In the simplest terms, bourbon is America’s native spirit. Scotland has Scotch, France has Cognac, and the US has bourbon. Bourbon is as American as apple pie, baseball, and Nick Offerman. “Bourbon and America have gone hand-in-hand virtually since our country was founded, though the exact timeline of bourbon as we know it is a little murky,” says Rob Samuels, 8th generation whisky maker and...

June 14th is National Bourbon Day. So join friends and raise your glass of this sweetened amber spirit and celebrate great whiskey. Bourbon is a whiskey which is only so named if distilled in the United States. To legally be a considered Bourbon, it must be 51 percent corn, stored in new (not aged) charred-oak barrels, distilled no more than 160 proof and barreled at 125 proof...

They are available in 40g bags retailing 79p-99p and 120g sharing bags retailing £1.79 – £1.99. The brand said the crisps “combine the authentic flavour of Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon with sweet, smoky BBQ flavours.” The launch is being supported by sampling activity, as well as being part of a large-scale, integrated marketing campaign including PR, events and social media. Burts Chips’...

The Bourbon boom is real. For this month’s reviews, we focused on bottlings released within the prior 24 months. While there’s no shortage of old favorites on the shelves, Bourbon producers are clearly doing their share to meet continuing strong demand for America’s home-grown whiskey, bringing a veritable amber-hued flood of new bottlings to market. Kentucky remains Bourbon’s spiritual home...

In as much as things are new with the upcoming, $45 million Old Forester distillery set to open soon on Louisville, Kentucky’s famous Whiskey Row, this facility still will reflect an American spirit that is old in scope and bound in certain traditions. One of these is specific to the legacy of Old Forester parent company Brown-Forman, and now this tradition is being revived via The President’s...

The Wild Turkey distillery in Kentucky, helmed by the father-son distilling duo of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, has been releasing over the last several years a range of higher end bourbons known as Master’s Keep. These limited edition expressions, Master’s Keep and Master’s Keep Decades, have showcased what older whiskey from here can be like as a premium offering. Now they are back with a third...

Heaven Hill’s Henry McKenna Single Barrel bourbon recently won the “Best Bourbon” award at the 2018 San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Many bourbons — including Jim Beam, Blanton’s, Evan Williams, Elijah Craig, E. H. Taylor and others — are named after distillers who revolutionized the bourbon industry or those who made their mark on whiskey history. In light of this recent award, who was...

We’ve seen releases and release announcements from some of the biggest names in whiskey in the last few weeks, and every one is borderline grail-worthy. But, as is the curse of the whiskey enthusiast, each is going to be, well, nearly impossible to find. The revival of a defunct (but well-loved) Kentucky spirit, a stupidly sought after new Scottish-Japanese whiskey and a pair of limited runs...

As Johnnie Walker and Macallan invest big bucks in new, state-of-the-art visitor experiences, it’s clear that whisky tourism is more popular now than ever before. So where are all these people flocking to? Matt Evans charts the most popular whisky attractions in the world. Macallan’s new distillery is an architectural marvel. Blending into its rolling landscape like an enormous parody of...

Hidden among the belongings of your parents' house are the many long-forgotten ties, unused picture frames and #1 Dad mugs your father has been willingly collecting with a smile each year. This year, though, is going to be different. Your gift could be a round-trip visit to Jim Beam's distillery—for just $25. The bourbon company is offering a Bonding Over Bourbon Experience for booze aficionados...

Deep in the heart of rural Kentucky, grain farmers deliver high quality wheat and corn to make one of the world’s most popular spirits. Here’s an inside look at the process . Bourbon is distinctly American, and like so many of our best inventions, it comes with a mysterious past. Some say the Scots, Irish and Welsh brought the distilling process with them as they settled and farmed the American...

As my car meandered down a winding tree-lined road in search of the entrance to Jonabell Farm, a seemingly perfect song popped on the radio: Luke Bryan’s “Rain is a Good Thing.” Rain makes corn Corn makes whiskey I couldn’t help but laugh aloud—in the backseat, a couple of bottles of Kentucky’s native corn-based Bourbon sloshed along in rhythm, a happy accompaniment with every hitch in the road...

