I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Adam Stumpf for three years. As long as I’ve known him and as often as I’ve visited Stumpy’s Spirits, he’s had four barrels in a small rack just inside his still room. That rack held four barrels of 100% wheat whiskey. Three barreled at 93 proof and one at 120 proof. One of the highlights of each visit was getting a little sample from one of those barrels. Adam’s goal for these barrels was to reach four years old to be Stumpy’s first ever bottled in bond release.
Late last year, those barrels turned four and yesterday Old Monroe Bottled in Bond Straight Wheat Whiskey was released to the public. People started gathering outside the distillery early, anticipating the gift shop’s noon opening. Some of us – Mike Lisac (My Whiskey Den) and myself – showed up nearly three hours early and enjoyed some music and parking lot pours despite snow flurries and temps in the 20s.
For several hours, whiskey fans filed into the gift shop and left with smiles on their faces and their arms full of bottled-in-bond wheat whiskey. It was a milestone day for Adam, Laura (his wife) and the whole team at Stumpy’s Spirits. There aren’t any more sincere and good-natured people I know in the whiskey world than Adam and Laura. They are the kind of people that you root for and are happy to see enjoy success.
What’s next for Stumpy’s? Well, among other things, they’ve recently installed a “new” still. I say “new” because it is actually 100 years old. For more information on that still, you can follow this link.
What all Stumpy’s fans really want to know, however, is…what’s going in that rack to replace those wheat whiskey barrels? And when can I try it?!
Old Monroe Straight Wheat Whiskey Bottled-in-Bond
This whiskey, Stumpy’s Spirits first bottled-in-bond product, is comprised of four barrels of 100% soft red winter wheat whiskey. This is a true home-grown product as the wheat was grown on-site at the Stumpf family farm.
Taste: The brown sugar and apple remain and get a little cinnamon and butter added in. For a “fat guy tasting note” think: fried apples. There’s some honey and a bit of dark cocoa or mocha there, too.
Nose: Brown sugar, apple, pear and a bit of leather
Finish: Brown sugar and honey really linger with just a bit of oak to tell you this whiskey has a little bit of age on it.
There isn’t much that Stumpy’s Spirits has put in a bottle that I haven’t enjoyed. The “119.6 proof rye” made with a 1910 rye mash bill and the “Wheat in Tarnation” bottles are in the elite class of all whiskeys ever released by Stumpy’s. This bottled-in-bond wheat whiskey comfortably takes its place on the top shelf with those other classic Old Monroe offerings.
Overall, this bottled-in-bond wheat whiskey is fantastic. Having had the opportunity to sample from these barrels a couple of times over the years, it was clear Adam had something special here. But, he’s blended and proofed these barrels in such a way that the whole is even greater than the sum of its parts. Mark this one down as an early contender for 2022 Whiskey of the Year.
It was only two years or so ago that Jason Brauner and Judith Hollis-Jones introduced the world to Buzzard’s Roost Sippin’ Whiskeys. To be fair, at that point it may not have been the whole world. But it was a respectable gathering of the whiskey curious at a release party in Louisville.
At that time, Buzzard’s Roost had small batch and single barrel offerings of rye (sourced from MGP) aged in casks designed with the help of the barrel brainiacs at Independent Stave. Since July of 2019, the team at Buzzard’s Roost has brought us (in addition to the small batch and single barrels) barrel proof, private selection, toasted barrel and peated barrel expressions. All of these have been very good and exhibited some remarkable creativity on the part of Jason and his team. My favorites have been a couple of the barrel proof bottles and the toasted barrel. If I could have my wish, a barrel proof version of the toasted barrel would be available to us soon (hint, hint).
The latest offering from Buzzard’s Roost is a Bourbon. It has been Jason’s dream all along to have a Bourbon brand and, in Buzzard’s Roost fashion, it is a special one.
Buzzard’s has sourced from MGP several barrels of two different Bourbon mash bills (a 21% rye and a 36% rye mash bill). These barrels were secondarily aged in four different proprietary barrels. The barrels have a #1 char and varying degrees of toasting. The level of toast is very intentional. Buzzard’s Roost and Independent Stave have determined what flavor profiles are typically coaxed from the whiskey by the precise level of toast in each barrel.
After this additional aging (up to six months in some cases) the barrels were blended into the finished product. The Buzzard’s Roost Bourbon was bottled at a barrel strength of 114.4 proof.
I am not typically excited about a sourced whiskey. In many instances, one brand is bottling the same whiskey as several other brands with the only difference being the marketing and obnoxious (and often misleading) packaging.
This is not the case with Buzzard’s Roost. They are very transparent about the fact that their whiskey is sourced. They also are enhancing their whiskey through the secondary aging process and, in the case of the new Bourbon, expert blending techniques.
Looking ahead, Buzzard’s Roost has moved their barrel storage and bottling operation to Bardstown Bourbon Company. There will also be some private selection single barrels of the Bourbon available soon, too. In the near future, Buzzard’s Roost will be doing some contract distilling at BBC. Distilling his own Bourbon will check off one more item on Jason’s whiskey bucket list.
Tasting Notes and ACocktail
Buzzard’s Roost barrel strength Bourbon is a warm, thick and delicious whiskey. It is released at an ideal time as it strikes me as being a perfect pour for Autumn weather. It has a bit of apple sweetness to it, but is balanced with brown sugar and baking spices. My fat-guy tasting note here is: Apple Brown Betty.
