Tag: Alan Bishop

Introducing A.J. Schreiner Spirits

It was a chilly Tuesday night in late January with a heavy mist coming down.  I’m standing in the parking lot with two other damp, shadowy figures.  One is Alan Bishop.  The other is a man I had never met before.  The other man is talking about a new spirits company he’s starting while pouring rye samples from unlabeled bottles he had in the back of his truck.  (This is a totally normal way to spend a Tuesday night and meet people, right?)  That new friend was Ken Schreiner.

A.J. Schreiner Spirits

Ken’s passion for his new project, A.J. Schreiner Spirits, was obvious and contagious, and hearing him evangelize about it made me forget about standing in a dark and cold rain.  Or maybe I didn’t mind getting a touch soaked because of how fantastic this rye from parts unknown was.  A rye that would end up being a component in the blended rye I’ll talk about later. 

A.J. Schreiner Spirits, named after Ken’s great-great grandfather will be releasing a blended rye and a gin on August 1.  These spirits are inspired by Ken’s family’s history in distilling that dates back to well before prohibition.  You can hear more about that history by listening to my conversation with Ken on this episode of Bourbon Turntable.

Ken wisely drafted Alan Bishop (head distiller at Old Homestead Distilling Co.) to be his contract distiller and blender.  Ken told Alan what he was looking for: a profile in both a rye and a gin that is reminiscent of and inspired by the spirits made by his ancestors.  Alan clearly understood the vision of A.J. Schreiner Spirits and I believe he pulled it off. 

The rye, called Heritage Rye, was blended by Alan using ryes from two different distilleries.  Kentuckiana Gin was distilled by Alan and is a new take on the old Schenley gin.  The bottles feature the likenesses of A.J. Schreiner and J.J. Schreiner on the rye and the gin, respectively.

As I’m tasting these spirits again while writing this, I am pairing them with an album that I think has a gritty, speakeasy-feel to it: “Exile on Main Street” by The Rolling Stones.  I think that Charlie Watts shines on this album and the piano work by Nicky Hopkins, Ian Stewart and Billy Preston add a lot of flavor to Exile.  Rip This Joint, Shake Your Hips, Casino Boogie, Sweet Virginia, Ventilator Blues and Stop Breaking Down all capture that pre-prohibition vibe that Ken has captured in these spirits.

Tasting Notes

Heritage Rye

Facts: This is a 100-proof rye blended from two craft distilleries.

Nose: It has a grassy funkiness to it which captures that pre-prohibition feel.  Plum, fig and orange notes also rise up from my Loving Cup.

Taste: The plum and orange notes remain and toffee and dark chocolate show up to make me Happy.

Finish: You can go All Down the Line on the finish as it checks a lot of boxes: Tobacco, mint, oak, cherry and that grassy funkiness comes through again.

Kentuckiana Gin

Facts: This gin is from a rye base.  It will be 93 proof in the bottle, but my sample is at 130!

Nose: On the nose, this gin will Shine a Light on lime.  There is also some honeysuckle, orange and vanilla in there.

Taste: You can drink this Rocks Off or on the rocks.  Chilled, the lime pops through even more.  Without the ice, I get an orange cream saver note (if you remember those old Life Saver products).  If you don’t know what that is then we’ll settle calling it vanilla and orange marmalade.

Finish: I can finally Stop Breaking Down this gin by saying on the finish I find that honeysuckle reappearing.  The lime, orange and vanilla are still there and juniper pops up a bit to remind you that you are, in fact, drinking a gin.

A Vision Realized

Ken could have taken an easy route with his new spirits company. Like many other brand entrepreneurs before him, he could have bought barrels from an overused source, put it in a pretty bottle and told his family’s story that way.  He would have likely sold those bottles and been able to share his family’s history, but missed the opportunity to introduce a product of meaningful interest to the spirits community.  Thankfully, he went another way.  A more challenging, but more rewarding, way.

