Luxco Announces Lux Row Distillery and Rebel Yell Single Barrel 10 Year Old

September 20, 2016 Eric Burke

The future site of the Lux Row Gift Shop

LUXCO LOGO/NAME ANNOUNCEMENT 9/15/16 AT LUXCO DISTILLERY SITE. An event during festival week in Bardstown, Kentucky usually attracts an eccentric grouping of attire. You will normally see everything from suits and ties, to collars and jeans, to t-shirts and shorts. This event was no exception. When I first got onto the shuttle for the ride to the distillery site, the first person I saw was in a shirt, tie, and slacks. I started to feel under-dressed in my polo and shorts until I noticed Mr. Stained T-shirt in the seat behind him. OK, I thought, this is going to be typical of the events held during the festival.

The table where I got the majority of my drinks.

After the shuttle took us up the lovely tree-lined drive to the site of the event, we got out and made our way to a tent that was obviously the event space. It was situated alongside a beautiful stone house. Brown fences lined a manicured lawn upon which wooden rocking chairs were placed.

Upon entering the tent, I made my way to the drinks station and got myself a….water. That’s right, this is an outdoor event. It’s hot and I am from a place where the weather comes in varieties that trend a bit toward the cooler side. Plus, I am “working” so for me, the fun comes later in the evening. While I was drinking water, my wife checked out the bar which was serving several cocktails (all were quite tasty, according to her).

The construction site of the future Lux Row D

Architectural rendering of the finished Lux Row Distillery.

After a bit of mingling, talking to the PR people/others there to cover the event/a few people in the Luxco distilling family, the announcements started.

First, the wait staff passed out unlabeled glasses of whiskey. The president and COO of Luxco, David Bratcher stepped up on the stage and gave a few thank yous to the group. He told us why, after looking at 50 sites in three states, they chose Bardstown for the distillery. He told us how when they saw the site, they knew they had the right one. He told us a little about Luxco. And finally he introduced Chairman and CEO Donn Lux to speak.

Mr. Lux took a few minutes to speak, build the tension, and then finally revealed the distillery name: Lux Row Distillery. Named for the lovely tree-lined drive to the distillery site as well as the family who owns the business, it seems like a good name. My money was on “Rebel Yell Distillery” or “Ezra Brooks Distillery,” but what do I know?

After that the announcements were over and we got to try the whiskey in the glasses we’d been handed previously. Turns out it was Rebel Yell 10-year Single Barrel. At this point most of the guests got down to festivities.

The reveal of the Lux Row logo. Looks nice.

10 Year Rebel Yell

My impressions, I didn't have enough to do a full review, nor was I in a good setting for that.

Nose: nice wood and not very sweet

Mouth: oak, brown sugar, baking spice, and a peppery heat

Finish: warm and long with lingering spices and fruit

Thoughts: This product will retail for a suggested price of $49.99. If this barrel is representative of the others, I’m ok with this. It’s good, I enjoyed my taste of it.

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Jim Rutledge opens crowdfunding campaign for new distillery

May 2, 2016 Eric Burke

Me posing for a photo with Jim Rutledge at the Kentucky Bourbon Festival, 2012

These days, there are very few people in the bourbon industry that I would stand in line to meet. For the most part, if I happen across someone, I'll chat and see if I can't pick up a tidbit here or there, pass along a complement, etc. But it’s doubtful I’ll stand in line to do so. See, unlike most of the people who live in Minnesota*, I really hate lines. Especially when there are so many other interesting people to talk to that have no lines.

But one of the few people I will stand in line to meet is Jim Rutledge. The man is a legend and and until recently was the face of my favorite bourbon. It's no secret that I am a Four Roses fanboy. I’ve loved them from almost my first taste of their product. They produced the first bourbon I bought that broke the $80 mark (and the first that broke the $100 and $120 mark as well). There are actually photos of me standing in line to get Jim Rutledge’s signature on a bottle, shake his hand and have a few words with him.

