Tuesday Tidbit: TerrePURE, Terressentia and OZ Tyler

Are you familiar with TerrePURE, OZ Tyler and Terressentia? If not, then read on!

So, what is TerrePURE?

So what’s TerrePURE and what does it have to do with bourbon? Well, the Terressentia Corporation developed the TerrePURE process back around 2007. The process purifies alcoholic beverages using ultrasonic energy and oxidation. Unfortunately, Terressentia revealed few details of the process except to say that it could remove unwanted congeners (byproducts of fermentation) as well as convert some fatty acids to more flavorful esters. This process would overall “purify” a spirit and make it more flavorful.

TerrePURE has been applied to many spirits, include vodka, which may have been its initial use. It was also used to produce flavored spirits because the molecular motion caused by the ultrasonic energy was said to create a superior mixing environment where flavors would not come out of solution in the bottle.

1 Year Old Whiskey Tastes Like It Is 4 Years Old With The TerrePURE Process

The company line was that a 1 year old whiskey could be made to taste like a 4 year old whiskey simply by undergoing the 8 hour long TerrePURE process. Skeptical? So was I, and we’ll get to how it tastes in a moment.

O.Z. Tyler Bourbon is Born

Back in 2014, Terressentia purchased the Charles Medley Distillery in Owensboro, KY. Then, they reopened it as the O.Z. Tyler Distillery. O.Z. Tyler mashed and distlled their bourbon distillate similarly to other distilleries. Then, they aged it in new charred oak barrels for 1 year and 1 day. Why 1 year and 1 day? Well, because that is the minimum aging time (in Kentucky) needed to call a bourbon a Kentucky Bourbon. Finally, the aged bourbon underwent the TerrePURE process and was bottled.

Tasting Notes – O.Z. Tyler Rye

So, let’s taste it! Well, actually, let’s not. I tasted the whole line of O.Z. Tyler’s whiskeys back in the day, and it is the only flight in the history of me drinking whiskey where I didn’t finish a single sample. Four year old bourbon and rye it was not. Google some reviews and you will find similar sentiments.

A Pre-O.Z. Tyler Whiskey; O.Z. Tyler Rye

The interesting thing is that this bottle, which I just found the other day, pre-dates the O.Z. Tyler Distillery in KY. This rye was produced using the TerrePURE process at their plant in SC, presumably from MGP bourbon. It bears an age statement of “Aged a minimum of 6 months in new oak”. Perhaps it is better that what I tried? I’m not sure I’m ever going to find out…

O.Z. Tyler Rebranded – Good Bye TerrePURE!

After a few years, O.Z. Tyler rebranded as Green River Distilling and Green River Spirits Company. Likewise, they abandoned the TerrePURE process for their own whiskeys. However, they may still use the process for some of their clients’ brands. Recently, the Bardstown Bourbon Company purchased Green River Distilling.

Have you tried any O.Z. Tyler whiskeys made with the TerrePURE process? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

If you would like to learn more about Green River Distilling, check out our Green River Distilling Co. Virtual Tour (Video)!

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!