Ken has a vision for what he wants A.J. Schreiner Spirits to be about.  And with the skill and creativity of Alan Bishop on his team, Ken has added two spirits that will stand out in a crowded landscape.  Heritage Rye and Kentuckiana Gin are both a pleasure to drink and have an important story to tell the spirits consumer. 

Follow A.J. Schreiner spirts on Facebook and Instagram to stay in the know about news, release dates and much more.

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Tasting notes without the contrived Exile on Main Street references:

Heritage Rye

Nose: Funky grassiness, plum, fig and orange

Taste: Plum, orange, dark chocolate and toffee

Finish: Tobacco, mint, oak, cherry and that grassy funkiness reappears (or is it funky grassiness?).

Kentuckiana Gin

Nose: Lime, honeysuckle, orange and vanilla

Tase: Lime, orange Cream Saver (vanilla and orange marmalade

Finish: Honeysuckle, lime, orange, vanilla and the juniper sneaks in to remind you it is a gin.

A Spirit Breaking Free

Alan Bishop has announced that he has terminated his relationship with Spirits of French Lick effective immediately.  This concludes an eight-year tenure for Bishop as head distiller for the southern Indiana craft distillery. 

Did I Have a Dream or Did the Dream Have Me?

“Don’t blow yourself up and don’t come back until you have something worth drinking”.  Those were the instructions 15-year-old Alan Bishop received from his father, Dale (aka “Ol’ Dale Bishop”) as he gave his son his first still. 

In the fifteen years that followed, Alan became quite infamous in certain circles for his moonshine.  A bit too infamous perhaps, which led to the decision in 2014 to go “legal” and join the distilling team at Copper & Kings in Louisville.  From there he was hired as the first (and only to this point) head distiller for Spirits of French Lick. 

Alan’s deep-rooted belief in the connections of the spiritual, the scientific and the artistic aspects of distillation has led him to be known as The Alchemist of the Black Forest (the Black Forest is the region of Indiana where Alan and his family live). 

Alan has used pot stills exclusively at Sprits of French Lick, hailing that “pot stills are the instruments of an alchemist”.  He continues: “Pot stills are best for concentration and retention of flavor from the grain”, which fits the “Respect the Grain” maxim that is emblazoned on the label of every bottle that has come out of Sprits of French Lick. 

During his term at French Lick, it has not only been about making the whiskey, but as Alan said “it is about the names and telling their stories”. 

The first name and story was that of Lee W. Sinclair, a four-grain bourbon with a mashbill of corn, wheat, oat and caramel malt.  Sinclair was a southern Indiana businessman who built the West Baden Springs Hotel. 

The Lee W. Sinclair bourbon was followed by Mattie Gladden, a high rye bourbon named for a madame from Salem, Indiana.  Mattie is a favorite of Alan’s father, mentor and assistant distiller, Dale. 

Following Mattie was a wheated bourbon tribute to the longest-serving distiller in Indiana history, William Dalton.  And then a rye named for Solomon Scott, a pre-prohibition distillery owner from Paoli, Indiana.

There have also been some extraordinary special releases from Bishop while at Spirits of French Lick.  “It is the most dickish thing I’ve ever done in the industry and I couldn’t be prouder of it”.  That is how Alan presented his distillery-only, port-cask-finished bourbon, Unpretentious.   

“I really like the work Alan has done with absinthe”, says Alan’s wife, Kim.  There is, of course, his standard Absinthe Le Bleu, but Alan has also done some special releases such as The Right Way (rye whiskey finished in absinthe barrels) and Fascination Street (barrel-aged absinthe).  It is hard to argue with Kim about the excellence of these absinthe products.

Alan also made Spirits of French Lick one of the first craft distilleries to produce bottled-in-bond products.  This includes a bottled-in-bond apple brandy called Old Clifty, a spirit especially close to Alan’s heart due to the historical significance of apple brandy in the Black Forest region.

Collaboration has also been a hallmark of Alan’s time in French Lick.  He has worked on projects with the likes of Steve Bashore (George Washington’s Mount Vernon), Erik Wolfe (Stoll & Wolfe), Jim Martin (Key West Trading Co.), as well as avoiding the limelight and anonymously providing advice and guidance to countless other distillers across the country. 