One of the reason why I like Four Roses so much is because of the respect I have for Jim Rutledge. I’ve rarely seen someone with as much passion for the product he produces. And it was a sad day for me when I heard he was retiring.

But for those of us who couldn’t imagine the bourbon world without Jim Rutledge, there is good news. He has decided to come out of retirement and start his own distillery. JW Rutledge Distillery, LLC. The press release went out Thursday afternoon, the website went live just a tad after that. And today, they are asking for your help in raising the initial capital.

JW Rutledge Distillery has started a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo. I’ve already signed on as a backer because this is a project I really think needs to happen. Take a look and if a world where Jim Rutledge is running a distillery again is a world you want to live in, think about contributing as well.

*Folks here love queueing up so much that the Department of Transportation has, at times, invested in billboards to remind the public that if they would just use both lanes when merging during a traffic jam that things would actually run smoother.

It's the 119th anniversary of the Bottled in Bond Act.

March 3, 2016 Eric Burke

Today is the 119th anniversary of the passage of the Bottled in Bond Act of 1897. This is a pretty important act. And not just in the world of whiskey. It was one of the first consumer protection and food safety laws. And because you needed to follow pretty strict rules to be label as bottled in bond (the product of one distillation season, aged in a federally bonded warehouse for at least four years, bottled at 100 proof and you need to list the DSP of the distiller and, if different, the bottler) many people began to identify it with a mark of quality.

The push to get the act passed gets credited to Colonel E. H. Taylor. He of the distillery formerly known as old Taylor and the distillery now known as Buffalo Trace fame. He gets touted as an all-around good guy by bourbon lovers, but recently a fellow blogger brought to light a few of his less admirable qualities.

As important as the act is, when I wanted to read it, I had a hard time tracking it down. Because it is 119 years old, it has been buried in the mists of time. I've posted a pdf of a scan of the act in the past, but today I am offering the poster above, including the full text of the act, as a print resolution pdf download to my patrons. The file is sized at 24" x 36" and is suitable to print at your local print shop. Someday I may find a place to sell it, but for now this is a patron exclusive.*

Not a patron yet? Well that is easy enough to fix. Go to patreon.com/arok to pledge $1 or more per month to support bourbonguy.com. Once a patron you will get access to patron-only content such as videos, designs, contests and more. So sign up today!

*Did you support the site via one-time donation? Just send me an email if you want the pdf and I will send you a link to download it.

The Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History

September 29, 2015 Eric Burke

Have you ever been to Bardstown, KY? You really should go. It’s a small town at around 12,000 people or so. Most of those 12,000 people are fantastic. Helpful, nice people are the rule, not the exception. If you are looking for a bit of quiet, Bardstown is perfect. The stores downtown tend to close around five o’clock at night. The restaurants somewhere near ten. But the major thing Bardstown offers is that it sits smack dab in the heart of Bourbon Country. It’s a home to two major (and a couple small) bourbon distilleries and is a short drive from most of the rest.

Sitting just off of downtown is Spalding Hall. Spalding Hall was originally built in 1839 as part of St. Joseph’s College, the first Catholic College in Kentucky. As you drive down Stephen Foster Avenue, Bardstown’s main road, don’t feel too bad if you don’t notice it at first. It is tucked behind the Basilica of St. Joseph and the grounds of the current St. Joseph’s Preparatory School. But, if you turn onto 5th Street, you can’t help but notice it. A large green lawn with large trees fronts the large Federal style building. Though built as part of the college, it has served various functions over the years. It was a hospital during the Civil War, a seminary, an orphanage and a high school. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. Today it houses a restaurant and the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History.