I’ve put together a cocktail using Buzzard’s Roost Bourbon. Give it a try and let me know what you think. I call it Ramble On (after the Led Zeppelin song with the lyric “the autumn moon lights my way”):
In a mixing glass combine over ice:
2 oz of Buzzard’s Roost Bourbon
1 oz of Pecan simple syrup
1.5 cups water brought to boil
Add 1 cup of brown sugar and quarter cup of pecans
Turn heat to a simmer for 25 minutes
Cool and strain into container for refrigeration
1 oz of pomegranate juice
½ oz of sweet vermouth
a couple of dashed of argostura bitters
Shake and pour over a large cube in a rocks glass
Jason, Judith and the Buzzard’s Roost team have made incredible strides with their brand in the last two years. This is especially impressive when you consider that these particular two years have not been the most favorable for starting a new business. Buzzard’s Roost is an exciting and creative brand to follow. If it isn’t available in your area yet, keep an eye out because Buzzard’s Roost has some very aggressive expansion plans. In the meantime, find your way to Kentucky and sample a flight at Bourbon’s Bistro or pick up a bottle while you’re there.
The greatest thing about whiskey is the people that you meet because of it. An acquaintance made through a common interest in Bourbon is one thing. When that relationship develops into a true friendship…well, that is a whole other, much better thing, altogether.
I have been fortunate enough to have many friendships emerge from a shared interest in Bourbon. Friendships that are far more treasured than any whiskey collection ever could be. Once such friend is Mike Lisac.
I met Mike through his work on the YouTube / Facebook show called My Whiskey Den, with Patrick Belongia and Benjamin Eaves, both of whom are also wonderful friends. (Side note: My Whiskey Den is an entertaining show that you should check out each Monday at 9:00 eastern). Alan Bishop (@thealchemistcabinet) had told me about My Whiskey Den.
Mike lives in Kansas City and we had an opportunity to hang out together yesterday afternoon in Louisville. We visited Westport Whiskey & Wine and sampled a couple of beverages in the tasting room. That afternoon we also tried the new release from Jim Beam: Little Book Chapter 5 “The Invitation”.
Little Book is the passion project of Freddie Noe (son of Fred, grandson of Booker) and he continues to knock it out of the park with these. I’ve enjoyed each of the annual releases and “The Invitation” is one that I will immediately RSVP “yes” to.
The Invitation is a blend of 2 year straight bourbon whiskey, 3 year 100% malted rye, 5 year bourbon whiskey and 15 year bourbon whiskey. There is no breakdown of percentages of each whiskey in the information provided.
Mike and I enjoyed a pour of LB5 while watching college football on Saturday. There was no unpleasant harshness from the 116.8 proof. Aromas of Karo syrup, vanilla, and baking spices were on the nose.
On the palate, I got a lot of brown sugar, vanilla and cinnamon with a #FatGuyTastingNote of pecan pie filling. Mike was also intrigued by the pepper and spice notes that he surmised was largely influenced by the 100% malted rye in the mash bill.
The finish was a real treat, too. After a little pepper dancing on the roof of the mouth, we got a rich, sweet finish that lingered for awhile.
Little Book 5 is a fun and tasty whiskey, that I would recommend at retail prices. Best of all, it was a real pleasure to share it with a good friend.
It is a joke of a whiskey. It has a joke a name. It has a joke of an owner.
At some point the joke was no longer funny, however, when Jason Brown, the vulgar, loud mouth owner of Slapdick Whiskey, attacked and harassed a woman on Instagram after she made a very innocuous post about his “whiskey”. (I say “whiskey” because it is called “agave nectar whiskey”…whatever that is supposed to be).
To the credit of most in the Bourbon community, there was a resounding and virtually unanimous criticism of this joke owner of a joke whiskey. While credit should be given for the swift response and repudiation of Brown’s comments, how much courage did that really take for the Bourbon community?
No, I haven’t tried this whiskey and that isn’t really the point. Anyone who is remotely serious about whiskey would see the name “Slapdick” and dismiss it. Even if you got past the name, wouldn’t most of us lose any interest at the sight of “agave nectar whiskey” on the label? And if after actually hearing Brown’s comments, would there be any great sacrifice made in criticizing him and losing a chance at being on this guy’s Christmas card list? Is there a real consequence to the whiskey media speaking out against Slapdick Agave Nectar Whiskey? Is the consumer really missing out on anything by refusing to buy a whiskey that they weren’t likely to buy in the first place? But…
What if it weren’t a joke of a whiskey? What if it were a popular brand like…I don’t know…Bulleit? Amid accusations of abuse made in 2019 by his daughter, Tom Bulleit, brand founder, stepped back from his role as brand ambassador. Bulleit’s daughter also made allegations against brand owner, Diageo, of a hostile work environment. Bulleit continues to be a top-ten selling bourbon and is the number one seller for liquor delivery service, Drizzly.
What if it weren’t a joke of a whiskey? What if it were some highly-coveted, well-aged, sourced Bourbon? Or a single barrel from a popular distillery? Matt Landan was owner of the now-shuttered, but once popular, Haymarket Whiskey Bar in Louisville. A quick Google search will show that he has been accused of sexual assault by more than one woman and has countersued his accusers for defamation. Despite these accusations, some distilleries have sold him barrels of whiskey. Some distillery is storing those barrels. Somebody is bottling it. Some of you may have bought it. Scroll through the Haymarket Whiskey Bar Instagram account and see for yourself.
None of us are free of hypocrisy (myself certainly included) and we (and most certainly I) can and should do better. While I appreciate and join those who have spoken out against Jason Brown, let’s not pound our chests and pat ourselves on the back too much as an industry. There are other wrongs that have taken place in the whiskey world and the alleged offenders still not only exist but thrive in our Bourbon community.
