by admin | Nov 22, 2022 | IN THE NEWS
Ongoing Limited-Release Blends Feature an Alternate Blending Profile, Incorporate Rare Barrels
Louisville, KY (November 22, 2022) – Stellum™ Spirits, a national brand which celebrates the modern-day whiskey drinker, today introduced two new Stellum Black specialty blends. These blends feature an alternate blending profile and incorporate rare barrels to create limited edition bourbons and ryes that deliver robust flavor alongside profound complexity.
Stellum Black specialty blends offer consumers more in terms of rarity, collectability, and insight into the inspiration behind the blends themselves. Blending in steps and with smaller batches allows the team to utilize barrels or parts of barrels that are particularly unique while still having a major influence on the character of the whiskey.
The base for all Stellum Black specialty blends is a blend of Indiana bourbon/rye, which is then layered with older bourbons/ryes from Kentucky and Tennessee, creating a unique everyday whiskey.
These are the two latest limited edition blends:
- Hunter’s Moon
- This warm, oak driven bourbon is made in preparation for winter, inspired by the Hunter’s Moon of October. It is marked by a high rye spice and a robust woodiness meant for the time of year when days get shorter and the nights get longer. Bottled at cask strength (115.52 proof)
- The Lone Cypress
- This savory and delicate rye blend is defined by notes of dried herbs and pine, with a hint of salt-air salinity. It’s named for one of the world’s most famous trees, found on the picturesque coast of the Monterey Peninsula. Bottled at cask strength (115.34 proof)
All Stellum Black specialty blends have an SRP of $99. They are available at select retailers in 49 U.S. markets and online via the Stellum website at www.stellum.com. For more information, follow Stellum Spirits on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram or visit www.stellum.com.
Stellum Spirits
Stellum™ Spirits is devoted to bringing American whiskey into the modern age with simple, elegant blends and single barrels selected with care and intention. Stellum Spirits is produced by Barrell Craft Spirits®, the original, pre-eminent independent blender of unique, aged, cask strength whiskey and rum since 2013.
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by admin | Nov 15, 2022 | IN THE NEWS
Limited Edition Ultra-Rare Cask Strength Bottling Features Older and More Rare Barrels Aged up to 25 Years
Louisville, KY (November 15, 2022) – Barrell Craft Spirits (BCS), the original, pre-eminent independent blender of unique, aged, cask strength whiskey and rum, today introduced BCS Gold Label Dovetail. This limited edition and ultra-rare expression boasts the same award-winning blend of whiskey finished in rum, port and Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Barrels as its classic, iconic counterpart, which won the Chairman’s Trophy at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge and earned a Double Gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. BCS Gold Label Dovetail is created with the same finishing and blending method as Barrell Dovetail, but incorporates whiskeys aged up to 25 years, resulting in a more powerful and robust blend.
“Over the past several years, Dovetail has become a highly regarded expression within the BCS portfolio of products and the American Whiskey world,” said BCS Founder Joe Beatrice. “Following the recent success of BCS Gray Label Dovetail, we decided to apply the concept of ‘Dovetail’ to our oldest, rarest stocks. We left these component whiskeys in their finishing casks even longer and included some very high proof barrels to create a blend with an intensity matched only by its nuance and layering.”
Founded in 2013 in Louisville, Kentucky, BCS selects and blends products that explore different distillation methods, barrels and aging environments, and bottles them at cask strength. BCS’s extensive stocks of high-quality casks mean they can craft extraordinary blends that maximize the nuances of each ingredient. Creative finishes, a liberated approach to blending, and a deep-seated commitment to releasing each whiskey at cask strength guides every product release.
BCS Gold Label Dovetail was distilled in IN, TN and Canada and bottled in Kentucky at 140.18 proof (70.09% ABV). The new expression is now available at select retailers within the brand’s current 49 U.S. markets and online via the BCS website at www.barrellbourbon.com. The suggested retail price for a 750ml bottle is $499.99.
In addition to BCS Gold Label Dovetail, Barrell Craft Spirits® offers multiple other special releases that highlight its blending expertise including: Barrell Seagrass, which won Double Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition; Barrell Armida, which earned Best Barrel-Aged Bourbon at the LA Spirits Awards; Barrell Vantage, a blend of straight bourbons finished in Mizunara, French and Toasted American Oak Casks; and the various other BCS Gold and Gray Label bottlings.
