There is way too much bourbon information out there to keep it all straight. I’ve put together a Distillery Summary chart to help you remember each distillery’s mash bills, char level and barrel entry proof. There will be several posts in the upcoming weeks about how each item affects the finished bourbon. Part two of Distillery Summary will be posted next week with the remaining major distilleries.
With only a few days remaining in 2015 it’s time to reflect on the year in bourbon. While price increases continue to be the norm we also lost some good whiskey: Four Roses discontinues their Single Barrel Limited Edition. Smooth Ambler announces a shortage of rye whiskey and subsequent freeze on their Old Scout Rye. Buffalo Trace continues to talk about shortages but also officially recognized the secondary as an issue.
Every fall Four Roses releases their “small batch” limited edition. The small batch limited edition (SmBLE) release marries several different mash bills to create something exceptional. In total, Four Roses has 10 different mash bills but usually selects 3-4 to be a part of the SmBLE. The 2015 release is a combination of the following mash bills: OESK, OBSV and OBSK.
It’s that time of year! Whether you’re shopping for yourself, ready to share this list with loved ones shopping for you or trying to find a gift for the bourbon lover in your life. This list was made for all Bourbonr’s.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Yesterday, I found a cool new app called The List App. The List App is basically twitter but for lists. After signing up and browsing for a while, I decided to create my own list.
Of course, my first list had to be bourbon related. This isn’t a list of hard to find bourbons. These bourbons are the impossible to find bourbons. They range from “you’ll never find” to “maybe a handful of bars in the country have a bottle”
Today, Buffalo Trace (BT) declared their intentions to shut down secondary markets that sell BT products. What does this mean? Will Buffalo Trace join forces with the ATF to take down secondary sites? I can’t imagine any other agency would be able to regulate this and I would assume the ATF has bigger fish to fry. I understand they’re trying to protect their customers. It just seems odd. For some, the secondary is the only realistic chance they have at buying a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. Now, this is obviously abused but why would Buffalo Trace want to shut down the only outlet some people have.
Want to host your own bourbon tasting but not sure how to get started? Or, are you looking for a gift for the bourbon drinker in your life. The Bourbonr Tasting Kit is an educational tool that helps facilitate home tastings. Sure, hunting rare bourbons is fun but the community aspect of bourbon is by far my favorite part. Sitting around a table with friends drinking bourbon is always a good time.
Last year I ran a post about pairing bourbon with each Thanksgiving course (make sure to read it before you start cooking or eating). This year I’d like to take a different approach. Instead of giving a recipe or a pairing I’d like to propose a challenge. The challenge: open your limited edition bourbon that has been sitting on your shelf for a “special occasion”. Forget resell value. Forget the hype. It’s time to drink. There’s no better time to imbibe than with family, friends and turkey.
Below is what we know so far. I’m digging to try and get some more details. Things like: Will there be a 2015 Rye? Is the 2015 20-year-old Stitzel-Weller or Bernheim or other? Are they still sourcing solely from Brown-Forman?
What else would you like to see answered?
Louisville, KY November 2015 — Michter’s Master Distiller Willie Pratt has approved the release of Michter’s 10 Year Single Barrel Bourbon and 20 Year Single Barrel Bourbon to the company’s distributor network for sale this December. This will mark the first release of the 2015 bottling of these two coveted expressions.
Time for another fall release review. Should you spend your time and money on a bottle of Angel’s Envy Cask Strength (AECS)? It’s time to find out. 2015 AECS is 127.9 proof and is aged up to 7 years. There’s no mention of how long they bourbon is in the port barrels. There are 7,500 bottles in the 2015 release and it’s expected to be priced at $170.