Maybe memories fade. The press hasn’t had new articles on Bulleit or Landan in a couple of years. The next story on some other scandal comes along and then the next one and then everything gets hazy. And, as The Who sang in “Eminence Front”…people forget.
Maybe whiskey – the media and the consumer – has decided to collectively give the benefit of the doubt regarding mere accusations and allegations of wrongdoing. Fine.
Maybe some have evaluated the situations and determined with clear conscience that no wrong has been done. That is one’s choice.
Or maybe it’s not as easy to take a bold stand when a financial consequence is at stake or when the whiskey itself isn’t a joke to begin with.
Who doesn’t love a good list? (Apparently you do since you clicked on the link to this article.) I don’t resort to lists for articles too often, but we are about midway through 2021 and that seems like a good time to share my five favorite whiskeys from the first half of the year (alphabetical by distillery name). I realize that some of the whiskeys here you may not be able to easily find. But, maybe this gives you something different (than Blanton’s and Weller) to search for while “Bourbon hunting”.
Buzzard’s Roost Sippin’ Whiskeys: Toasted Barrel
Buzzard’s Roost and its co-founder, Jason Brauner, is very transparent about what they are doing. Their whiskey is three-year-old rye sourced from MGP in Lawrenceburg, IN. While that is good whiskey, by itself it is not really that special – certainly not worth including in a whiskey of the year conversation. The magic happens when Buzzard’s Roost puts that whiskey to rest in proprietary barrels Jason designed in conjunction with Independent Stave Company. Over the last couple of years, Buzzard’s Roost has produced small batch, single barrel, barrel strength, and peated barrel expressions of their rye. My favorite of the Buzzard’s Roost offerings (and one of my favorite whiskeys of 2021) is the Toasted Barrel.
Chris Zaborowski, co-owner of Westport Whiskey & Wine in Louisville, says that the nose of a great whiskey should “seduce you”. The aroma of this Toasted Barrel definitely has seductive powers and that is one of the things I love about it. I get notes of citrus, cherry, mint, vanilla, and caramel on the nose of this whiskey and the palate offers much of the same. You can find more information on this whiskey in my article here.
Right now Buzzard’s Roost is only available in Kentucky and Massachusetts. However, they are looking to branch out into five more states in 2021 and even more next year. So, be on the lookout for Buzzard’s Roost in your area.
When Corky Taylor revived the Kentucky Peerless Distillery it was their rye that first brought the brand back to the whiskey world. A couple of years later Peerless introduced its Bourbon, which I actually prefer over the rye for both flavor and price point.
One Peerless private-selection bourbon that I have particularly enjoyed this year is a pick from Justins’ House of Bourbon called “Burnt Ends”. It is brisket in a bottle: smoky and fat with flavor. Drink it neat and drink it with discipline. One could easily follow one pour with another while sitting on one’s deck on a summer evening. Not that this would be something I know from personal experience or anything.
Caleb Kilburn (master distiller) has elevated the Peerless Bourbon into great form as evidenced by being named 2021 “Best Kentucky Bourbon” by the World Whiskey Awards. While this specific bottle may not be available to you, John Waddell, single barrel curator at Peerless, has the private selection program on a roll. So, look for a single barrel selection in a store or bar near you.
Limestone Branch: Yellowstone Single Barrels
One thing that I’ve found to be completely reliable in 2021 is Yellowstone single barrels. I have owned a few bottles and I’ve sampled a few others. As sure as you’ll hear “Freebird” at a Skynyrd concert, you can count on these Yellowstone single barrels to be fantastic.
The ones I have tried all hit similar spots on a flavor wheel, but each bottle is still unique (which we should expect to be the nature of a single barrel). One may be fruitier. The next might be sweeter. Another might have more baking spice. I enjoy them all, but it’s the subtle differences from bottle to bottle that make each interesting on its own. Master Distiller Stephen Beam is certainly producing some of the best whiskey in the state of Kentucky right now and Stephen Fante, the distillery’s charismatic and passionate brand ambassador, is carrying the “good news” of Limestone Branch to the Bourbon masses.
These single barrels are available as private selections in bars or liquor stores and in the Limestone Branch gift shop. Buy with confidence when you get the opportunity to do so. I am certain you’ll be impressed.
Spirits of French Lick: Lee W. Sinclair 4-Grain Bourbon (Iconoclast release)
I had dubbed this distillery-only “Iconoclast” release as “Whiskey of the Year” when I first tried it…in January. While the first month of the year may be a bit early to hand out such titles, that’s just how much I loved it. I’ve tasted a wide variety of whiskey since then – big distillery labels, craft whiskeys and brands in between – and none of them has knocked Iconoclast off that mountain, yet.
The Iconoclast release is a three-barrel “off profile” batch of Lee W. Sinclair at barrel proof. This Bourbon brings flavors of cherry, French toast, vanilla and cream. It is decadent. You can find more about what has been going with lead distiller Alan Bishop and Spirits of French Lick in this article here.
Iconoclast may have come and gone, but “The Alchemist”, as Bishop is called, is a man who burns with a restless flame and that means there is always something innovative and delicious in the works. If distribution of SOFL hasn’t reached your market yet, be sure to check out Seelbach’s as they carry many of their products.
Stumpy’s Spirits: Old Monroe Small Batch Bourbon
Adam Stumpf is a genius.