For more information, follow Barrell Craft Spirits® on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram or visit www.barrellbourbon.com.
Barrell Craft Spirits®
Louisville-based Barrell Craft Spirits® is the original, pre-eminent independent blender of unique, aged, cask strength whiskey and rum. Recognized for our blending expertise since 2013, we skillfully design, produce, and launch leading, unique products that surprise and delight whiskey aficionados and novices alike.
Barrell Craft Spirits®, Barrell®, Barrell Bourbon® and Barrell Rye® are registered trademarks owned by Barrell Craft Spirits LLC.
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by admin | Nov 9, 2022 | IN THE NEWS
Newest Ongoing Release Features an Entirely New Oak Bill™
Los Angeles, CA (November 9, 2022) – Broken Barrel Whiskey Co., whose portfolio of premium whiskeys showcase the impact a non-traditional barrel finishing practice has on flavor, recently added a fifth expression to its core lineup of Kentucky Straight Bourbon & Rye Whiskeys. Introducing Americana, a 100 proof (50% ABV) straight American whiskey featuring a mash bill of 80% corn, 14% rye and 6% malted barley. Americana explores blended American Whiskeys with an entirely new Oak Bill™ – a concept unique to Broken Barrel which denotes the combination of barrel staves from different types of barrels used in each expression – of 40% Charred American Oak, 40% Toasted American Oak and 20% American Apple Brandy Cask. The result is a distinctive whiskey displaying a soft honeycomb sweetness with notes of toasted cashew and butterscotch which melts away into more complex oak and marshmallow notes.
“Previously, we offered a selection of Rare Americana offerings as part of our single barrel program for private groups and retailers,” said Seth Benhaim, Founder and CEO, Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. “The new Americana 100 proof whiskey was inspired by those bottlings, but is a much more accessible offering for Broken Barrel fans to enjoy regularly.”
While most whiskey is aged in barrels and then bottled, Benhaim believed that there was a missed opportunity in traditional barrel finishing – namely the reliance on one type of barrel used to finish one type of whiskey. He created Broken Barrel to expand the barrel finishing concept, involving not only broken barrel staves (vs. intact barrels), but also the combination of multiple barrel types all finishing aged bourbon in tandem. Once Broken Barrel whiskey ages for a minimum of two years, barrels are carefully selected, dumped and batched in a large tank. The broken barrel staves from multiple different kinds of casks are then added to further age and finish the whiskey.
Americana will rollout nationally beginning this month for the suggested retail price of $35. It joins the company’s award-winning lineup of Small Batch, California Oak, Heresy Rye and Cask Strength whiskeys, which are distilled at the historic Owensboro Distilling Co., in Kentucky.
Broken Barrel products are sold online via the brand website, Caskers, Flaviar, Reserve Bar and Wine.com and in select retail locations within 33 US states and Canada. In addition to the core portfolio, the team regularly issues limited-edition special releases, which allows them to further flex their creative muscles and incorporate barrel staves from various combinations of unique casks sourced from all over the world. The Broken Barrel Stave House & Bottle Shop, located at 2332 East 8th Street in downtown Los Angeles, is open from Monday through Friday from 12-5pm. Limit three bottles per person, per day.
Broken Barrel Whiskey Club
Brand fans can now join the Broken Barrel Whiskey Club, which offers access to unique offerings and rare bottlings on both a semi-annual and quarterly basis. For details and pricing, visit https://www.brokenbarrelwhiskey.com/plans-pricing
Please follow Broken Barrel Whiskey Co. on Facebook and Instagram.
About Broken Barrel Whiskey Co.
Founded in 2017, Broken Barrel Whiskey is a portfolio of premium whiskeys sourced from the historic Owensboro Distilling Co. in Kentucky. The core expressions feature exclusively Kentucky Straight Bourbon and Rye Whiskey, which are further aged and finished using various types and combinations of barrel staves. For more information, please visit www.brokenbarrelwhiskey.com
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by admin | Oct 31, 2022 | IN THE NEWS
LANSING, Mich. – Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer joined the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) to announce that Traverse City Whiskey Co. LLC, (TCWC), a Traverse City-based distiller of bourbon and whiskey and producer of premium cocktail cherry garnishes, is expanding in Traverse City with support from the Michigan Strategic Fund.