With the Belmont Stakes looming this Saturday, bartenders are readying their bourbon bottles. Each of the Triple Crown races has its own official bourbon-based cocktail — the mint julep for the Kentucky Derby and the black-eyed Susan for the Preakness Stakes. For the last leg of the Triple Crown, the Belmont Stakes, that drink is a fuschia-tinged blend of bourbon, pomegranate juice and lemonade...

Many moons ago I was lucky enough to have in my possession, a bottle of the coveted Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year Old. If you follow whiskey at all, you know that this is one of the holy grails of bourbons and also know it is virtually impossible to find. And when I wrote about it, I mentioned that it lives up to the hype and is one of the best liquids I have ever imbibed. I stand by that assessment...

September 11, 2001. It is a date which will live in the collective memory of the United States for the remainder of its history as a nation. While this devastatingly tragic event is not something one might immediately associate with whiskey, a Florida based group of former soldiers turned entrepreneurs hope their special bourbon bottling will continue to help towards remembering those soldiers...

When Earl Hewlette, CEO of the Terressentia Corp., first visited the old Charles Medley Distillers Kentucky facility at 10 Distillery Road five years ago, he gave little thought to the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. "I did not think that it being 150 miles from the epicenter of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail that the Trail would have much relevance to us," he told a crowd of well-wishers Monday afternoon...

George Clooney has his Casamigos tequila, David Beckham has his Haig Club Scotch and now – never one to miss a trick – Bob Dylan has a Tennessee whiskey. Trading as Heaven’s Door, the brand has produced three award-winning spirits: a seven-year-old bourbon, a “double-barrel” whiskey, and a straight rye, all distilled at a deconsecrated church in Nashville and sold in bottles bearing images of ...

In a cocktail shaker packed with ice, add bourbon, egg white, grapefruit juice, strawberry jam, and honey...

These are three things that the Commonwealth of Kentucky takes great pride in. Kentuckians love to tell visitors that we have more barrels of bourbon aging in warehouses than we do people and horses combined. Our love of the liquor is a deeply rooted tradition that stems back to days when Kentucky was founded, with the drink really taking off after the Civil War. A bourbon baron named Colonel...

Kentucky distilleries are waking up to the possibilities of tying bourbon and culinary tourism into a tasty package. More bourbon makers are adding restaurants to their offerings for the hundreds of thousands of tourists who visit the state’s distilleries every year. This week, the Bardstown Bourbon Company, a new distillery in Bardstown, is opening Bottle & Bond Kitchen and Bar, a full-service...

Now that it is June, barbecue season has kicked off across the country and for many fans, the thing to drink with great BBQ is bourbon. But if you prefer wine, fret not, because last year I wrote an article on expert wine pairing tips for grilled and smoked meats. If you want to do better with your own home grilling and smoking, check out my guide to the Best Grills and Outdoor Cooking Products of...

Virginia is a state in the south-eastern area of the USA. It runs from Chesapeake Bay to the Appalachian Mountains, and has a long coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. The Colonial period of American history is closely tied to Virginia. Jamestown was the first permanent settlement to be founded in the USA, in 1607. Because eight US presidents have been born there, it is known as the ‘Mother of...

Brown-Forman is returning to its past and releasing a new bourbon brand based on an old name, King of Kentucky. Hitting shelves June 29, the first release of King of Kentucky will be a limited, 14-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon. Available only in Kentucky, the first release will produce approximately 1,000 bottles with a suggested retail price of $199. King of Kentucky was established in...

The new law allows visitors to ship up to 4.5 litres of spirits and four cases of wine per person when they visit a Kentucky distillery or winery. Governor Matt Bevin signed the new law on Friday (1 June) at an event at the Kentucky Bourbon Trail Welcome Center. Eric Gregory, president of the Kentucky Distillers’ Association (KDA), welcomed the move, adding that the growth of Kentucky...

There’s a new expression in Woodford Reserve’s lineup: Woodford Reserve Kentucky Straight Malt Whiskey. The blended whiskey is based on historical recipes and is influenced by Woodford Reserve Bourbon. It’s 51% malt, which Woodford says results in a whiskey that complements the nutty characteristics you find in the original Woodford Reserve. “Our newest permanent expression, Woodford Reserve...