He also happens to be the maker of outstanding whiskeys. The “genius” part certainly plays into the “outstanding whiskeys” part as he has some unique mashbills, methodologies and machinery involved in his distillation processes. Adam is also not afraid to shake things up even if that means taking a good thing and changing it to make something better.
Case in point is adding small batch offerings to the Stumpy’s lineup this year. Previously, all whiskey releases were single barrels. Some “Single Barrel Select” at 90 proof and some “Distiller’s Select” at barrel strength. Both “select” offerings were very popular, so why change anything at all? Well, Adam saw an opportunity to improve the overall lineup at Stumpy’s and make a good thing even better.
It comes as no surprise that the Stumpy’s small batch products are stellar. I’ve had the opportunity to try a few of these and they are all up to the level of quality that Stumpy’s fans have come to expect. My favorite is batch #21C1. It has an excellent balance of fresh baked bread, vanilla and caramel corn. There is also a touch of smoked malt in the mashbill and that smolders in late on the palate.
Finding Stumpy’s will start to become easier as their distribution is set to expand to several more states beyond Illinois and Missouri. Of course, a trip to visit Adam and his team in the St. Louis suburb of Columbia, IL is always a great way to find the latest selections available.
Overall, it’s been a good first six months of 2021 for whiskey. The Lee W. Sinclair Iconoclast is still my “Whiskey of the (Half) Year”, but each Bourbon or rye I’ve listed is special and worthy of your interest. The last half of the year will surely bring some fantastic bottles, too. I’ll look forward to seeing how this list changes by the end of the year.
When Jason Brauner, owner of the iconic Bourbons Bistro restaurant in Louisville, decided to start his own whiskey brand his goal was to create a “sippable” rye. Jason was never much of a fan of rye whiskey, so he saw this as a true challenge. The acceptance of this challenge was when Buzzard’s Roost Sippin’ Whiskeys first took flight. (More on the formation of Buzzard’s Roost and their earlier releases can be found in an article I wrote for the ABV Network here).
In only a couple of years, Buzzard’s Roost had developed a reputation of creating some very unique flavor profiles out of three-year old MGP rye. That has not happened by happy accident, but by careful consideration and research that Jason has done in concert with famed cooperage, Independent Stave Company. “Through experimentation and chemical analysis of the barrels we can determine what flavor profiles we are likely to get from each barrel type”, Jason explained.
The first several releases of Buzzard’s Roost were all from barrels with a #1 char and varying degrees of toast. That all changed, however, with the introduction of the Toasted Barrel and Peated Barrel expressions.
The toasted barrel rye, bottled at 105-proof, was released in late 2020/early 2021. It is a three-year rye sourced from MGP in Lawrenceburg, Indiana with a mash bill of 95% rye and 5% malted barley. Once in the hands of Buzzard’s Roost, the whiskey is placed for six to ten weeks in a toasted barrel without char. Forgoing the char allows the rye to have more interaction with the toast of the barrel without having to filter through that layer of char.
Nose: The nose on this whiskey is fascinating. To me, it comes in waves. One moment it is citrus and cherry. The next it is mint and vanilla. Then caramel and the rye grain. Then a combination of cherry or vanilla or caramel or…you get the idea. Spend some time enjoying the aromas on this one. I love a whiskey that requires discipline to take the first sip because the nose on it is so good. It is difficult to believe all this started from a 3-year-old MGP rye.
Taste: Many of the same notes from the nose are present on the palate: rye grain, caramel, cherry and mint. Some pepper and oak are introduced here, too.
Finish: This has a nice oily finish that settles in for a spell. The pepper and oak along with lingering caramel are the most prominent notes on the finish.
We are in a whiskey world that chases trends and one of the current trends is toasted barrel releases. Many distilleries are rushing out toasted barrel products as quickly as they can. I find some of them to be very clumsy efforts that make the toasted barrel offering feel more like a gimmick than a worthwhile new expression of their whiskey. Not so here with Buzzard’s Roost. Jason and his team have brought us a toasted barrel rye with thoughtfulness and finesse. This rye has earned Buzzard’s Roost a well-deserved double gold award from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Unfortunately, it is rapidly disappearing from shelves now. So, grab one if you see it. Take heart, however. Jason says a new toasted barrel release will be available this fall.
At first glance, one thing I appreciate about the peated barrel bottle is the new and improved Buzzard’s Roost label. The label includes a batch number (this is optimistically numbered batch “0001”) and a bottle count (I have bottle 618 of 800). This is a great improvement as it was impossible to tell the difference between the single barrel or very small batch bottles from 2019 or 2020. So, thank you for that label enhancement, Buzzard’s Roost.
Like previous Buzzard’s Roost whiskeys (other than barrel strength) the peated barrel is at 105-proof. Unlike previous Buzzard’s Roost whiskeys, this one uses four-year MGP rye. Another difference – obvious by the name – is the use of peat. Imported from Scotland, the peat is smoked into lightly-charred and toasted barrels by Buzzard’s Roost. The whiskey is then aged in those peated barrels for several weeks producing what Jason calls “a Scotch drinker’s rye”.
Nose: This is earthy, musty and leathery on the nose. It has some vanilla, but it is almost vanilla with an attitude in the way it mingles with the other aromas. The dill that is common to many young MGP ryes is also subtly present.
Taste: Bacon fat and smokehouse smokiness (which reminds me of the 113.4-proof barrel strength Buzzard’s Roost from last year) are delicious first impressions on the palate. There’s some butterscotch in there for something sweet. And there is, of course, the smoke from the peat. The peat influence is not obnoxious by any means (as some Scotches are to me). Rather, it is a fun complement to the smokehouse smokiness.
