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Bourbon is rich with history. Whether legendary names like Jim Beam, Elijah Craig and E.H. Taylor, the history of bourbon runs deep. With the history, brand equity and goodwill are built. In the whiskey business history, legacy, tradition, etc. sells really well. Because of that, marketers use history and stories to sell booze.
For the second year in a row, Bourbon & Beyond will take place in Lousiville. This year you may recognize some familiar (aside from the famous musicians, chefs, master distillers, etc.). Three members of the Bourbon Community Roundtable will participate in the event. I’m moderating a workshop called “We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Master Distiller“. Brian Haara from Sipp’n Corn and Ryan and Kenny from Bourbon Pursuit will be hosting events as well.
Welcome to open enrollment for the Bourbonr Pro membership. Almost three years ago, I launched Bourbonr Pro as a way to provide additional benefits and support the Bourbonr site. The main focus of the Bourbonr Pro memberships is the Bourbonr barrel picks. Don’t worry. If you choose not to become a “pro” member nothing changes for you. All of the advantages of the Bourbonr Pro membership are in addition to what is already provided on Bourbonr.
Let’s start with a little history. One-off barrels were a thing among distillers for a long time. They bottled these “single” barrels for parties and friends. And, on occasion, in exchange for a favor from a governmental official. It wasn’t until 1984 when Elmer T. Lee came up with the idea for a premium single barrel bourbon. Ancient Age Distillery (now Buffalo Trace) decided to name the brand Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon. It was named after former distillery president Col. Albert B Blanton. Blanton’s single barrel bourbon was one of the first premium bourbon releases. After a few years of sales Blanton’s sales began to pick up. Other distilleries also offering “premium” bourbons. The downward sales trend in the bourbon industry began to slow.
If you follow bourbon media outlets you’ve probably seen this already. But, for me, it’s exciting to see this film get released. If you’ve been reading Bouronr long enough you may remember I posted a trailer for the film back in 2015. I can’t imagine the work that goes into a project like this. I’ve gotten a chance to watch the documentary and it’s really good. Whether you’re new to bourbon or have been a Bourbonr for years, NEAT will get you excited about bourbon!
This will be my third year I’ve attended the Orlando Whiskey Festival. Every year, I’ve tasted some amazing whiskey. If you think you can make it definitely let me know. Would love to meet some fellow Bourbonr’s there! Tickets are available here.
Features include: fine single malt, blended Scotch and American whiskeys including Boubon and rye, favored whiskeys, beer and wine. The grand tasting allows guests to sample close to 100 whiskey brands and interact with industry professionals. Gourmet menu selections will be on site from some of Orlando’s most popular restaurant groups. An outside lounge area will incude live entertainment and cigar vendors.
. There was a lot of pushback about calling $60 a “budget” purchase. I agree. But, the point of the poll was to identify Bourbonr favorites below the $60 price point. With that in mind, I’d say the poll was a success. Here’s a breakdown of the results.
I was introduced to Coppersea Distilling in Reid Mittenbuelers book “Bourbon Empire”. We’ve all read the marketing pitch. Every craft distillery has their story on why they’re different. Yet, the more I dug into Coppersea the more impressed I was with their distillery. You see, Coppersea is bringing back heritage whiskey making methods. They use traditional equipment to apply these methods. I was able to track down Chief Distiller, Christopher Williams, for a phone interview. It was one of those calls that I schedule for 30 minutes. Only to find myself still asking questions an hour and a half later. This post breaks down what they’re doing that’s unique at Coppersea.
. I thought it was a great idea and decided to create this poll. I’ve included all the bourbon’s I can think of. If there’s something else you think I missed feel free to use the “other” option. I’ll admit it. It seems a little pompous to refer to $60 as a “budget” bourbon. But, with prices increasing in the bourbon world $60 is usually a good deal.
Ready to see some of the most famous rye whiskeys go head to head in a blind tasting? This month I’m joined by spirits writer Jonah Flicker, Head bartender at Lizardville in Ohio (And Cleveland Bourbon Club member) Crystal Bics, Brian Haara from Sipp’n Corn and Ron Bourbondy.
January’s blind tasting was all rye whiskey. There are some great rye whiskeys available today. There are also some expensive rye whiskeys. I tried to break this tasting down into a few parts. I wanted there to be a similarity in the proof. All of these whiskeys are between 90-110 proof. Pikesville being the highest at 110. There is also a great disparity in price. I included a bottle of Van Winkle Family Reserve rye which routinely sells for more than $1,000. I also included Jim Beam Rye which sells for around $20 and is available just about everywhere. Time to see if there’s a correlation between price and taste.