our Ironclad rule.

Working with some of Virginia’s best grains, our aim is to produce bourbon whiskey that is accessible in flavor and price, while being of the highest quality of production.

Located along the James River, within view of the old Battle of the Ironclads site, Ironclad operates in the prodigious S.W. Holt & Co. warehouse built in 1913.

For more information please visit https://www.ironcladdistillery.com/store/fu-all-the-time

The Latest Bourbon From Buffalo Trace Is Aged in Spanish Oak Casks

April 23, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

On Wednesday, Kentucky whiskey producer Buffalo Trace announced the latest release in its Old Charter Oak collection, Spanish Oak Bourbon.

The barrels the bourbon was aged in were made from oak trees harvested from northern Spain. The wood was made into staves that were seasoned outdoors before being made into barrels.

Old Charter Oak Spanish Oak was aged at Buffalo Trace Distillery. Bottled at 92 proof, Old Charter Oak Spanish Oak will be available this spring in select U.S. markets at a suggested retail price of $69.99.

Buffalo Trace’s Old Charter Oak collection celebrates the role of oak in making whiskey by experimenting with the taste profiles different types of oak contribute. To this point, the series has only used oak from different countries. In the future, however, Buffalo Trace plans to expand the collection by using oak of various species, from different centuries and from different U.S. states.

Spanish Oak Bourbon is the fifth release in the Old Charter Oak series, following Chinkapin Oak, Mongolian Oak, French Oak and Canadian Oak.

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

“A common misconception about the distilling process is that bourbon must be aged in new American Oak barrels,” Buffalo Trace Distillery Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley said in a news release. “Though most bourbons mature in American White Oak barrels, federal regulations do not specify what type of oak the barrel must be, only that it must be a new, charred oak container.

“At Buffalo Trace Distillery, we are deeply committed to honoring the traditions of our category but also embracing change and pushing the limits of innovation to see where American whiskey can go in the future. Our Old Charter Oak collection is a superb example of trying new things and offering consumers and fans more ways to enjoy our award-winning portfolio of whiskeys.”

For more information please visit https://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/

Barrell Craft Spirits Unveils Private Release Rye Whiskey

April 23, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

Pioneering blending house Barrell Craft Spirits (BCS) has added rye whiskey to its Private Release offerings.

For this series, BCS selected rye whiskeys from Indiana and Canada and then blended them into various recipes with variations on a theme.

Beginning with 10 initial selections, each release will feature a blend of rye whiskeys designed for its specific finishing cask.

Each offering in the series is produced as a limited release, has a distinct flavor profile and contains between 150 and 180 total 750-ml. bottles, with a suggested retail price of $109.99 each.

This follows the recent release of Barrell Bourbon Batch 34, and news that the company purchased a historic rickhouse in Shively, KY.

About Barrell Craft Spirits

Joe Beatrice has built his career on new ideas. A former marketing and technology entrepreneur, Joe founded his first company, Blue Dingo Digital, in the 1990s to help companies use the Internet to establish, brand, and grow their products.

After 20 years, Joe was ready for a change. A longtime home brewer, Joe saw the true magic of spirits after a transformative experience tasting whiskey straight from the barrel for the very first time. In 2013, he launched Barrell Craft Spirits in Louisville, Kentucky, the epicenter of the American spirits industry.

Instead of building his own distillery, Joe questioned the conventional wisdom and took a different course. He sourced and blended exceptional casks from established producers, bottled whiskeys at cask strength, and sold them as transparently as possible.

That approach was unique in the United States, but not the world. Scotland’s long-established independent bottlers were a major inspiration, and Joe was captivated by their ability to elevate barrels of whisky into something greater than the sum of their parts.

Joe’s visionary instincts were spot on. Barrell Craft Spirits’ cask-strength small-batch and single-barrel releases quickly became an influencing force in American whiskey, picking up awards from the world’s most prestigious spirits competitions.

Joe is intimately involved with every step of the production process at Barrell Craft Spirits, using his exceptional palate alongside the BCS blending team to choose and create great spirits. Creative finishes, a liberated approach to blending, and a deep-seated commitment to releasing each whiskey at cask strength and without chill filtration—just like that fateful barrel tasting years ago—continues to guide every product release.