Finish: There is a nice blend of smokes (smokehouse and peat), along with pepper, oak and that bacon fat keeps your attention, too.
When Jason first mentioned to me Buzzard’s Roost was doing a peated barrel rye, I was both surprised and skeptical. Surprised, because I knew Jason was not a big fan of Scotch. Skeptical, because I’m not a big fan of Scotch, either!
What Buzzard’s Roost has managed to do, in my opinion, is marry an “American” version of smoke (smokehouse) with traditional Scotch smoke (peat). It is a very unique and flavorful whiskey that has cured me from any skepticism of future ambitious endeavors by Buzzard’s Roost. If Jason and Judith Hollis Jones, Buzzard’s Roost CEO, say they are going to do something, then I’ll believe they can make it happen and will anxiously wait to try the result of what they’ve envisioned.
Speaking of future ambitious endeavors…in addition to periodic barrel strength, single barrel and even private selection releases, the next big project for Buzzard’s Roost is a tobacco-smoked barrel rye. I’ll look forward to what cigar Mike Veach suggests pairing with a tobacco-smoked rye!
Buzzard’s Roost is available in Kentucky and, of all places, Massachusetts. Jason says some distributors there got a bottle and fell in love with it and have started getting it in stores. The goal for the brand is to add five more states by the end of 2021.
“We will also be looking to bring in more investors later in 2021 to help us move more quickly to the next level”, Jason said. So, if you are interested in that kind of investment opportunity, Judith and Jason are ready to talk.
If you just want to stay current on all that’s going on at Buzzard’s Roost, follow them on Facebook or sign-up for their newsletter at their website.
You can also see Jason live on My Whiskey Den on Monday, June 21 at 9:00 PM eastern time. (Click here to access the show on YouTube.) It is certain to be a great time as Patrick, Mike and Ben ask questions like a whiskey fan would and interact with their audience non-stop through the live chat. Plus, Jason, is very knowledgeable and is one of the best storytellers in the whiskey community. If you are intrigued at all about Buzzard’s Roost, make plans to tune in.
The year 2020 will be chiseled in our memories for many things; few of them good. It was a year marked by a worldwide pandemic, economic upheaval, riots in American cities and extraordinary political divisiveness. But on that good side…2020 was the Year of Spirits of French Lick.
The Year of Spirits of French Lick
It seems that everyone had plans, hopes and dreams that were delayed, down-sized or otherwise destroyed last year. While head distiller / head alchemist Alan Bishop and the team at Spirits of French Lick didn’t get to do everything they had in the works when 2020 started, they still had a remarkably successful year.
Single Barrel Program
Despite not being able to have groups in to the distillery to do barrel picks, the single barrel program thrived at Spirits of French Lick during 2020. “We expected single barrel sales to dry up when the pandemic hit”, said SoFL marketing director, Jolee Kasprzak. “Instead, they tripled!”. Single barrel offerings have primarily consisted of Lee W. Sinclair 4-Grain Bourbon and The Mattie Gladden high-rye Bourbon. Bottles from single barrels have been released through various liquor stores scattered across the country and through on-line retailer, Seelbach’s.
Label Re-Design
The heart of Spirits of French Lick is the energetic, copper-haired Jolee. The native Californian says, “My grandparents were immigrants and they always made art a focus in our family growing up”. She studied English, Art History and Communications in college and took a job working for Wolf Creek Brewing, a Southern California restaurant and microbrewery. It was at Wolf Creek that she “learned how to taste”.
Jolee and her handiwork.
After getting married, Jolee journeyed from the left coast to the Hoosier state. Her time in Indiana saw her gaining design expertise as the director of operations for a sign company and experience in the hospitality industry through restaurant management. From the microbrewery to the sign company to the restaurant, all of this experience shaped Jolee into the perfect fit for her role as Director of Marketing Operations at Spirits of French Lick, which she started in 2018.
Jolee’s design experience was especially useful as she led one of the biggest undertakings of 2020 for SoFL which was the complete re-design of their labels. With several new product offerings in the pipeline, it became a priority to freshen up the appearance and feel of the brand. “There are unique details to each label depending on the spirit in the bottle”, Jolee explained, “but the feel, the scrollwork and the font are very similar. This gives the Spirits of French Lick lineup a distinctive look on the shelf”.
The new labels will be submitted to design competitions this year. Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if they do very well in competition as they are some of the most attractive labels on the market today.
Unpretenious
“This is, in fact, the most ‘dickish’ thing I’ve done in the industry and I couldn’t be prouder of it”. This is how Alan Bishop unveiled Unpretentious; a two-year, high-rye bourbon finished in port casks. Alan hates the marketing behind barrel finished Bourbon, especially port finishes. So, with tongue firmly implanted in cheek, Alan made the most pretentious whiskey he could and called it “Unpretentious”. He also made it taste pretty darn good. It was released in the gift shop in mid-June and sold out by early August, so the public was extremely receptive to it. Social media buzz and Bourbon award season also showed there is a place in the market for Alan’s sense of humor, especially when it is accompanied by a great whiskey.
Bottled-in-Bond
July saw Spirits of French Lick reach a major milestone when their first bottled-in-bond Bourbons were released. Younger versions of Lee W. Sinclair 4-Grain Bourbon had been out for a few seasons, but in mid-July it hit the shelves as a four-year, bottled-in-bond offering. This spirit’s name-sake, Lee Sinclair, was a successful southern Indiana businessman who bought (and rebuilt after a fire) the West Baden Springs Hotel. Most of the whiskeys created at Spirits of French Lick are named after characters or places of historical significance to the region.
