Bourbon News for December 13, 2024

Welcome to my biweekly Distillery and Bourbon News Newsletter for December 13, 2024! I am glad you are here and I hope you had a great week! Let’s ignore the fact that it’s Friday The 13th, and get on with the newsletter! There is a lot of news, as well as new releases, this week!

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Distillery & Bourbon News For December 13, 2024

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But First, Here’s What’s New on BourbonObsessed.com!

I’ve got a bunch of new reviews this week:

• Sagamore Spirit Double Oak Rye – This rye starts with Sagamore’s four to five year-old high and low rye rye whiskeys. They are then blended and finished in toasted wave stave barrels for an additional 18 months. This is one of my favorite Sagamore Spirit Ryes. Learn all about it in my full review!
• World Whiskey Society Wyatt Earp Hazmat 13 Year Whiskey – Coming in at a whopping 164.67 proof, this 13 year American Whiskey is crafted from a mash bill of 73% malted barley, 14.9% malted rye, and 12.1% malted wheat. It is one of the most unique whiskeys I have tried. I liked my sample so much, I ordered a bottle as soon as they became available. Learn all about it in my full review!
• Old Elk Straight Rye Whiskey – Distilled at MGP (Ross & Squibb) with a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley, it is aged for 5 years and then proofed down using Old Elk’s Slow Cut Proofing process. It has classic, but very well-balanced, rye flavors, and is a pleasant mix of citrus, spice, caramel and sweetness, too. Learn all about it in my full review!
• Angel’s Envy 2024 Cask Strength Bourbon – I had the opportunity to sit down with Master Distiller Owen Martin and a small group of media people to taste through some of Angel’s Envy’s Cask Strength Bourbons, and learn all about them. This year’s release is unique since it uses bourbon finished in both Angel’s Envy’s usual ruby port barrels, as well as tawny port barrels. Read all about our tasting and this whiskey in my full review!
• Ten Day Bourbon Surgeon’s Cut – This bourbon is aged for 10 years and bottled at barrel strength, which in this case is 110 proof. It is an enjoyable pour with an interesting progression of flavors. Learn all about it in my full review!

Distillery & Bourbon News For December 13, 2024

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Distillery & Bourbon News For December 13, 2024

Now, on to the news!

We’ve got quite a few news stories and new bourbon releases this week. Read on to learn about them all!

Bourbon and Distillery News:

• Balance Distilling, in Smith’s Grove, KY, is the newest member of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA)! Founded in 2020 and veteran owned, Balance is resurrecting the historic Mammoth Cave Bourbon brand that dates back to the 1860s. Press Release.
• The Beam Private Barrel Club is a new program from James B. Beam Distilling allowing individuals or groups to select their own barrel of Beam whiskey. The initial offerings will be Knob Creek Bourbon and Rye. The experience can be booked on the Beam website and includes a behind the scenes tour as well as lunch at The Kitchen Table, the on-premise restaurant. Press Release.
• Kentucky Owl and Stoli USA file for bankruptcy. A variety of factors reportedly have contributed, including damages from a cyberattack causing many of their business activities to be performed manually since, issues with the Russian government, pullback in the spirits industry and disputes with lenders. A number of sources has reported on this including Reuters and BeverageDynamics.
• Holidays at The Trace: Buffalo Trace Distillery is celebrating the holidays with a variety of experiences. There is a complimentary Drive-Through Light Show, the complimentary Spirited Nights, which includes a more immersive on-foot experience as well as food and beverage options, and Toast of the Trace, a premium tasting and shopping experience. Spirited Nights and Toast of the Trace are both ticketed events. However, the press release came out after both had sold out. Fortunately, more tickets and dates are reportedly being added for Spirited Nights. Press Release.
• Elijah Craig “Craig Nog“: Elijah Craig is putting an elevated twist on a beloved holiday tradition with the launch of “Craig Nog,” a new limited-edition, luxury eggnog cocktail designed for its award-winning Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon. Available online nationwide as a cocktail kit ($79.99) which include a limited edition etched Elijah Craig pitcher, and in Chicago and New York City only as ready to drink cans ($60). Press Release.
• Bardstown Bourbon Company and Brindiamo will launch an exclusive barrel leasing program, which is a tailored solution for non-distilling brands. Roughly one-third of the cost of a new fill barrel is tied up in the wood used to make the barrel. This program allows brands to simplify this significant upfront expense into manageable monthly payments, offering customers the flexibility to plan for tomorrow while maintaining the cashflow to support their needs today. Press Release.
• The (Pappy) Van Winkle Collection for 2024 was just officially unveiled. While it has been showing up for a little while now in some places, the official press release just arrived. They say there are more bottles of the 20 and 23 year-old expressions than in prior years. However, I wouldn’t expect them to be any easier to find. All of the details for each expression are in the Press Release.