Oscar Getz and his brother-in-law were whiskey brokers before and after Prohibition. When the whiskey business started to change, they bought the Tom Moore distillery in Bardstown so that they could be assured of a steady supply of whiskey for their brands and renamed it Barton. Being an avid fan of whiskey history, Getz collected whiskey memorabilia and created a small museum on the distillery grounds to house his collection. Chuck Cowdery tells us that museum was open to the public. After Mr. Getz died in 1983, his wife donated the museum to the City of Bardstown in July of 1984 and it was moved to Spalding Hall.

Today the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History takes up most of the first floor of the three story building. There are two wings. The one to the left (as you enter the building) houses an exhibit on distilling and aging, a replica saloon, Abraham Lincoln’s liquor license, temperance and prohibition propaganda items and old bottles. Many, many old bottles. If you take a right, there are rooms that house exhibits that roughly trend around one or two of today’s major distilleries. Wild Turkey, Heaven Hill, Brown-Forman, Jim Beam, etc. Mixed in you will find more old bottles, labels, label printing plates, advertisements and much more. It really is a must stop for the bourbon lover who finds themselves in Bardstown.

Prohobition-Era Medicinal Whiskey Bottles

Old Whiskey bottles in a display case

Enlarged and framed Burks Spring Distillery letterhead. (Future home of Maker's Mark.)

An example of the age of the exhibits, the notecards were created on a typewriter.

But there is a problem. The museum needs money. In talking to the volunteers, I found out that the museum doesn’t get any outside help. Though bourbon tourism is big business in Kentucky these days, drawing people in from all over the world, the state gives the museum no monetary help. And though it houses exhibits that are basically advertisements for many current brands, the distilleries don’t give the museum any money either. Though to be fair, I was told that Barton has a couple times in the past. Instead, the musuem funds itself through various other means. During my last visit, they had a table out selling old empty whiskey bottles. They’d had a large donation and were selling off ones they already had. I bought an Old Crow “traveler fifth” bottle and an IW Harper decanter bottle from the 60s for $5 each.

Master Distiller’s Auction

The main way the museum funds itself is with the Master Distiller’s Auction held each year during the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. The auction is held in the chapel of the building. The auction is sponsored by the Van Winkles and provides most of the museum’s operating budget for the year. Items up for bid include old “dusty” bottles of bourbon, historical artifacts, signed bottles of special releases, gift baskets, and other interesting items. The items for sale are all donated. Most from the distilleries in the area.

I went to the auction for the first time last year and didn’t buy anything. This year on the other hand, we went in with a plan to come away with something. I was particularly interested in the dusties. Last year a few had gone at prices I could afford. This year, no such luck. A bottle of JW Dant and a bottle of Gibson’s Rye each from 1933 went for $1350 each, a quart of Old Sunnybrook from 1937 went for $500 and a pint of Prohibition era Crestmore bourbon went for $700. I was also interested in the prohibition whiskey prescriptions. Those went for about $200 each, also more than I wanted to pay. There were a couple of things I wish I could have bid on but knew I couldn’t afford and would have needed to be fairly local to use. One was a cocktail class by Joy Perrine that received no bids and that the auctioneer bought. The other was a tasting led by bourbon historian Mike Veach and that went for $400.

I ended up getting a few things though. I bought an Old Forester gift box from 2008 commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Repeal of Prohibition for $95. I might have gotten a little carried away there, but it’s for charity so I didn’t mind overpaying some. But I also got a couple of things no one else wanted for less than retail. I got a bottle of 1792 plus a bottle of Bloody Kentucky bloody mary mix for $40 and a bottle of Wild Turkey Diamond plus a set of four glasses for $140. Overall I felt good knowing the money was going to support the museum and I got a couple things I would drink.

An image from the 2014 Master Distiller's Auction, it's Pappy.

Of course the really big money was reserved for more current releases of Whiskey. Yep the Pappy was the big money prize of the day. A signed bottle of Pappy 23 came in at $1600, the 20 was $1150, 15 year old went for $900, the Old Rip Van Winkle 12 year for $750 and the 10 year for $425. Overall, as befitting the corporate sponsor, Van Winkle bourbons brought in more than one quarter of the $17,000 that the auction brought in for the museum.