“Today’s $20 million investment by Traverse City Whiskey Company will create nearly 100 good-paying jobs and foster long-term economic opportunity in Northern Michigan’s agribusiness sector,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Right now, Michigan’s economy is growing, and we must build on our momentum by empowering our hardworking people, innovative small businesses, and resilient communities. Our future is bright, and by continuing to work together on bipartisan economic development efforts, we can bring in more investments like this one by TCWC to us move Michigan forward. Cheers, Traverse City!”
“Cheers to the team at TCWC on your growth success! We’re pleased to support your expansion in Michigan, and appreciate this vote of confidence in the strength of our talented workforce and attractive business climate,” said Quentin L. Messer, Jr., CEO of MEDC and President and Chair of the MSF Board. “Today represents only the beginning of an exciting relationship with TCWC. We are grateful to the Governor, legislators and local officials for their continued support of the Michigan Business Development Program. This project further demonstrates Team Michigan’s commitment to supporting economic opportunities throughout all regions of the state. We’re proud to join our local partners as we celebrate TCWC’s expansion and look forward to working together to grow, add jobs, and provide greater opportunity for our friends and neighbors in Northern Michigan.”
The project is expected to generate a total capital investment of approximately $20 million and create nearly 100 jobs, supported by a $750,000 Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. Michigan was chosen for the project over a competing site in Michigan City, Indiana.
TCWC began operating in 2012, when it established its first distillery and bottling plant in downtown Traverse City and produced straight bourbon and innovative cherry whiskey that have become top selling craft whiskeys statewide. At its current facility in Traverse City, the company operates the Stillhouse tasting room that has become a popular destination for tens of thousands of area residents and visitors each year. In 2018, TCWC introduced its premium cocktail cherries which have grown to be the leading premium cocktail cherry nationally, sold in all fifty states. In 2019, it opened its first tasting room in Metro Detroit: The Outpost in Ferndale. TCWC currently employs 45 Michigan residents.
The company’s rapid growth has exceeded its current distilling capacity, which has resulted in a portion of its annual production to be outsourced to out-of-state partners. TCWC has purchased and has begun to repurpose the abandoned Cherry Growers Co-Op cherry processing facility in Traverse City where it will accommodate every step in the production process and meet increasing demand for its products. The first-of-its-kind facility in Michigan will also allow TCWC to offer support to other craft whiskey distillers that are in need of capacity for their own growing brands. It will also include a state-of-the-art traditional rackhouse, dedicated processing and packaging spaces, administrative offices and a visitor center and tasting room, as well as spectacular indoor and outdoor hospitality spaces.
“We’re thrilled to break ground on this incredible new facility and are grateful to the State of Michigan for investing in our future which will allow us to expand operations and exclusively produce our award-winning whiskey right here in our hometown of Traverse City,” said Chris Fredrickson, Co-Founder and President, TCWC. Our new headquarters will be an all-encompassing campus that will provide a unique immersion in whiskey culture and industry, and will add a new experience to the thriving Northern Michigan agritourism industry. It will provide numerous jobs and attract new and returning visitors to our beautiful region. We can’t wait to welcome our friends into our new home.”
The project builds on Michigan’s agribusiness industry and will further boost tourism throughout the region. TCWC offers a variety of training opportunities and competitive benefits to its employees and promotes from within whenever possible. In addition, the company works with Michigan Works! to reach local talent in disadvantaged areas.
Elmwood Township has offered a property tax abatement in support of the project, and plans to offer staff time in support of the project.
“Elmwood Township is excited that TC Whiskey is revitalizing the former Cherry Growers operations,” said Elmwood Township Supervisor Jeffrey K. Shaw, DC. “The property has been vacant and decaying, and the TC Whiskey project will provide economic opportunity for workers in our area.”
