Bourbon News for October 4, 2024

Welcome to my biweekly Bourbon Newsletter for October 4, 2024! Even though Bourbon Heritage Month is now behind us, there is still plenty of news!

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Distillery & Bourbon News For October 4, 2024

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

This week, we have a bunch of new reviews as well as a comprehensive article about this year’s Kentucky Bourbon Festival!

• The Kentucky Bourbon Festival (KYBF), also known as KBF, wrapped up another successful event on September 13-15, 2024. This year marked the 33rd edition of the festival, which always takes place in September, to coincide with Bourbon Heritage Month. With 62 participating distilleries, 45 exclusive single barrels (I was even on the pick team for some of them!), many premium events, special sessions, panel discussion and 6,200 ticketed guests, it was quite the event. Read all about it, along with some tips for next year, in my detailed article: Kentucky Bourbon Festival 2024: A Spirited Celebration!
• Remus Repeal Reserve Series VIII: Ray Marcano has reviewed the latest release. He really enjoyed it and found it bigger and bolder than last year’s. Read his Full Review!
• Milam & Greene Unabridged Volume 3: It’s a blend of 49 barrels distilled in Kentucky, Tennessee and Texas, ranging in age from 3.5 – 10 years. It’s a delicious, complex pour that is meant to be savored. Read all about it in our Full Review!
• Keeper’s Heart Irish + Bourbon Cask Strength: This enjoyable blend of Irish Grain & Pot Still Whiskeys and Bourbon, bottled at Cask Strength, should appeal to bourbon drinkers who are also fans of Irish Whiskey. Read all about it in our Full Review.
• Bardstown Bourbon Company Discovery Series 12: The latest in BBC’s Discovery Series is a blend of Kentucky Bourbons aged 6-14 years, with the vast majority being 10 years old or older. It has the older bourbon characteristics one would expect, with the added touch of a little youthful character. Read our Full Review.

Distillery & Bourbon News For October 4, 2024

Now, on to the news!

Most of our bourbon news this week focuses on new releases, and there are a lot of them!!

• The James B. Beam Distilling Co has been releasing new premium whiskeys at a frantic rate. Last month they announced Booker’s Bourbon The Reserves, a new series of limited releases in the Booker’s line, and Little Book The Infinite, the new brand extension to the Little Book line. Since then, they have quietly released the 2024 edition of Old Overholt Extra Aged Cask Strength 11YR (107.4 proof, $99.99). I really enjoyed this release last year, and this year’s is also delicous. According to the brand: This unfiltered, cask-strength American rye was distilled and barreled in the autumn season of 2012 and laid down in 4 distinct warehouses in Clermont Kentucky. It has been on sale at the distillery, and I assume it will be rolling out nationwide, but haven’t seen details. Also spotted at the James B. Beam American Outpost have been Old Grand-Dad 16 Year (100 proof, $200) and Baker’s High Rye Bourbon (107 proof, $75). Details and availability on these two bourbons has not yet been released.
• Woodford Reserve has released the latest in their Distillery Series. Blended Malt Sherry Cask Finish is a blend of Woodford Reserve Malt Whiskey that was aged in used oak and finished in Oloroso and Amontillado sherry barrels. It’s available at the distillery, online ( KY, DC, NE, NH, ND only) and at select Kentucky retailers. (90.4 proof, $64.99)
• Castle & Key has announced their 7-Year Cask Strength Wheated Bourbon. It’s made from a mash bill of 73% White Corn, 17% Malted Barley, 10% White Winter Wheat. 109 barrels were used to blend this batch. It is bottled at 105.8 proof and has an MSRP of $60 and will be available in select markets beginning in October, and at the distillery starting with the official release on October 12. I tried this at the KYBF, and thought it was excellent. I need to get hold of a bottle and do a full review.
• Penelope Bourbon has announced their 2024 Estate Collection. According to the brand, the collection “represents the pinnacle of Penelope’s craftsmanship, from hand-selected barrels to meticulously crafted blends.” Founder and master blender Danny Polise and his team have evolved the brand beyond their well-known 4- to 6-year-aged offerings by selecting 9- to 11-year superior-aged barrels to develop these new premium limited releases. Founders Reserve features 24 barrels of 11-year-aged straight wheat whiskey, divided into 5 separate batches. (118.4, 116.6, 109.5, 107.6, & 108.2 proof, $199.00) Private Select is a blend of 9-year-aged bourbons from two states. (101.2 proof, $79.99). Finally, Single Barrel showcases 10-year-aged bourbon with two rye mash bill options (21%, 98 proof & 36%, 105 proof, $89.99). These releases will be rolling out through November via various channels. Press Release.

But Wait, There’s More! – Bourbon Obsessed Distillery & Bourbon News for October 2024

• American Metal Whiskey has launched The Disciple, a 90 proof Tennessee straight whiskey crafted using a patent-pending sonic infusion process. The process incorporates the sound of a vintage 1941 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead engine which is played through a waterproof speaker submerged in the American Oak barrels during aging. That is an interesting take on sonic aging, since most of the other brands using it simply play loud music in their rickhouses. It will be interesting to see the effect on the whiskey. (90 proof. $80 / 750ml.) Press Release.
• Lasso Motel Whiskey, founded by Devin Odell, President of Dynasty Spirits, has launched with a robust lineup of aged and cask-finished whiskeys. The brand offers a variety of unique cask finishes (Green River Distilling base, $69.99) such as Sherry, Rosé, and Mizunara, alongside aged stated whiskeys including a 4-Year (Green River Distilling, 100 proof, $44.99) and 8-year (Barton 1792, 100 proof, $74.99) Kentucky Straight Whiskey and an 18-Year American Straight Whiskey (MGP – Ross & Squibb, 121 proof, $129.99) as well as a 10-Year Single Barrel Rye (MGP, Cask Strength, $89.99). The best I can tell, the “4- and 8-Year Straight Whiskeys” are likely bourbons, but there may be more than meets the eye. Stay tuned for my reviews. Press Release.
• Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse Camp Nelson B – The latest edition of the series is bottled at 120.2 proof, the highest proof ever for a Russell’s Reserve! Barrels were selected from the 6th floor to best showcase the flavors typical of this rickhouse. Available at select retailers now, and perhaps at the Wild Turkey Visitor Center. However, it had already come and gone from the Visitor Center before I even received this press release. So, I’m not sure if it will be there again. $300. Press Release.
• For all the hot chocolate and bourbon fans out there, you’re going to love this! Swiss Miss has partnered with Hotel Tango Distillery to create Swiss Miss ‘Shmallow, a toasted marshmallow and cocoa-infused bourbon. Apparently Hotel Tango has produced a “category leading” toasted marshmallow flavored whiskey called ‘Shmallow (who knew such a thing existed?), so this is a logical extension of the line. You know it’s the holiday season when the cocoa marshmallow whiskey starts rolling out!😀 60 proof, $27.99. drinkshmallow.com
• Finally, Diageo and Stitzel-Weller Distillery have announced this year’s release of Blade and Bow 22-Year-Old Bourbon. Few details are given about the whiskey itself, and the price is omitted from the press release, as well. I guess if you have to ask…. MSRP would be expected to be at least $600 based on prior years, though. However, for those who just want to give it a try, there is a tasting experience available at the Garden & Gun Club at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. It runs $150 for a 1 oz. pour. You do get to keep the crystal glass and get some other swag. 92 proof. Press Release.

Distillery & Bourbon News For October 4, 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 Bourbon News for September 20, 2024 and Bourbon News for September 6, 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!