July 2024: The Bourbon Resource
Zoom call, KY expands bourbon trail, Penelope Rose review, much more
HAPPY FOURTH!!!!!!!!!
I hope everyone has good times, good company, and (of course), good bourbon!
A ZOOM CALL ON TASTING BOURBON
Hi all. at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 9, the Bourbon Resource will host its first “Bourbon Zoom” to discuss tasting bourbon, a subject that seems simple but is more complicated than you might know. I’ll interview Ed Escott, who publishes Bourbon Obsessed (I mention the website each month), one of the top bourbon sites today. If you like, have your bourbon of choice in a glass so you can follow along.
Also, this isn’t a one-way conversation. Attendees will have a chance to participate by asking questions or making comments. While we’re scheduled for an hour, we can go a little longer. Please make sure you have a pour in your glass so we can talk about it. (We’ll get to as many people as we can).
Here’s the Zoom link, which is limited to 100 people (i don’t think we’ll approach that). Please remember to mute your microphone, ask questions in the chat, and raise your electronic hand to participate.
I hope to do three or four of these a year.
THE BIG NEWS
This month’s big news features two big releases.
Michter's Distillery has released its annual Legacy Series, which contains Bomberger's Declaration ($120 MSRP) and Shenk's Homestead ($110 MRSP). Bomberger’s, with its light orange flavor, and Shenk’s. with its thicker molasses notes, are excellent products. The Bourbon Resource named Bomberger's the best bourbon in its price point in its December 2023 awards newsletter. Sadly, these allocated whiskeys will be hard to find. Not so sadly, they’re often available on the secondary for minimal (50%) markups.
Remus Bourbon, a product of Lux Row Distillers, has released its limited edition Remus Babe Ruth Reserve with an MSRP of $149.99. Remus has released 10,624 bottles, one for each of Babe's plate appearances. Additionally, a QR code links the bottle number to Ruth's at-bats and tells you what he did at that time at the plate. Remus Bourbon has had a lot of luck recently in the higher-end bourbon space with the Gatsy (get the 2022 version) and the Volstead Reserve. I’m anxious to try the Babe release and hopefully have a short review on Facebook soon and a fuller analysis in the August Bourbon Resource.
MORE NEWS
This is cool. Starlight Distillery makes some of the best bourbons around, and now it's doing something new. On July 18 and September 26, Starlight will hold craft cocktail classes at its Borden, IN facility (Louisville's about 25 minutes away). The classes cost $40 each for sessions that last 60 to 90 minutes. If you haven't been to Starlight, it's worth a visit, not only for the distillery but for the other amenities (ice cream shop, farmers market, restaurant, and more).
The Justins House of Bourbon saga is over. If you recall, Kentucky authorities accused Justins of violating regulations that require a licensed retail establishment to alert the state when it obtains vintage bottles of spirits. The case made waves in the bourbon world because it’s (quietly) common for vintage retailers to buy products on the secondary market. In a settlement, Justin’s agreed to pay a $25,000 fine (not bad) but forfeit 120 bottles of bourbon (that hurts). Justins will also get a new Vintage Distilled Spirits retail license and won’t admit any wrongdoing.
The Kentucky Bourbon Trail has made changes it hopes will enhance the customer experience. The trail started in 1999 with just seven distillers and created a craft tour with smaller distilleries in 2012. Now, the trial will combine both and market 46 (!) distilleries on the trail. The change is a big deal for smaller distilleries, who can now play in the same universe as the big boys.
Secondary Market Dangers
Unless you beat the 1 in 300 million odds to win the lottery, there are no get-rich-quick schemes. Sadly, people look at the bourbon secondary market as a way to flip bottles for big profits —- and it often doesn’t work that way.
“Often” is the operative term. There are some people —- a very few —- who make a living flipping allocated bourbon. Buying a Pappy 23 at the $329.99 retail (if you can find one) will net a return of about 15 times what you paid for it (close to $5K).
But the vast majority of people who get their hands on allocated bottles often shoot for the moon and barely escape the Earth’s atmosphere.
Recently, Freddie Johnson of Buffalo Trace came to southwest Ohio to, in part, hold a raffle for Blanton’s Gold, Eagle Double Rare, and Weller Millenium. Blanton’s Gold is simply OK, but it’s the other two that caused a stir. The Double Rare retails for $3,5000, and the Millenium for $7,500. Johnson had 10 bottles of each to raffle.