“Michigan’s craft beverage industry is on the grow. Businesses like Traverse City Distillery directly contribute to economic development and jobs creation with our local communities while creating markets for our farmers,” said Jenelle Jagmin, executive director, Michigan Craft Beverage Council. “I appreciate the ongoing support and investment from Governor Whitmer, MEDC and other partners into the state’s robust craft beverage industry.”
by admin | Oct 18, 2022 | IN THE NEWS
Annual Holiday “Treat” Available Via StillAustin.com Beginning Monday, October 24 at 1:00pm CST
Austin, TX (October 18, 2022) – Still Austin Whiskey Co., a homegrown distillery situated in the heart of South Austin, is thrilled for the annual release of its limited-edition Monster Mash cask strength whiskey under its special “Distillery Reserve Series” just in time for the Halloween holiday.
The whiskey was handmade from grain-to-glass at the distillery, aged for four years in new charred American Oak barrels, and bottled at 108.6 proof (54.3% ABV). This year’s (monster) mash bill is a wicked blend of five Texas grains: 63% white corn, 17% winterhawk wheat, 10% malted rye, 8% rye and 2% malted barley.
As in years past, this whiskey uses five “super sacks” found in the distillery which were all less than half full. Head Distiller John Schrepel decided to see what happened when he combined each of the remaining grains found in each sack. The result is a spooky spirit with a veritable trick-or-treat bag of tasting notes, featuring impressions of caramels, almond bars, pecan candied apples, chocolate and lingering afternotes of cream soda.
Once again, the team partnered with Austin-based artist Dan Grissom of Biscuit Press on the bottle artwork. This year’s label features the familiar tree monster as in years past, who has gone trick-or-treating in a mummy costume.
How to Purchase
Consumers will have the chance to purchase a 750ml bottle beginning Monday, October 24 at 1:00pm CST by visiting StillAustin.com. Price is $100 per bottle plus tax, which will be sold on a first come, first served basis. Patrons can pick up their bottles at the Still Austin distillery (440 E. St Elmo Road Unit F) on Friday, October 28, beginning at 12pm. Bottles must be picked up at the distillery and cannot be shipped.
Grain-to-Glass Philosophy
Still Austin is an independent craft whiskey distillery founded in 2015, focusing on a true grain-to-glass concept that produces the highest quality whiskey by perfecting every part of the process and using local resources and sustainable practices. The team is committed to carrying out each part of the process in-house. That means never sourcing whiskey from another distillery, and instead always hand-making everything from scratch, and managing everything in-house – milling, mashing, fermenting, distilling, barreling and bottling.
The Still Austin distilling team is led by Head Distiller John Schrepel, Master Blender Nancy Fraley and veteran Master Distiller Mike Delevante, one of the most experienced and respected distillers in North America who designed the distillery to make the highest quality whiskey. That includes a 42-foot custom-made column, “Nancy,” (and her sister copper-pot still, “The Queen”) which give the distillers serious creative license to create unique new flavors and spirits. For more information, visit www.stillaustin.com
For more information, visit www.stillaustin.com
About Still Austin Whiskey Co.
Founded in 2015 by three Austin families, Still Austin Whiskey Co. is a true grain-to-glass distillery, located at 440 East St. Elmo Road in the heart of Austin, Texas. All spirits are hand crafted using grains grown by Texas farmers. Still Austin’s collection of spirits includes the flagship Straight Bourbon Whiskey (aka “The Musician”), Cask Strength Bourbon, Straight Rye Whiskey (aka “The Artist”), and American Gin (aka “The Naturalist”). Still Austin places a high value on sustainability, with a focus on cutting carbon emissions through local sourcing, increasing the biodiversity of the region through heritage grains, returning spent grains to local ranchers to feed their animals, and operating a distillery that is designed for energy efficiency and water conservation.
About the Artist
Dan Grissom is an illustrator, designer, painter, and printmaker based in Austin, Texas. He specializes in screen printed concert posters and has done work for a diverse list of musicians including many local Austin bands. His gallery work includes solo exhibitions at the University of New Mexico Gallup and Northwestern State University in Louisiana. Dan has been a part of many group exhibitions including several through Spoke Art Gallery based in San Francisco and New York. His work has also been featured in several art books as well as magazines based in the U.S., France, and Brazil. In 2015, Dan built a screen printing and letterpress shop in his garage called Biscuit Press where his work is printed, as well as the work of other local artists and designers. He’s taught multiple screen printing workshops with art students at both the University of Texas in Austin and the University of New Mexico in Gallup. Find him on Instagram @dangrissom and Facebook @dangrissomart.
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