Cast in this unlikely role of being named after a high-rye Bourbon is Mattie Gladden. Mattie Gladden, the woman, was the local madam who is infamous for many reasons including having once been mistress to P.T. Barnum. The Mattie Gladden, the whiskey, was released at the end of July as the second bottled-in-bond Bourbon in the SoFL line-up. It is a high-rye Bourbon that Alan jokingly remarks “has a whore-forward profile”. I’m not sure what that means and I’m not sure that I want to know. What I do know is…it is fantastic and was one of my favorite Bourbons from 2020.
Alan Bishop Day
A shocker of an event occurred on October 20. That is the day when on the ABV Network’s The Bourbon Daily podcast, Steve Akley randomly declared that day to be Alan Bishop Day. In a classic “If You Know, You Know” fashion, this took on a chaotic life of its own inspiring a flurry of social media posts some of which might actually be suitable for sharing.
Fascination Street
“Oh, it’s opening time down on Fascination Street” is the first line to the Cure song that this barrel-aged absinthe was named after. An absinthe comprised of 13 different botanicals aged for two years in a number 2 char new American oak barrel produces a unique and flavorful spirit. Fascination Street was released in October and is available in short supply at the distillery.
Awards
As 2020 was coming to a merciful close for all of society, it was also a celebratory close for Spirits of French Lick. Indiana Bourbon started things off by naming The Mattie Gladden as the Bourbon of the Year for 2020. Whiskey media guy, Fred Minnick, selected Unpretentious as the second best barrel-finished whiskey for 2020 and Lee W. Sinclair as the best non-Kentucky Bourbon of 2020.
When Steve Akley and the ABV Network announced winners of their 2020 awards, much of the hardware (if there was actual hardware) was taken by Spirits of French Lick with Alan Bishop being crowned Craft Distiller of the Year and The Mattie Gladden being anointed Best New Whiskey and Best Bourbon.
In their year-end awards show, My Whiskey Den (Patrick Belongia, Mike Lisac and Benjamin Eaves) unanimously named their Distiller/ Distillery of the Year as Alan Bishop and Spirits of French Lick.
Finally, Lee W. Sinclair bottled-in-bond was included in Minnick’s year-end blind tasting for his 2020 Whiskey of the Year. LWS made a deep run and ended up remaining until the final six and beat out some of “Big Bourbon’s” biggest boys along the way.
Iconoclast
“Several years ago a friend told me that I approached distillation like an iconoclast”, Alan recalled. “I liked the word and it has stuck in the back of my head all this time and it seemed like a good name for this special series of whiskey”. To save you a few clicks, an iconoclast is one who opposes settled beliefs, institutions and traditions. If you spend much time with Alan you’ll see very quickly that he is against the run of the mill and swimming against the stream. The moniker “iconoclast” fits him and it fits the whiskey he makes.
Spirits of French Lick christened 2021 with the maiden voyage of the Iconoclast Series (yes, there will be others). This first release is a three-barrel batch of Lee W. Sinclair at barrel proof. Alan explains, “These three barrels simply did not fit the Lee profile at all. I decided to try them in a stand-alone batch and it could not have worked better. I’ve not never put anything in a barrel I like more than this first Iconoclast release”.
Iconoclast is a distillery-only release and when they’re gone…they’re gone. This four-year Bourbon carries a proof of 107.9 with prominent flavors of cherry, French toast, vanilla and cream. It is truly delicious and should not be missed.
2021 and Beyond: Anything Can Happen
The release of Iconoclast is a strong indication that Spirits of French Lick intends to extend their “Year of…” past 2020 and into 2021. Alan and Jolee have shared with me some of their plans for the rest of the year. Each of these deserves being termed as “the highly-anticipated release”.
Valentine’s weekend: The Right Way is a rye aged in absinthe barrels. It is available in the distillery gift shop starting Saturday, February 13. What better way to say I love you?
May: April showers bring May flowers, but this May brings The Morning Glory. This is a kasha (buckwheat) Bourbon. Respect the grain, indeed.
Rational responses / Force a change of plans / Anything can happen
May: This month also is the scheduled release of William Dalton. This is a bottled-in-bond wheated Bourbon and will replace The Wheater in Spirits of French Lick’s catalog. Dalton was the longest-serving master distiller in Indiana history, holding this role for 55 years at the Spring Mill distillery. The Wheater was a blend of SoFL wheated Bourbon and sourced wheated Bourbon. It was my least favorite of their whiskies, so I am looking forward to this change. The William Dalton will be 100% Spirits of French Lick bourbon. I have tried a sample and it is quite excellent and is a much better fit in their lineup.
Summer: It’s hard to say “now this sounds really different” when I’ve already listed a rye aged in absinthe barrels and a kasha bourbon, but…this does sound really different. Further evidence that anything can happen: an apple brandy aged in tequila barrels.
Fall: A perfect fit for the fall months will be the release of a bottled-in-bond apple brandy.
Fall: A bottled-in-bond rye will hit store shelves. It will be called Solomon Scott. Scott was a regarded distiller, bootlegger and moonshiner in pre-prohibition southern Indiana.
An overnight success thirty some-odd years in the making, the accolades of 2020 have Alan Bishop living in the limelight, so to speak. With that attention from the Bourbon public come expectations. The things Spirits of French Lick have in store for 2021 is quite an encore to 2020 as Alan and his team makes a tradition of defying traditions.
