Bourbon’s Third Wave

There’s a new wave of bourbon hitting the scene. Since the repeal of prohibition, a few familiar names dominate the bourbon market. Jim Beam, Heaven Hill, Brown-Forman, Wild Turkey, Four Roses, and Buffalo Trace, Maker’s Mark distill 99%+ of bourbon on the market. Small and craft distillers started to pop up across the US. around 2008. In 2008 there were 26 new distillers. In 2017, there were 274 new distilleries. As of 2018, we have around 1,589.   That is a lot of new distilleries but the issue is production capacity. I.e. how much bourbon/whiskey are they making? The entire production capacity of new 2017 distilleries is most likely less than one month of production at a big distillery. There was no real competition from a production standpoint. They’re a drop in the “barrel” compared to the big seven distillers. That was until a few years ago. A new trend has started to develop. We’ve started to see some new faces in the distilling world that can compete on production. Here is a list of new distilleries with sizeable production capacities. A lot of these numbers are estimates. But, I’ve tried to link to sources where I can. Also of note, not every distillery is running at full capacity. That goes for the big guys as well.

New Distiller’s

  Bardstown Bourbon Company 120,000 barrels. 7,000,000 proof gallons. Two 50-foot tall, custom-made, 36-inch stainless steel Vendome Copper & Brass Works still New Riff 8,000 barrels   O.Z. Tyler 72,000 barrels   Wilderness Trail 36,000 barrels   Lux Row 20,000 barrels (could move to 50,000 in the near future). 1,700,000 proof gallons   Rabbit Hole 20,000 barrels   Castle & Key 18,000 barrels and expected to grow to 45,000 in 2019   Michter’s 16,500 barrels. 1,000,000 proof gallons. With an additional expansion for aging (sourced barrels)   Smooth Ambler 3,000 barrels (per John Little). Vendome 36 ft Continuous Column still    

Big Guys: read more

Bourbonr Review: Wolves First Run Whiskey

Last week I saw an interesting looking bottle popping up my Instagram feed. It was a unique design and seemed to have a lot of popular whiskey accounts posting about it. Turns out it was Wolves Whiskey and their First Run release. Always a skeptic of shiny new bottles, I tracked down a sample to try. First, a little more about the whiskey: read more

2018 Bourbonr Whiskey Of The Year

The 2018 Bourbonr Whiskey of the Year vote is in! For the past few years, Bourbonr has crowdsourced the Whiskey of the Year selection. I’ll still add my favorite whiskey but this is about the whiskey you loved. Plus, I disagree with most books/sites for “Whiskey of the Year”.

George T Stagg is the 2018 Bourbonr Whiskey Of The Year! This marks three years in a row William LaRue Weller is in the Top 3. The Buffalo Trace Antique collection and Four Roses continue to dominate the top 3. But, it’s hard to argue when they continue to pump out great bourbon. read more

EH Taylor Amaranth Announced

This morning Buffalo Trace received TTB approval for a new E.H. Taylor extension. The next release will be E.H. Taylor Amaranth “Grain of the Gods” Bottled-In-Bond. I still can’t figure out why the E.H. Taylor brand continues to be the carrier for these experimental whiskeys. As I’ve mentioned before, isn’t that what the Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection (BTEC) is for? I don’t have a problem with these releases. However, I enjoyed being able to try them in a 375ml under the BTEC brand. read more

A Journey To Virginia Distillery Co.

Journey Cask: Hibernia Contest Details

I’ve partnered up with Virginia Distillery Co. to offer a unique experience. This is the chance to win a trip to their Lovingston, VA distillery. If you’re unfamiliar with Virginia Distillery Co. they’re a craft distiller out of Virginia. They distill and blend and their distillate with whisky sourced from Scotland. It’s a unique operation with beautiful facilities. We have a special day planned for this trip so it’s something you won’t want to miss! read more

Introducing Bourbonr Live

I’m happy to announce a new series in the Bourbonr lineup. I’ve decided to set up a weekly live tasting and discussion called Bourbonr Live. This series will take place in the Bourbonr Facebook group (for now). It may eventually move to YouTube Live. But, this is a test run. The plan is to go live every Wednesday at 9 EST. For tomorrow, I have a few interesting samples to review. I’d also love your feedback for discussion topics/questions. You can add them here. read more

Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye Is Back

That’s right, “Pappy Rye” is back! After a one year hiatus, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye Whiskey (VWFRR) has rejoined the family. All prior year releases of VWFRR were bottled from tanked older rye. The label said 13-year but what was in the bottle was closer to 18 or 19-years-old. It was a blend of rye whiskey distilled at Charles Medley and Cream of Kentucky. read more

2018 Pappy Van Winkle Release Map

Please Read: Each state is highlighted when one bottle is reported in that state. There’s a good chance that means that store, and a lot of times that city, is already sold out. This map isn’t an official release tracker from Buffalo Trace. This is a network of bourbon drinkers looking to help each other. Stores are dealing with smaller allocations and greatly increased demand. Please be understanding of this fact. Happy Hunting! read more