For more information please visit
https://www.barrellbourbon.com/

Hemingway Whiskey Company Announces Expanded Availability of First Edition Rye Whiskey

April 17, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Hemingway Whiskey Company today announced expanded availability for Hemingway Rye Whiskey First Edition, after the inaugural batch of First Edition Collector’s Packaging sold out in less than one week in late-2022. The new rye whiskey was crafted by a team with deep experience in Kentucky whiskey. The Calls, a family with Bardstown roots and more than 230 years of distilling experience, distilled the whiskey in collaboration with the Hemingway and Groth families. It is now on shelves in Kentucky, Tennessee, and Florida, and available online in most states.

Hemingway Rye Whiskey is crafted by a team with deep experience in Kentucky whiskey.

Hemingway Whiskey Company today announced expanded availability for Hemingway Rye Whiskey First Edition, after the inaugural batch of First Edition Collector’s Packaging sold out in less than one week in late-2022.

Hemingway Rye Whiskey First Edition has already received numerous accolades including being ranked in the “Top 5 Rye Whiskeys” of the year by acclaimed spirits columnist and critic, Fred Minnick in his annual top 100 ranking. Now with this latest First Edition release, even more rye whiskey lovers will have the opportunity to get their hands on a bottle.

The whiskey will come in a custom bottle adorned with a typewriter key design alongside Hemingway’s famed signature printed on the bottle. The Call Family’s signatures are also printed on the label. Each First Edition bottle also features a unique, removable card on the back, inspired by old-fashioned library book cards, inviting imbibers to pour their own stories and log who they share their rye with.This new whiskey is a great addition to any home collection or bar.

About Hemingway Rye Whiskey

Hemingway Rye Whiskey is a new premium rye whiskey brand, from the new Hemingway Whiskey Company, and is inspired by American Author, Journalist and Storyteller Ernest Hemingway. It was founded by a team with deep roots in Kentucky whiskey, led by Steve Groth, whiskey pioneer and co-founder of the revered Angel’s Envy Bourbon brand and the Calls, Ron, Jacob and Clayton, a distilling family with more than 230 years of whiskey making experience. The Hemingway Whiskey Company is part of Old Man and the Sea Brands, an innovative spirits company that owns Hemingway Rum Company, makers of Papa’s Pilar Rum. They are known for bringing high quality spirits and incredible stories to drinkers around the country.

For more information, visit www.hemingwaywhiskeys.com

50+ Fun Whiskey Trivia, Facts and History – CLICK HERE

The Glen Grant Releases A Stunning New Single Malt Scotch Whisky

April 17, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

The Glen Grant distillery recently unveiled a stunning 21-Year-Old single malt Scotch whisky. The expression was heralded as a “new phase of innovation” by the company. Now the oldest in The Glen Grant’s Scotch whisky range, it underscores the evolution of the company’s offerings and marks a return to its storied, “Sherry-influenced” roots.

Recently, I sat down with Dennis Malcolm OBE, The Glen Grant’s Master Distiller, to talk about his latest single malt Scotch whisky and the distillery’s continued evolution.

According to Malcolm:

The creation of The Glen Grant 21-YO represents a definitive moment in the evolution of The Glen Grant and marks a new chapter in its story. Sitting at the gateway to the prestige expressions of the Glen Grant portfolio, this 21-YO joins the 10-, 12-, 15-, and 18-year-old family of single malts and sets the tone for a range of innovative new releases set to be unveiled from 2023 onwards.

DISTILLERY MANAGER / MASTER DISTILLER

Former engineer Iain McAlister has been our esteemed distillery manager for twelve years. Born and bred in Campbeltown, Iain is fiercely proud of the place, its people and its rich whisky heritage.

Iain is responsible for the smooth running of the distillery. He also keeps a close eye on the distillery’s stock, sampling different years, casks, and finishes to maintain the highest standards of quality control.

Drawing on his background as an engineer, Iain has developed and enhanced production at Glen Scotia, whilst making sure to preserve the craftsmanship and traditional skills we value. After all, it’s these that continue to influence and shape Glen Scotia’s distinctive house style.

Iain’s favorite dram is the award-winning Glen Scotia Double Cask – which he especially enjoys on a Friday night when winding down after a busy week.