There are drummers and then there is Neil Peart. In many ways he broke the stereotypes for drummers and established new standards for drums in rock music. Drummers are typically thought to be the ones in the band who blew things up (Keith Moon) or blew themselves up (if we are to believe Spinal Tap). Peart’s personality, however, was one of an introvert who actively shunned the limelight. Drummers are not usually thought of as being the intellectual in the group (though Levon Helm of The Band and Steve Gorman of The Black Crowes immediately come to mind as drummers who certainly were). However, Peart defied “the norm” further by being the chief lyricist for his band, Rush, penning challenging and thought-provoking songs for more than 40 years.
A year ago today, Neil Peart died. He had fought against an aggressive form of brain cancer for the last three of his sixty-seven years. With his death we knew we had lost a unique mind and talent; a true one-of-a-kind.
To remember Neil Peart today, I’ve put together three groupings of Rush songs that I think represent some of the major themes he wrote and played about over his career. Even though Peart was a Macallan drinker, I’ve paired each grouping with a bourbon you can raise a glass of in his honor.
If you are a fan of Peart and Rush, you might agree or disagree with my list and that’s OK. You have freewill. If you don’t like Rush, it’s an excuse to have a few pours (pass an evening with a drink and a friend) and maybe enjoy their music a little more given another chance.
Philosophy of Life / Introspection
The first theme I’m going with revolves around songs that explore philosophy of life and delve into who we are as people over time. I’m pairing these three songs with Old Grand Dad (bottled-in-bond or 114…your call). Being at the age of a grandfather (which I am) certainly brings a pause to reflect back on the life that’s been lived and how to best live the life that still remains.
Time Stand Still (Hold Your Fire album): “Summer’s going fast, Nights growing colder / Children growing up, Old friends growing older / Freeze this moment a little bit longer / Make each sensation a little bit stronger.”
Dreamline (Roll the Bones): “We are young / Wandering the face of the earth / Wondering what our dreams might be worth / Learning that we’re only immortal for a limited time”
“Time is a gypsy caravan steals away in the night / To leave you stranded in dreamland / Distance is a long-range filter / Memory a flickering light / Left behind in the heartland”
Resist (Test for Echo): “I can learn to resist anything but temptation / I can learn to co-exist with anything but pain”
“You can surrender without a prayer / But never really pray / Pray without surrender”
Creativity and Growth
Much of Rush’s music and Peart’s lyrics exemplified creativity. They also wrote and sang about being creative, exploration of ideas and growth. For this grouping of songs I am pairing Lee W. Sinclair 4-Grain Bourbon from Spirits of French Lick. Much of what they are doing at Spirits of French Lick under head distiller Alan Bishop embodies exploring the world of distillation and pushing the boundaries of the industry and of their own imaginations. This philosophy seems to fit much of what Rush has done especially within these themes.
One Little Victory (Vapor Trails): “The measure of the moment / In a difference of degree / Just one little victory / A spirit breaking free”
Between Sun and Moon (Counterparts): “There is a lake between sun and moon / Not too many know about / In the silence between whisper and shout / The space between wonder and doubt”
New World Man (Signals): “He’s not concerned with yesterday / He knows constant change is here today”
Boldness and Individualism
There is much of Rush’s music that can fit these themes. The 2112 album is about an individual resisting collective thought. I’m using Booker’s to pair with this theme. The bourbon (select the batch of your choice) is bold and unique and the man who made it (Booker Noe) certainly was, too.
Freewill (Permanent Waves): “You can choose from phantom fears and kindness that can kill / I will choose a path that’s clear, I will choose Freewill”
Headlong Flight (Clockwork Angels): “All the journeys of this great adventure / It didn’t always feel that way / I wouldn’t trade them because I made them / The best I could, and that’s enough to say”
Marathon (Power Windows): “You can do a lot in a lifetime / If you don’t burn out too fast / You can make the most of the distance / First you need endurance / First you’ve got to last”
“More than just survival / More than just a flash / More than just a dotted line / More than just a dash”.
Encore
Any show must have an encore and a Rush concert is not complete without Tom Sawyer. And since “your mind is not for rent / to any blog or government”, as you enjoy this classic song, select the whiskey of your choice. Your options are limitless (Maybe as his skies are wide).
Cheers to Neil: his life, his words and his music.
The treasure of a life Is a measure of love and respect The way you live, the gifts that you give / In the fullness of time Is the only return that you expect / The future disappears into memory With only a moment between Forever dwells in that moment Hope is what remains to be seen…It’s a measure of a life
The Garden (Clockwork Angels), Neil Peart
For a Spotify playlist of the Rush songs included in this article…click here.
As someone who is very much into both music and Bourbon, I frequently get asked these two questions:
What’s your favorite band?
What’s your favorite Bourbon?
Whatever is playing now.
Whatever is in my glass now.
Whatever is playing next.
Whatever is in my glass next.
Whatever fits the mood.
Whatever inspires the mood.
Whatever sets the occasion.
Whatever elevates the occasion.
Whatever I can share with you.
Whatever you can share with me.
Someone’s choice in music or choice of whiskey can be a deeply personal thing, but can also be something even the most introverted among us is willing to share with practically anyone. A song’s opening guitar riff can take us back days or even decades to emotion-filled moments of our past. While the sight of a bottle or a sip of its contents can spark memories of drinking stories we have already told way too many times.
There are times when a song or a band or a musician is deserving of something special in our glass. Or whatever is in our glass is made more special because of the music we’re enjoying with it. I’ve paired E.H. Taylor with The Rolling Stones. Lee W. Sinclair with Rush. Stumpy’s Spirits rye with The White Stripes. And Booker’s with Led Zeppelin and/or old school Country music. Some of these pairings are with purpose. Some are just coincidental. All are best enjoyed on the deck.