In 1996, Woodford Reserve opened a visitor's center as part of its bourbon distillery. The low-key operation amidst the horse farms of Versailles, Kentucky, offered souvenirs, specialty bottles, and daily tours of the whiskey-making process. While that might not seem like anything special now, back then it was nothing short of revolutionary; booze-tourism simply didn't exist at the time...

Having a single bottle of “cocktail whiskey” is a lovely idea, but much like picking a spouse or the perfect pair of jeans, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to choosing the right mixing companion. (Although, thankfully, the process of honing in on a good one is much less painful.) The right cocktail whiskey depends on several factors: the style of the cocktail you’re making, your budget...

Just about any American whiskey drinker who has been paying attention in the last decade knows about the pervasive influence of the former Seagram’s plant known as MGP of Indiana. Since turning its production to (very high quality) bourbon and especially rye manufacturing, the plant’s massive capacity has allowed it to become the nation’s #1 supplier of well-aged, sourced bourbon...

Making whiskey is a waiting game, and for Smooth Ambler Distillery, the waiting game has finally paid off in the form of its newest product, Big Level Wheated Bourbon. This is the first release from the brand that was distilled and aged entirely in West Virginia — a big step for a company hoping to show the world what West Virginia can do with whiskey. “We’re really happy with the whiskey and...

Ask any bourbon drinker what brand they first fell in love with, and it’s even odds that they’ll say Maker’s Mark. Made in Loretto, Kentucky, Maker’s Mark is a sweet, friendly, easy-drinking whiskey with an iconic red wax-dipped bottle that looks equally at home tucked into the hold of a canoe as it does behind a fancy bar. While the flagship Maker’s Mark bourbon may keep the distillery’s...

What sets an Alabama bourbon apart from its siblings in Kentucky and elsewhere? That’s what Seth Dettling of the Atmore-based Big Escambia Spirits is figuring out on the fly with Dettling Bourbon, the first bourbon made entirely in Alabama from grain to glass. “Where are you gonna go to learn how to age bourbon this far south of the Mason-Dixon line? No one knows,” says Dettling. “At the end of...

By definition, bourbon is an American whiskey formed from at least 51% corn. That other 49%, however, is entirely up for grabs. Traditionally, it's some combination of barley and rye. But then there's wheat. Sweet, sweet, wheat. To suggest that the classic cereal grain has been passed over by most major distillers is technically correct. Except that...

Today, Jim Beam Black® Bourbon announced a sweepstakes for one legal-drinking-aged lucky fan to play a round of golf with legendary Chicago Cubs® baseball player Ryne Sandberg. The winner and one friend will enjoy 18 holes at Illinois' Shoreacres Golf Club, plus lunch with the Cubs Hall-of-Famer. To enter the sweepstakes, fans from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin can text "JBBGOLF" to...

In a food processor, grind together peanuts, raisins and brown sugar until it forms a paste. Add peanut oil, if needed, to make it as smooth as you like. Add bourbon and process until thoroughly combined. Keep refrigerated. Note: If you want, you could simply stir 2 to 3 tablespoons of bourbon into 1 cup of prepared...

What could be more special than a bottle of bourbon from a barrel hand-selected by a master distiller? How about five barrel picks selected by five of the industry's most revered figures? Jimmy Russell and Eddie Russell of Wild Turkey, Chris Morris of Brown-Forman, Fred Noe of Jim Beam, Steve Nally of Bardstown Bourbon Company (and formerly of Maker's Mark) — all members of the Kentucky Bourbon...

he Four Roses bourbon distillery hosted their second annual Salt River clean up day Wednesday. Employees volunteered their time to help clean up the riverbank as a community service project. The amount of trash employees found was quite surprising. "It was surprising how much we found. You know I drive by it all the time and I notice some trash but I never realized how much there is until we re...

The beverage world is constantly redefining itself. Fads rise and fall, and experimentation is always afoot. But underneath it all, a few constants remain, as they’re just too perfect to improve upon. The oak barrel is one of those stalwarts, and it just may be one of the most impactful inventions ever to hit the scene. The history of wooden barrels goes back thousands of years. They’ve not only...

