Bourbon News for October 18, 2024

Welcome to my biweekly Distillery and Bourbon News Newsletter for October 18, 2024! Things are slowing down a bit, but we’ve still got plenty to talk about!

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Distillery & Bourbon News For October 18, 2024

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

This week, we have a bunch of new bourbon reviews, as well as a comprehensive article about our visit to 10th Mountain Distillery!

• We recently visited the 10th Mountain Whiskey & Spirit Distillery in Gypsum, CO and had an opportunity to tour the distillery, chat with founder Ryan Thompson and sample some of their whiskeys. It’s a cool distillery with a great philanthropic side, supporting predominantly veteran related organizations. Read all about our visit in our 10th Mountain Whiskey – Distillery Tour and Chat with Founder Ryan Thompson!
• Read about the latest special release from Jack Daniel’s in our Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill Barrelhouse 8 Review! This whiskey was aged 10-11 years in the upper floors of one of the highest elevation rickhouses on the Jack Daniel Distillery campus, and that environment created a complex and boldly flavored whiskey.
• Wolves Whiskey has previously only released limited editions. However, they now have a flagship whiskey that is available year-round. Read all about it in our Wolves American Single Malt Whiskey Review!
• Ass Pocket Whiskey is a new brand from renowned guitarist Derek Trucks. The brand’s premise is that good whiskey should be able to be purchased at a reasonable price, and enjoyed. Therefore, this 10 year old Kentucky Bourbon comes in a 200ml bottle for $50. Read all about it in our Ass Pocket Whiskey Review!
• Rare Character Limited Release is the latest line extension from Rare Character Whiskey. Differing from their prior releases, these will all be small batches. Batch #1 begins with a foundation of 5.5-year Kentucky-distilled wheated bourbon. This was then layered with 8-year and 15-year Kentucky rye bourbons. Learn more in our Rare Character Limited Release Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Batch 1 Review!

Distillery & Bourbon News For October 18, 2024

Distillery & Bourbon News For October 18, 2024

Now, on to the news!

It’s been a relatively quiet couple of weeks on the news front, but we have a couple of stories and few new releases to talk about, as well.

News:

• The Tasting Alliance announced the Best in Class Winners from the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition at their recent Top Shelf Gala. Some winning distilleries to note in the American Whiskey categories were: Best American Blended Whiskey: King’s Family Distillery; Best American Single Malt Whiskey: Stranahan’s; Best Single Barrel Bourbon 11 Years & Older: Elijah Craig; Best Single Barrel Bourbon up to 10 Years: Rare Character Whiskey; Best Small Batch Bourbon 11 Years & Older / Best Overall Bourbon: Pure Antique; Best Small Batch Bourbon 6 to 10 Years: Blue Run; Best Small Batch Bourbon up to 5 Years: Neeley Family Distillery; Best Straight Bourbon: Elijah Craig; Best Wheated Bourbon: Larceny; Best Tennessee Whiskey: Uncle Nearest
• There are a few days left in Elijah Craig’s fifth annual Old Fashioned Week, which runs from October 11-20, 2024. This 10-day celebration invites bourbon enthusiasts to enjoy the iconic Old Fashioned cocktail at participating bars and restaurants across the country, all while supporting a great cause. For every Old Fashioned sold, Elijah Craig will donate $1 per drink (up to $100,000) to the Southern Smoke Foundation, an organization providing critical support to food and beverage workers through emergency relief and mental health services. You can use the “Find a Bar” tool on oldfashionedweek.com to discover participating venues in your area. 

Distillery & Bourbon News For October 18, 2024

New Releases

• Booker’s Master Distillers Batch 2024-03 is the third release of 2024. It was aged 7 years, 8 months, 7 days, in warehouses Z, 1, 3 & J and is bottled at 130.3 proof. $99.99. Read the press Release.
• Bardstown Bourbon Company Blackberry Farm Brewery Collaborative Series is the latest release from BBC. Blackberry Farm is a luxury resort in Tennessee’s Smoky Mountain area, and the Blackberry Farm Brewery is located in nearby Maryville, TN. This bourbon was finished in Blackberry Farm Brewery’s signature Oxheart Stout barrels for 17 months. Unfortunately, this was a very limited run, and is already sold out at the distillery. I’m sorry I missed it, but by my math there should still be over 1500 bottles out there, so I hope to find one soon! I believe it may also be available at Blackberry Farm. 107 proof. $159.99. Read the Press Release.
• Woodford Reserve released their latest Master’s Collection, Madeira Cask Finish. It’s a blend of Woodford Bourbon, Rye and Wheat Whiskeys finished in Madeira barrels and then apparently blended with unfinished wheat whiskey. 90.4 proof. $179.99/700ml.
• Maker’s Mark is set to release the first bottle in their Greats of the Gate series. Proceeds from each year’s “Greats of the Gate” bottle will benefit nonprofits that support Kentucky culture, including the horseracing industry, hospitality, and the arts. The inaugural bottle honors Man o’ War. I believe this is classic Maker’s Mark bourbon in a special commemorative bottle. The bottle features an illustration by Kentucky artist Tyler Robertson with artwork wrapping around the bottle in yellow and black – the racing colors for Man o’ War – dipped in yellow wax. 5000 bottles will be sold in Kentucky starting October 21. According to a few online sources (the Lexington Herald Leader and Fred Minnick), the price will be $149.99.
• Brother’s Bond Bourbon released a 7 year-old Bottled in Bond Bourbon. The bourbon uses the brand’s first high-rye, three-grain bourbon mash bill – made with 51% corn, 39% rye, and 10% malted rye. 100 proof. $59.99. Read the Press Release.
• Jim Beam Winter Reserve Bourbon is aged six years and finished in toasted barrels. This limited edition bourbon is said to offer a rich flavor profile with notes of vanilla, cinnamon, and clove, capturing the essence of the holiday season. 86 Proof. $24.99. Read the Press Release.
• Mike Safai, a co-founder of Rabbit Hole Distilling, went on to found Safai Coffee. Now, he’s getting back into bourbon with the launch of Safai Bourbon. His initial release is two single barrels, distilled at New Riff Distillery, aged for 6 years at New Riff, and then another 2 years at Left Bank Spirits in Louisville. 750ml bottles from two barrels are now available. One is a wheated bourbon bottled at 112 proof and priced at $325, and the other, with the mash bill not specified, is bottled at 112 proof and priced at $298. https://safaibourbon.com

Distillery & Bourbon News For October 18, 2024

Distillery & Bourbon News For October 18, 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 we’ll see you again in two weeks! Cheers!🥃

If you would like to read some of our other recent newsletters, then check out our Bourbon News for October 4, 2024 and Bourbon News for September 20, 2024. You can also use our search tool and search for “Bourbon News” 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!