One pairing tradition I have is Tom Petty with Weller Special Reserve. Three years ago today Tom Petty passed away and I had a pour in his memory of what I had in my glass at the time: that Weller green label. There wasn’t any significance to Weller Special Reserve at the time. But, WSR has gained significance to me because I now associate it with Tom Petty.
Is Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers my favorite band? Sure…sometimes.
Is Weller Special Reserve my favorite Bourbon? One day a year since 2017.
So, this evening I’ll be sipping Weller on the deck and listening to the “Wildflowers” album and then random hits and b-sides from 40 years of mid-tempo rock-n-roll classics.
It was to be the 2nd Annual Bourbon Fellowship Bottled in Bond Blind Tasting Bracket (BFBIBBTB). It was to be the first Thursday of the NCAA Basketball Tournament. It was…not to be.
The basketball tournament was cancelled. Bourbon Fellowship was cancelled. The whole stinkin’ world was cancelled. Everyone had a blast with this blind tasting event the first time we did it last year. So when the world became less of a “cancelled” place we rescheduled BFBIBBTB a few months later. Just like last year, there were some surprises along the way.
First Round Pairings & Results
The eight Bourbons selected for the blind tasting had to: (a) be a Bourbon, (b) be Bottled-in-Bond, and (c) not have been in last year’s bracket, with the exception of the champ, New Riff. (For last year’s bracket and results, click here).
There were no other criteria for inclusion other than what I thought would be interesting. Here were the first round match-ups. You can judge how interesting they are:
Match-up 1: (A) Heaven Hill 7 year vs. (B) Heaven Hill 6 year
Match-up 2: (C ) A.D. Laws vs. (D) Old Grand Dad
Match-up 3: (E) Wilderness Trail Wheated vs. (F) Wilderness Trail High Rye
Match-up 4: (G) New Riff vs. (H) Evan Williams
When we got started, we had eight participants. What are the odds of anything ending in a tie? Pretty good, as it turned out.
Heaven Hill vs. Heaven Hill
After the group completed their tasting of these two products – one new (expensive and difficult to find) and the other old (a discontinued bargain) – it was a tie. Four preferred 7 year and four cast their lot for 6 year. So, I re-poured the samples and let the participants re-taste and re-vote. In the second go-around, the 7 year walloped the 6-year by a count of 7-1. Everyone commented that it was a coin flip decision for them; it just happened that more of the coins landed on 7 than 6. To me, this says that there is a marginal difference between the quality and taste of the two products.
A.D. Laws vs Old Grand Dad
I like to throw something into blind tastings that the participants haven’t had before. The A.D. Laws certainly fit that bill, but faced a wily veteran in Old Grand Dad. We ended up with a 4-4 tie on this one, too. I was beginning to think the guys were planning it that way just to get more Bourbon!
In the re-taste / re-vote one person changed their choice and A.D. Laws would advance. A.D. Laws was easily the most divisive Bourbon of the night and maybe the most divisive Bourbon our group has ever shared. This is a four-grain, bottled-in-bond (60% corn / 20% heirloom wheat / 10% heirloom rye / 10% malted barley) and it has very distinct chocolate notes on the palate. It was definitely a love-it-or-hate-it whiskey. It got just enough love to move on in the bracket.
Wilderness Trail Wheated vs. Wilderness Trail High Rye
I couldn’t decide which Wilderness Trail product to include in the bracket, so I went with both. There was a clear consensus of opinion on this one. The High Rye was the top choice by a 6-2 count. Comments from the group certainly gave a lot of love to its wheated brother, but the high rye was the decisive winner and would advance.
New Riff vs. Evan Williams
They say repeating a championship is more difficult than winning the championship in the first place. It’s true in sports. It’s true in Bourbon. Last year’s champ, New Riff, went down to one of the most underrated Bourbons on the planet: Evan Williams bottled-in-bond. EW won by a 5-3 margin. Take heart, New Riff. No one can take last year’s title away from you.
Final Four
Heaven Hill 7 year vs. A.D. Laws
By the time we started the Final Four, a late-comer joined the group (so…no more ties). The five tasters who stood by A.D. Laws in the first round, stayed by A.D. Laws in the Final Four. Heaven Hill’s 7 year fell 5-4 to A.D. Laws.
Wilderness Trail High Rye vs. Evan Williams
The experienced bottom-shelfer could not get past the young stud. Evan Williams could only muster two votes as Wilderness Trail garnered seven and moved on to the Finals.
Finals
A.D. Laws vs. Wilderness Trail High Rye
All good runs come to an end. Cinderella turned into a pumpkin…or something like that. The unlikely journey to the BFBIBBTB Finals is over. The loyal following gathered by A.D. Laws couldn’t survive the momentum of Wilderness Trail. By a score of 7-2, Wilderness Trail High Rye claimed the crown of 2020 Bottled in Bond champ.
Both Wilderness Trail bottled-in-bond products are very good and their cask strength rye may be my favorite of anything they produce. In a very short time, it seems Wilderness Trail has become synonymous with quality whiskey. There are a small handful of distilleries that are on a considerable roll right now (despite COVID-19) and Wilderness Trail is certainly one of those. In a very short time, Shane Baker and Pat Heist have made their brand into one that truly moves the needle. Congratulations to Wilderness Trail High Rye Bourbon, deserving of the title: Best Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon for 2020.
The Bourbon Fellowship / Bourbon Turntable 