The UK-based drinks group opened its US$115m Bourbon distillery in Shelby County in March 2017. The Kentucky Tourism Development Finance Authority approved an incentive package in December last year, allowing Diageo to progress with plans to build a visitor centre at the facility. The “environmentally-conscious” 11,570-square-foot visitor centre will include interactive educational experiences...

There are some dishes that simply sound like fun, and what doesn’t sound fun about today’s recipe? I’m going to preface this column with the following requests. First, please don’t grab some store-bought barbecue sauce and dump some bourbon in it. That’s not cool and it’s certainly not fun. Second, when you make your sauce, please avoid the urge to utilize liquid smoke as some barbecue sauce...

Just like the mint in a mint julep, the history of bourbon is a bit muddled. Some argue it was created by a preacher. Others say that’s folklore. Many call Colonel E.H. Taylor the father of bourbon. Regardless of its murky history, there’s no doubt that many of the country’s largest bourbon distilleries reside along the banks of the Kentucky River. One of those distilleries is the Col. Taylor...

Woodford Reserve is giving fans a chance to create their own special bottles. Over the Memorial Day weekend from May 25-28, the distillery outside Versailles will engrave bottles of Woodford Reserve bourbon for free with a personalized message of your choice. And for each bottle purchased and engraved, Brown-Forman will donate $5 to the Screaming Eagles Foundation in honor of the memory of the...

At the World Whiskies Awards, held in London on March 22 this year, a new Best Bourbon in the World was crowned. That bourbon? It’s one you may already be familiar with, but if you’re not, you’re going to want to be (especially before liquor stores start jacking up the price because of the honor and what will most likely be a higher demand): 1792 Full Proof Bourbon, which is put out by...

WORLD Whisky Day is on Saturday, May 19, and what better way to celebrate than participate in the popular Whisky Live Celebration which returns to Menlyn Park from May 17 to 19, from 6 to 10pm daily. From Scottish to Irish, the US and South Africa, there is a wide range of whiskies to taste. Blanton’s Single Barrel, voted by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible as “Liquid Gold” is a must, or try the...

This six-year-old Bourbon is one you’ll have to travel to Kentucky to find, since it’s not sold anywhere outside the Bluegrass State. It’s well worth the trip, though! The nose has those classic Bourbon notes of caramel, brown sugar, molasses, vanilla, gentle spices, and a hint of dark chocolate. The taste starts off sweet and gentle at first, but be prepared for a blast of black pepper...

There’s something romantic about drinking small batch bourbon from the heart of the Wild West, is there not? Bourbon, despite its Kentucky origins and associations, is a drink intimately associated with the mythologizing of the American West, and no good cowboy story is complete without tin cups of amber whiskey shared around a campfire. Or something of that nature. It is perhaps unexpected...

What does it take to make yourself a serious player in the world of whiskeys these days? If you are the likes of Luxco, you keep your eye on the global game of emerging whiskey categories. To this end, and having just recently opened its Lux Row Distillers bourbon distillery in Kentucky, the spirits company now looks to Ireland through acquisition of an Irish whiskey brand it was previously...

The panel behind the World Whiskies Awards — made up of 17 whiskey reviewers, bartenders, spirit industry professionals and former distillers — judges everyone’s favorite brown liquor in every category to determine what is best, regardless of price or prestige. For those who partake, this is one of the biggest events in the whiskey world. Here are a handful of winners...

Bob Dylan has launched his own whiskey line, Heaven’s Door. The singer has teamed up with liquor entrepreneur Marc Bushala for the venture, turning a deconsecrated church in Tennessee into a distillery. The Heaven’s Door brand encompasses three products...

The Kentucky Derby is upon us and next to Thanksgiving and July 4, it's about my favorite holiday of the year. But why in the world would a two-minute horse race be something that would rank among the biggest eating holidays of the year? Bourbon, of course. The Kentucky Derby is the biggest bourbon holiday all year. Not only are bourbon geeks ready to celebrate with a couple of rocks and...

Crown Royal not too long ago released a Canadian blended whisky it called Bourbon Mash which, as the name implies, is a spirit made from a bourbon style mash. It ran into issue here in the US, despite initially being TTB approved, in part because of its labeling with the use of the word bourbon. Ultimately parent company Diageo is being allowed to keep the product for up to a year with the...