Alan has also been instrumental in the preservation of distilling history leading such efforts in Southern Indiana at Spring Mill State Park and Beck’s Mill. He has also worked with Brian Cushing on historic distilling projects at Locust Grove and in Switzerland County, Indiana.

Between the Sun and Moon

The answer to what’s next for Alan Bishop will lie somewhere between the sun and moon.  Something more specific will likely be made public soon. 

An equally-intriguing question to “what’s next for Alan” is: what does the future of The Spirits of French Lick look like post-Alan?  Of all the non-owner distillers in the country, none have been more intricately tied to the brand and reputation of a distillery than Bishop has been to Spirits of French Lick.  In addition to the standing he has built for SOFL, Alan leaves a legacy of warehouses full of exceptional whiskey at Spirits of French Lick.  Who steps into the role of head distiller?  What do they do with the whiskey they have in stock?  Right now, we don’t know. 

What we do know now, however, is Alan Bishop is moving on to something else.  Some place else.   A place “between the sun and moon” to be sure.

While we don’t know specifics now, we can have confidence that Alan will continue distilling as the Alchemist of the Black Forest while holding true to his values of innovation, collaboration and not giving us something until its worth drinking.  Cheers, Alan!

“Ceiling unlimited. Windows open wide. Look and look again. Feeling unlimited. Eyes on the prize.”

Alan Bishop Give Mattie Gladden a Turn at Iconoclast

In early 2021, Spirits of French Lick released a special three-barrel blend of Lee W. Sinclair which was the first in the Iconoclast series. An “Iconoclast” is a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions.  In the whiskey industry, that explains a good bit about SOFL’s head alchemist and distiller, Alan Bishop.

If you confront Bishop with “that’s not the way things are supposed to be done”, you’ll be met a response where he explains that his mind is not for rent and he’ll likely add in a few colorful metaphors to make sure his point is made.  Alan has a deep, life-long respect for history and tradition, but also knows that neither he nor the whiskey industry will grow if the status quo remains unchallenged. 

The Iconoclast treatment now falls to Mattie Gladden.  Mattie Gladden (the whiskey) is a high-rye bourbon with 55% corn, 35% rye and 10% malt.  Bishop routinely names his spirits after people and places of historical note from the Black Forest region of Southern Indiana, and that is how Mattie Gladden got its name. 

Mattie Gladden, the woman, was quite notorious.  At one point, she was the mistress of P.T. Barnum…yes, THAT P.T. Barnum.  She also was the madam of a prominent brothel she owned in Salem, Indiana.  No weak, ordinary whiskey would do if it is to be named after Madam Mattie. 

I hailed the first Iconoclast – the Lee W. Sinclair version – as “whiskey of the year” when I first tasted it in February of 2021.  For me, it held that spot throughout the year and was the best whiskey I tried during that year.

This Iconoclast, like the Lee version, is also a three-barrel blend and it is bottled at 105 proof.  Can the Mattie Gladden Iconoclast take its place on the podium like Lee W. Sinclair did two years ago? Let’s find out.

Review and Notes:

Nose: The first thing I notice from the glass is something I don’t think I’ve ever used as a whiskey descriptor before: fresh.  It smells fresh.  Like clean linen on the clothes line.  Then there is also a rich cherry pie filling note.  The kind that would make a grown man cry.

Taste: This is where it becomes decadent and the “madam” in this bottle shows up.  (Side note: Mattie Gladden Bourbon was once described on My Whiskey Den as being “whore forward”). 

The cherry takes a turn and becomes more like a raspberry muffin.  There is also some chocolate, hazelnut, black pepper and, of course, a little leather.

Finish: The finish is like Christmas comes early with an unmistakable cherry cordial note that lingers for much longer than what you paid for.

