Bourbon News July 12, 2024 Edition

Welcome to our biweekly Bourbon Newsletter for July 12, 2024! We’ll do a short recap of notable Distillery, Whiskey & Bourbon News from the past two weeks. If you want to learn more about any entry, then simply follow the links to read the full press release or other sources. Cheers!🥃

Weekly Whiskey & Bourbon News – July 12, 2024

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

We have quite a few new whiskey and bourbon reviews this week, as well as an updated distillery write up. Here’s a sampling: (Click the whiskey or distillery name to read all about it)

• Neeley Family Distillery Review – We have visited Neeley Family Distillery, in Sparta, Kentucky, many times over the years, and have recently updated our write up about them. In addition to a very colorful family history, they are home to the Platinum Medal winning (at the SFWSC) Fear and Loathing in Kentucky Absinthe; Neeley Family Bourbon, Rye and Moonshine; Old Jett Brothers Finished Bourbon; and Hidden Barn Bourbon. Read our full write up here.
• Green River Full Proof Bourbon Review – The latest release from Green River Distilling, Full Proof Bourbon, is an amped up version of their high rye bourbon, blended in small batches and bottled at barrel proof. Learn all about it in my review.
• Hazelbaker Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon Review – Prohibition Craft Spirits, the makers of NULU Whiskeys, just introduced a new bourbon: Hazelbaker Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon! It’s a 6 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon, blended and bottled by PCS. Learn all about it in my review!
• Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye Review – Knob Creek Bourbon x Rye is a new release from the James B. Beam Distilling Co. It is a blend of 70% rye and 30% bourbon. For me, the blend works. Learn all about it in my full review!

Now, on to the news!

Weekly Whiskey & Bourbon News – July 12, 2024

This year’s class of inductees for the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame have been announced:

KENTUCKY BOURBON HALL OF FAME® TO INDUCT FIVE NEW MEMBERS IN SEPTEMBER

The Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame’s 2024 class includes the first Black chemist at Brown-Forman, a veteran visitor center manager who elevated Bourbon tourism, two distinctive distillery founders and a trailblazing retailer who later created his own craft distillery.

This year’s class, in alphabetic order, will officially be inducted into the Hall of Fame in September: (much more detailed information and the full bios of each of the inductees can be found here.)

• Elmer Lucille Allen, 93, Louisville. A pioneering activist, Allen broke barriers in the Bourbon industry as the first Black chemist at Brown-Forman – and possibly the entire American whiskey industry. Her work to bring opportunity to all Louisvillians didn’t stop when she left the company. Amongst her many accomplishments, she formed the Chickasaw Little League and led efforts to bring African American art and artists to the mainstream.
• Dee Ford, 59, Louisville. An international beacon of Bourbon hospitality. Ford’s vision, experience and leadership have catapulted Angel’s Envy and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail® into an international, bucket-list tourism attraction. Since 2014, she’s served as Chair of the KDA’s Kentucky Bourbon Trail® Committee, earning the respect of her peers and sharing best practices that have leveraged hospitality to elevate Kentucky Bourbon on the global stage.
• Ken Lewis, 71, Cincinnati. A spirits expert and groundbreaking policy leader, Lewis graduated college as a trained English teacher, but left shortly into his young career for the world of spirits retail. He later brought innovation and entrepreneurship as the founder of New Riff Distilling in Northern Kentucky, paving the way for the craft Bourbon boom that now counts dozens of Kentucky distilleries.
• The late Peter T. Loftin, 61, Miami. A preeminent innovator, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Loftin founded the Bardstown Bourbon Company that transformed the landscape of custom whiskey production in 2014. Along with the state-of-the-art distillery, this high-value Napa Valley-style experience greatly raised the bar for Bourbon tourism and collaborative distilling.
• R.M. Corky Taylor, 75, Henderson, Ky. A respected businessman throughout the country, Taylor retired from an accomplished career in financial services and focused on a lifelong dream – to resurrect his great-grandfather’s whiskey company, the Kentucky Peerless Distilling Co. He built back the family legacy in Louisville along historic Whiskey Row, gaining national recognition – and national awards – by patiently waiting for his whiskey to age, living up to the original quality Bourbon standards his ancestor first set in 1889.