Distillery & Bourbon News For December 13, 2024

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Distillery & Bourbon News For December 13, 2024

New Bourbon and Other Whiskey Releases:

• The Old Fitzgerald Bottled In Bond Bourbon Fall 2024 Release was just announced by Heaven Hill Distillery. It is an 11 year old bourbon, produced in the Fall of 2013 and bottled in the Fall of 2024. 100 proof. $154.99. Press Release.
• Wheel Horse Double Oak 5-Year Bourbon is the oldest release to date from Wheel Horse Whiskey. Distilled at Green River Distilling Co, it is then aged more than four years and then transferred to new charred oak barrels to finish aging. 101 proof. $42.99. Press Release.
• Penelope Havana is the latest release in Penelope Bourbon’s Cooper Series. It is made from a mash bill of 74% corn, 7% rye, 16% wheat and 3% malted barley, initially aged for four years. It is then finished for twelve months in Caribbean rum casks, and then for one month in unique former maple syrup barrels. 93 proof. $79.99. Press Release.
• Woodford Batch Proof: The 2024 expression is blended from 100+ barrels from different dates of production and matured in various warehouses, and on different floors within those warehouses. Available at retailers nationwide, online (in certain states) at http://shop.woodfordreserve.com/ and in limited quantities at the distillery. 119.5 proof. $149.99.
• Booker’s Jimmy’s Batch 2024-4 is the fourth and final 2024 Booker’s Bourbon release. Named in honor of Wild Turkey’s Master Distiller, Jimmy Russell, a living legend in bourbon. He also was one of Booker Noe’s dearest peers, competitors, and most importantly, friends. 125.8 proof. $99.99. Press Release.
• Still Austin Tanager Cigar Blend Whiskey uses the old-world Petites Eaux (“Small Waters”) blending technique. The base bourbon was crafted from a combination of red, white, and blue corn bourbon, along with select rye and malted barley, and aged a minimum of 5 years. It was then blended with Still Austin’s finest six-year-old high rye bourbon which was combined with pure Texas water, allowing it to age at 50 proof for at least a year before adding it to the base whiskey for final proofing. 106 proof. $149.00. www.stillaustin.com
• Old Forester 117 Series Warehouse I was announced and released on Repeal Day (December 5th). It’s an 11 year-old bourbon aged in Warehouse I and selected from the hottest floors. It sold out online on Repeal Day, but will likely be available intermittently or with certain visitor experiences, at the distillery. It will also be available in select Kentucky retailers. 95 proof. $64.99/375ml. Press Release.
• Hidden Barn Slow Fade Bourbon is the tenth and latest release in their Series One line. It’s a blend of five to six year old barrels distilled at Neeley Family Distillery and blended by Jackie Zykan. It is named for its sweet, slow fade on the finish. 106.5 proof. $79.99. Press Release.

Distillery & Bourbon News For December 13, 2024

Well, that’s it! I hope you have enjoyed this week’s Bourbon News! If you would like our bourbon and distillery news delivered directly to your inbox, please sign up for our newsletter here. You can also follow us on Instagram and Facebook. I hope you have a great weekend and a safe and enjoyable holiday season. We’ll see you again in two weeks! ! Cheers!🥃

If you would like to read some of my other recent newsletters, then check out my Bourbon News for November 29, 2024 and my Bourbon News for November 15, 2024. You can also head over to the Newsletter Archive to see all the prior editions.

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!