All the brothel puns aside, this is a fantastic whiskey that you need to try and procure a bottle if you can.  It is currently available in the Spirits of French Lick gift shop.  If you love the bottled-in-bond version of Mattie, then you’ll be bewitched by this. Will it be my whiskey of the year like the original Iconoclast release was?  Well, you’ll just have to wait until early January when we have the Bourbon Turntable “Whiskeys of the Year” show to see.

Two New Whiskeys From Alan Bishop

As 2022 ends we are granted the gift of not one but TWO new distillery-only releases created by Alan Bishop.  One is a bourbon called Hindostan Falls and the second is a corn whiskey called Charles E. Ballard.  As is typical, Alan names his spirits after people and places in the Black Forest region of Southern Indiana – or as he calls it “Hoosier Occupied Northern Kentucky” (HONKY).

Hindostan Falls is described on the bottle as “located on the east fork of the White River, was founded in 1816 and became an important stage coach stop along the Vincennes Trail”. 

Charles E. Ballard owned the West Baden Springs Hotel following the death of Lee Sinclair (another namesake of one of Bishop’s whiskeys). 

To me, Hindostan Falls is the fourth cornerstone in the foundation of Alan Bishop’s distilling career (the non-illicit career anyway). The first cornerstone is Lee W. Sinclair because it really started it all. It was a mash bill Bishop had distilled in the woods and it was the first bourbon released that was entirely his distillate at the distillery. The second is The Mattie Gladden. It was Bishop offering the whiskey public a bold high-rye bourbon while introducing us to the notorious character that was Mattie Gladden.

The third cornerstone is the bottled-in-bond Old Clifty Apply Brandy.  If you cut Alan Bishop, he might bleed apple brandy.  So, producing a bottled-in-bond apple brandy is significant in that way.

Finally, we come to Hindostan Falls.  It is 80% corn, 10% rye, 10% distillers’ malt.  It is not just any corn, however.  It is a varietal of corn called Amanda Palmer. Amanda Palmer was created by Bishop during his days when he made his living as a farmer.  And for that reason, Hindostan Falls is that fourth corner stone.  Spoiler alert: it’s also a darn good bourbon.

I don’t mean any disrespect to any of the other whiskeys Bishop has produced at the distillery.  William Dalton, The Morning Glory, Solomon Scott, etc. are all fantastic.  To me, however, the four I named have a special place in Alan’s (to borrow and misuse a music term) “discography”. 

Hindostan Falls weighs in at 104.3 proof and is four-and-a-half years old.  My tasting notes are:

Nose: Sweet grass, honeysuckle, cherry pie filling and an occasional whiff of that “respect the grain” mash note.  Also, the longer it sits in the glass, the more it begins to nose like a red wine.  Interesting.

Taste: Hints of vanilla, cinnamon, pepper, plum wine

Finish: Honey Smacks cereal, pepper, roasted hazelnut and plum

This will be the early leader of the pack for 2023 Whiskey of the Year and could be my favorite whiskey Alan has ever made.

Charles E. Ballard is a corn whiskey.  90% corn (yellow dent) and 10% chocolate malt.  It carries a proof of 102.2 and has aged four years in a barrel whose previous tenant was Lee W. Sinclair four-grain bourbon.

Nose: You’ve just opened a bag of coffee after eating a Hershey’s Dark.

Taste: Mocha coffee, oak

Finish: Coffee and oak

This corn whiskey is very unique.  It is also definitely one for the coffee lovers.  This is also one that I think could play interestingly in cocktails. 

It is my understanding that while these are both single barrels, there will be future releases of these brands at some point. 

Cheers and have a safe and happy new year!

The Seriousness and the Nonsense of Alan Bishop Day

Two years ago, on his Bourbon Daily podcast Steve Akley deemed October 20 to be National Alan Bishop Day.  Why?  I don’t think anyone knows for certain…not even Steve and certainly not Alan. 

Nevertheless, Alan ran with it especially after seeing how the entire concept of him having a “Day” annoyed close fried Jolee Kasprzak.  There were memes.  There were hand signals that even two years later some friends can’t master.  There were slogans: Solidarity Through Sarcasm!  It was nonsense.  Wonderful, fun-loving nonsense.