I really recommend that if you find yourself in Bardstown, you visit the Oscar Getz Museum of Whiskey History. It’s free to visit, though there is a donation box. The building is old, the exhibits are old, the stuff inside the exhibits is old. But in this case, that’s a good thing.

Why I go to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival

September 24, 2015 Eric Burke

Last week, I went to Kentucky to ~~do a little shopping~~...go to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival in Bardstown, KY.

Welcome to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival!

You might ask, “Eric, you’ve been there before why keep going back?” And honestly, I’ve asked myself that very question. I tend to go to the same events. I visit the same stores and gift shops. To be honest, I don’t even consume that much whiskey. In fact, I almost didn’t go this year. We already had a trip planned for late August and didn’t think that we’d be able to go on another one that soon.

But the more I got to thinking about it, the more I realized that it isn’t the events or even the shopping that brings me back every year. Sure the couple of events I go to every year, I go to because I have a good time. And yes, I could have paid a good chunk of my mortgage with the amount of money I spent on whiskey in those four days. But the real reason is the people. I’ve made a lot of friends going to BourbonFest. I missed a couple of them this year, but I met new ones as well.

The poster for this year's All-Star Sampler

I like to go to the All-Star Sampler™. Distilleries, big and small, are are pouring whiskey. And I see a lot of people there. Some I see every year and I almost always spend much more time talking with friends, old and new, than I do drinking.

Booklets and ticket for Let's Talk Bourbon™

I like to go to Let’s Talk Bourbon™ at Four Roses every year both because it is at Four Roses and because it is always different. It always starts out the same, but the question and answer session always goes in directions you couldn’t anticipate. Plus this year we got to hear from new Master Distiller, Brent Elliot in addition to Jim Rutledge and Al Young.

Inner page of the Master Distiller's Auction with my notes.

The best event though is one it costs nothing to attend. Even though it might turn out to be the most expensive one you go to if you aren’t careful. And that is the Master Distiller’s Auction at the Oscar Getz museum. (I’ll have a full post about that one coming soon.)

Toss in the festival, the barrel races, the spirit garden and the crafts for sale on the lawn and it is a very good time. No, you probably won’t be wowed by the whiskey that is poured. It’s mostly the stuff you can walk into any store and grab on the shelf for under $30. But you know what? There is something to be said for sitting under a tree with a glass of old Grand-dad 114 talking to people who share your love of whiskey and your knowledge that friends are the best thing you can find in Kentucky.

It's That Time of Year Again...

September 15, 2015 Eric Burke

Poster available at zazzle.com/bourbonguy

It is that time again. It's the time of year when people turn their minds to bourbon. Even those who aren't fanatics. In Kentucky (and in our hearts), it's Bourbon Heritage Month.

In honor of the bourbon-time of year, I've added a new design to the BourbonGuy online store*. It's what I consider to be the essential recipe for a great glass of bourbon. You can have more ingredients, but you at least need these five. (Though the last one is optional at times.) The design is available on posters, wood art, coffee mugs, t-shirts and a tie. The poster above is 12" x 36" and it is the item I felt like I needed to have out of the bunch. So if you want to support the site and get something for yourself or a loved one, please check it out.

It's also time for me to head to Bardstown, Kentucky for the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. I'm packed, my house is cleaned and the dog sitter is here. All that is left is to hit publish. Thanks for another great year folks.

*This item, and in fact this store, are no longer available. BourbonGuy.com accepts no advertising. It is solely supported by the sale of the hand-made products I sell at the BourbonGuy Gifts Etsy store. If you'd like to support BourbonGuy.com, visit BourbonGuyGifts.com. Thanks!

Maker's Mark Wins!

May 5, 2015 Eric Burke

Ok, so I'm not nearly as excited as that headline makes it seem. But since I did write about this very topic just last month, I took a little interest in the first news we have out of these cases.