Read the full press release here.

Weekly Whiskey & Bourbon News – July 12, 2024

A new ultramodern and high-tech distillery begins production:

Whiskey House of Kentucky Begins Production at Industry Transforming Distillery

Whiskey House of Kentucky, in Elizabethtown, KY, began production on July 1. The distillery was initially founded in 2022 by David Mandell, John Hargrove and Daniel Linde, the team that started and built The Bardstown Bourbon Company. Designed from the ground up to focus solely on large-scale, flexible, contract whiskey production, Whiskey House has no brands of its own and a campus closed to the public, removing all potential conflicts of interest between the company and its customers. Whiskey House’s fully integrated operational and information technology infrastructure captures and analyzes data across the entire manufacturing process.  Initial production capacity will be 112,000 barrels per year and is planned to expand to 224,000 barrels per year in 2027.

Learn more in the full press release.

Weekly Whiskey & Bourbon News – July 12, 2024

The finalists for best straight bourbon at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition were announced:

Best Straight Bourbon Finalists from the 2024 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

The San Francisco World Spirits Competition is one of the most prestigious of the many spirits competitions out there. They recently announced the finalists for Best Straight Bourbon. The winner will be announced at their Top Shelf Gala in October. Without further ado, here they are:

• George T. Stagg Straight Bourbon – Always a great bourbon, but it’s very unlikely to find it at its suggested retail price.
• Jim Beam Black Extra-Aged Bourbon – Interestingly, this bourbon has been discontinued and replaced by Jim Beam Black 7 Year, which I recently reviewed.
• Brother’s Bond Bottled-In-Bond Straight Bourbon Whiskey – I had not heard of a Bottled-In-Bond from this company, nor do I see it on their website. Maybe it is coming soon? I’ve reviewed their 8o Proof Bourbon and Cask Strength Bourbon.
• Elijah Craig Barrel Proof C923 – the third release from last year
• Evan Williams Black – American’s 2nd best selling bourbon. My review is here.
• Wild Turkey Rare Breed – Always a good choice for those who enjoy Wild Turkey at a higher proof

You can read their tasting notes for each of these bourbons here. They have also announced their finalists for Best Barrel Finished Bourbon. You can read about those here. And, if you are looking for more competition results, Rolling Stone (yes, that’s right) just announced their spirit awards winners.

Weekly Whiskey & Bourbon News – July 12, 2024

New Releases

• Penelope Toasted Rye – Penelope’s second release in its annual Straight Rye Whiskey Toasted Series is now available. My bottle got broken last year after the first pour, so I am really looking forward to trying this year’s release. 6 year old 95/5 rye finished in new freshly toasted barrels. $74.99. 100 proof. Press Release.
• Old Forester 117 Series Rum Finish – I have been a fan of these special releases and enjoy the variety they bring. This expression features the finishing of Old Forester bourbon for approximately 6 months in barrels that have previously matured rum. Bottles were sold online and at the distillery on July 10, but will likely have some availability at the distillery for a while, although that may be only in combination with certain tours or other events. It will also be sold at select KY retailers. $59.99 for 375ml. 95 proof. Press Release.
• Lythgoe Bourbon – According to the brand, Gertrude “Cleo” Lythgoe, “Queen of the Bootleggers,” was a pioneering figure during Prohibition. This new brand is being released at select Louisville, KY locations, although I saw it at a Liquor Barn in Lexington.🤔 There are 2 releases, Founders’ Collection, a 9 year old four grain Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and Master Blender’s Selection, an 8 year old, double oaked, four grain KSBW. $89.99/$94.99. Proof is not given. Press Release.
• New Riff Distilling – In celebration of their 10th anniversary, there will be surprise bottle releases at the distillery every day from July 11-July 21. The information will be posted on their social media at 9 AM each day. Additional information and events can be found here.

Weekly Whiskey & Bourbon News – July 12, 2024

Thanks For Reading!

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 mailing list 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 June 29, 2024 Edition and Bourbon News June 14, 2024 Edition. You can also use our search tool and search for “Bourbon News” to see all 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!