Last year on October 20 the silliness continued.  The YouTube show My Whiskey Den had an Alan Bishop Day Advent show where they drank Malort and ate McRibs.  Why?  Again, no one knows.  Simply making memories out of more nonsense is probably the most accurate answer.  The guys on that particular show also have some gastrointestinal memories they won’t soon forget.  Pro-tip: Don’t bother asking for Malort with your McRib meal at the McDonald’s drive thru.  They don’t have Malort.  I know.  I asked. 

We also had Alan on Bourbon Turntable to celebrate – what was somehow after only one year – International Alan Bishop Day.  I suppose there was some decree from the United Nations or something.  It took about a minute and forty-six seconds for me to lose control of the show.  A small price to pay to distill more memories from this mash bill of nonsense.

The Alan Bishop flanked by his dad, Dale, and myself.

Now here we are again today at Alan Bishop Day volume 3.  This year is quite different, however. Today things are more serious.  Today is the funeral of Alan’s close friend, “Moonshine” Mike Stallings. I never had the pleasure to have met Mike in person.  I’ve seen him in videos.  I’ve heard his music.  I had a couple of chats with him on Facebook.  Most of what I saw of Mike was during his fight with cancer.  He fought with courage, joy and a song.  To someone like me who didn’t really know him, the way I saw Mike live through his battle still meant something to me.  I know it means infinitely more to Alan, Mike’s other close friends and, of course, the Stallings family.

So, the takeaway for me on this October 20 is to be more thankful and to take less for granted.  Since this is, after all, International Alan Bishop Day I’ll start there.  I am thankful for Alan and his friendship.  What started with my numerous, annoying questions about his whiskey, has evolved into one of my dearest friendships.  Conversations about whiskey are fewer and fewer these days and have been replaced with conversations about life, faith and, of course, music.

Because of Alan, I got to know Jolee, the guys from My Whiskey Den (Mike Lisac, Patrick Belongia, and Ben Eaves) and many others.  All relationships that I have come to treasure.

But, I wouldn’t have met Alan, if I had not first met Steve Akley.  So, a “thank you” to Steve and the ABV gang, too. 

And I wouldn’t have met Steve had Drew Crawley not recommended I listen to Bourbon Daily several (five or six?) years ago.  So, I am thankful to Drew who inadvertently pointed me to the beginning of my own personal “Bourbon Trail” that now has come full circle as Drew and I host “Bourbon Turntable” together. 

Ultimately, had The Wife liked wine I might not have ever switched to whiskey (a story for another day).  Which means I wouldn’t have been at the Westport Whiskey & Wine tasting room.  Which means I wouldn’t have met Drew.  So, of course, The Wife is at the center of it all…even on International Alan Bishop Day.

I have a phone full of pictures – more than will fit in the Apple iCloud.  Yet when I scrolled through my photos looking for a picture with Alan to use with this article, I found only two.  Both from the day we first met in 2019. 

Then I scrolled through again and I noticed that I have far too many dear friends that I have far too few (or no) pictures of with me.  I usually avoid the camera because I’m fat and goofy looking.  I suppose I could work on being skinnier – not sure what to do about the goofy-looking part.  But, what I need to focus on is not taking for granted time spent with special friends.  So, if getting your picture made with a fat, goofy-looking dude is annoying to you…too bad. 

Before the sun sets on October 20, 2022 I encourage you to do three things.  One, raise a glass to Alan Bishop.  After all, for some ill-defined reason, it’s his day of nonsense. 

Two, raise a glass to Mike Stallings.  Even if you don’t know Mike, take it as a moment to remember any good-hearted soul in your life who was gone too soon.  Third, and finally, take a picture with a friend.  Tell them you are thankful for them.  Tell them that you love them.  I think Alan and Moonshine Mike would approve.

Little Book 5 with Mike

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.

Whiskeys of the (Half) Year

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. 

Kentucky Peerless Distilling: “Burnt Ends” Bourbon

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.

Iconoclast in the Limelight

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.