It seems that the first of the many "handmade" cases is over, having been dismissed by the judge "with prejudice." The decision itself, while being a bit heavy on the legalese (I guess that's appropriate in this instance), is an entertaining read since it basically calls bull on many of the claims that common sense tells you it should. You can read it below. (Hat tip to Brian @sippncorn for tweeting a link to the decision.)

Of course Maker's Mark is happy. And they did what any happy company would do: issue a press release.

So...that's that right? Well, not exactly. As both Chuck Cowdery and Mark Gillespie have reported on their respective websites, this is just one of the cases and may have no bearing on the others. Plus, there may be an appeal. Stay tuned!

High West Master Class Plus a Review of High West Double Rye

April 16, 2015 Eric Burke

High West Distillery is a company that gets a lot of love from whiskey geeks, myself included. They are located in Park City, Utah. Though they do distill some of their own stuff, they’ve really made their reputation on the ability to obtain interesting spirits and then blending them together to make something even more interesting.

So it was with real interest that I attended the master class Whiskey: An Organoleptic Journey at Sunday’s Whiskey on Ice Festival. The class was lead by Brendan Coyle, Lead Distiller at High West. During the class he discussed the whiskey making process in great detail. Everything from sourcing the grain down to bottling the finished product.

The coolest part of the class was that it wasn’t just “first you mill, then you mash, then you ferment.” Instead he went into great detail about how and why you might want to do things a certain way and how it would affect the finished product. For example: He didn’t just say you mill the grain, but showed a diagram of a hammer mill and described the relative courseness of the resulting flour. And why you’d want to mill at the speed you do so you don’t risk scorching.

Plus I really liked the dive into the science behind the processes. Things like why you might want a little bit of bacterial fermentation to go along with your yeast fermentation (complexity). The differences between the grain-in method of fermentation that American whiskey typically uses and the grain-out method used in making malt whiskey and why those methods are used (ease of filtration). Or why you would want to make your cuts at certain times and a bit of how you’d know when those are (taste/aroma + proof measurements).

And of course he went over distillation and aging. Each of these were illustrated with a small taste of whiskey. We tasted six whiskeys* during the course of the class. First were two silver whiskeys Western Oat and OMG Pure Rye. After that were four aged blends: Double Rye, Rendezvous Rye, Campfire and the newly-reintroduced Bourye. I enjoyed all of them on some level except the Campfire. It tasted a bit too much like it’s namesake for me.

All in all, if you get a chance to see one of Brendan Coyle’s talks, do it. My only regret is that it only lasted an hour. I could easily have sat through one twice as long.

High West Double Rye

Purchase Info: $32.99. 750 mL. Casanova Liquors, Hudson, WI (on a Sunday, out of state, for those who are watching Minnesota politics)

Details: 46% ABV. Batch# 14E20. Bottle# 3488. Blend of two straight rye whiskeys: a 2 year old 95% MGP rye and a 16 year old 53% Barton rye.

Nose: Mint, cedar, bubblegum, clove and licorice.

Mouth: Spicy. Toffee, mint, clove and licorice.

Finish: Mint, cedar and a nice lingering warmth

Thoughts: When I tried this side-by-side with the Rendezvous Rye during the class, I noticed that this one had much more of the typical “MGP” character. Which is perfect for me, because I really like that. It has more complexity than your typical MGP bottling though due to the addition of the much older Barton rye. This is a nice sipper with plenty of heat and at $30-$40 the price is right too. I like this. It’s an easy one to recommend.

*If you want info an any of these whiskeys visit www.highwest.com. The other cool thing about High West is how transparent they are about the details of their whiskeys. They will tell you what makes up each blend and we even got to see what proof the tails were cut at for the stuff they distilled during the presentation.

Blog

10 Year Rebel Yell

Master Distiller’s Auction

High West Double Rye