For more information on Glen Scotia please visit https://www.glenscotia.com/en-us

50+ Fun Whiskey Trivia, Facts, and History – CLICK HERE

2XO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Releases The Innkeeper’s Blend

April 17, 2023 By Dustin Scoggins

KENTUCKY— Following the successful launch of 2XO The Phoenix Blend, renowned American whiskey blender Dixon Dedman is excited to release the second small batch blend in the brand’s Icon Series, The Innkeeper’s Blend. The Innkeeper’s Blend pays homage to the Dedman family’s century-plus history in the hospitality industry, as previous owners of the famed Beaumont Inn on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. The Innkeeper’s Blend will be available in select markets nationwide in limited quantities, and online at ReserveBar, with a suggested retail price of $100.

“The Innkeeper’s Blend allows me to pay tribute to my family’s long history in hospitality and the values instilled along the way,” says Dixon. His great-great-grandmother started the inn in 1919, and Dixon was eight years old when he first remembers “helping out” there. Dixon joined the family business after graduating college in 2003, and by 2008 he was fully running the inn. “The hospitality business taught me a lot. It trains you to deal with everything that comes your way, to adjust, and react on the fly. The Innkeeper’s Blend is a nod to that part of my life that put me on this current path.”

2XO, meaning Two Times Oak, refers to Dixon’s unique blending process where he re-barrels some of his hand-selected aged whiskey into new charred oak barrels, with both #3 and #4 char levels, to create a unique combination of intense flavors, character, and complexity with each blend. The Innkeeper’s Blend is made up of Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys composed of two proprietary mash bills from different distilling partners – one a high rye 35% bourbon mash bill and the other a low rye 16-18% bourbon mash bill.

On the nose, The Innkeeper’s Blend gives off hints of butterscotch, red apple, cherry, cinnamon, and subtle earthy notes. On the palate, there are notes of caramel, vanilla, crème brulee, plum, cherry, and light black pepper spice. The mouthfeel is viscous and rich, moving from caramel sweetness on the front, to ripe red fruit in the middle, finishing with a light, peppery spice.

Like all the small batch blends in the Icon Series, The Innkeeper’s Blend is a limited time release. Once it sells out there will never be another like it. Each small batch blend in the Icon Series bares a distinctive name and symbol inspired by Dixon’s passion to innovate, collaborate, and create high-quality liquids with unique characteristics and profiles.

The Innkeeper’s Blend will be followed by the third release in the Icon Series, The Tribute Blend. Additionally, 2XO will release the first blend in a new Oak Series, American Oak, which will be an everyday offering, and a single barrel, limited time release from the Gem of Kentucky Series.

The Innkeeper’s Blend, and all 2XO Kentucky straight bourbon whiskeys, are brought to market through Prestige Beverage Group, an industry leading importer and brand innovator of award-winning wines and spirits. Together, Dixon and Prestige Beverage Group aim to offer the most unique, sought-after whiskey blends to spirits enthusiasts everywhere.

About Dixon Dedman

Dixon Dedman is a 41-year-old master blender who has quickly established himself as one of the most prolific American whiskey blenders in the industry. He grew up on the Kentucky whiskey trail infusing the learnings from industry legends with his culinary expertise from running his previously owned James Beard award winning Beaumont Inn. Dixon is best known for his high-proof, robust Kentucky Owl Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey blends, a brand he relaunched in 2014 from his great-great grandfather, C.M. Dedman, after it went dark in 1916 around the time of Prohibition. His blends have garnered awards and recognition, earning their place among the finest American whiskeys in recent memory. He has been featured in The New York Times, Forbes, Robb Report, Playboy, Maxim, Garden & Gun Magazine, The Whiskey Advocate and more.

About Prestige Beverage Group

Founded in 1974, Prestige Beverage Group is an industry leading importer and brand owner of award-winning wines and spirits from around the globe. Prestige’s portfolio of 70-plus brands includes Kinky Beverages, Rinna Wines, Risata Wines, Yes Way Rosé, Windsor Canadian, and INDOGGO Gin. From product conception and brand development to packaging design and engaging marketing initiatives, Prestige continues to meet consumer preferences and anticipate industry trends.

For More Information:
https://2xowhiskey.com/

50+ Fun Whiskey Trivia, Facts and History – CLICK HERE