When I arrived at 12:30 p.m., 3.5 hours after the store opened, the line looked like this:
I drove away because it was 90 degrees, and no, I’m not frying in that line.
The raffle began at 1:30 p.m., and within an hour, the secondary market was flooded with Double Rare and Millenium. The Double Rare asking price was $6,500 to $7,000, and the Millenium asking price was $20K.
That’s right. Twenty thousand dollars.
For context, you could buy five or six of the Buffalo Trace O.F.C., one full lineup of Pappy Van Winkle, a 1986 Old Rip Van Winkle 23, or a bunch of stuff for $20,000.
These are people looking to make a quick buck yet didn’t know the secondary market, where the Double Rares went for about $6K, and the Milleniums ranged from $9K to $10K.
Don’t get me wrong. That’s a nice markup. But it’s not the type of windfall these sellers thought they could get. There was also an evident degree of panic as the Millenium prices dropped quickly until finally selling at $10K. (The Double Rares went for $6 to $7K) Most people can’t let such an expensive purchase sit on a credit card. They have to flip and flip fast. (None of this takes into account mailing the product and hoping (praying?) that it arrives undamaged because if it does, the seller’s on the hook.)
So that’s the cautionary tale. If you’re going to dabble in secondary selling, be careful. That allocated bourbon might not be worth as much as you thought.
BOURBON BETWEEN $16 and $25
Last month, we listed the best bargain bourbons, those that retail for under $15. This month, we’ll take a look at another tier that contains a number of excellent bargain products. Please note prices will vary depending on where you live.
Benchmark Full Proof: 125 proof, $23. This is the least expensive full-proof bourbon on the market, and it’s a gem. The classic bourbon notes come through on the nose, palate, and finish, and it doesn’t have much burn. It’s a well-balanced pour, and every time I see it, I buy an extra bottle or two.
Evan Williams Bottled in Bond White Label: 100 proof, $22. The oaky undertones and the sweet caramel make this an enjoyable pour that anyone can drink. Look on your bottle shelf at your favorite store. I find it there often and have always wondered why it’s not higher in the pecking order.
Larceny Small Batch, 94 proof, $25: When I need something light to drink, I go to Larceny. It’s soft and has a lot of fruit, pepper, and maple with no burn. When I do this list again next year, Larceny won’t be on it because the price is creeping up, just like everything else.
Buffalo Trace: 90 proof, $23. Historically solid, BT has an oak and caramel flavor that bursts into a candy-like pour. Sadly, it’s increasingly hard to find due to the combination of quality and price. Get one if you can.
Rebel Yell 100: 100 proof, $21. This one’s OK and makes the list because of its price point. It’s fairly pedestrian, with lots of spice and a bit of vanilla. However, I buy it regularly because my wife likes it in her Blackberry Smash. We all need a bourbon in the house that can be used for a mixer, and we don’t care.
BOURBON REVIEW
Penelope Bourbon Rose Cask Finish (Batch 8)
94 Proof
MSRP: $49.99
Penelope Bourbon Rose Cask Finish (Batch 8)
A nice, easier light bourbon that make a nice summer drink
History
The Batch 8 is a continuation of Penlope’s Copper series and part of the Penelope’s signature four-grain mashbill.
Penelope Bourbon Rose Cask Finish (Batch 8)
Mash bill:
74% corn, 16% wheat, 7% rye, 3% malted barley
Let’s taste it:
🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn glass
👉🏻Nose: Sweet Cherry licorice, vanilla, grain, light perfume, lilac
👉🏻Taste: Oak, light strawberry, vanilla cream, light caramel
👉🏻Finish: Spicy grain, cinnamon, vanilla, cherry
Penelope Bourbon Rose Cask Finish (Batch 8)
Summary
The Rose Cask has been finished in Grenache Rose casks from France’s Southern Region. Lots of distilleries finish bourbon in wine barrels but you don’t see a lot of Rose finish. This one will be a dream for those who like lighter bourbons (well, light for me), with a nice, long finish. The sweetness will hit you as soon as you take your first sniff. I struggled —- really struggled —- to determine that floral smell I kept getting. So I went to my wife’s flower gardens and the lilacs came closest. (Notice I said “my wife.” I kill any flowers that get within 100 meters of me).
Conclusion – Penelope Bourbon Rose Cask Finish (Batch 8)
Readers of this newsletter (THANK YOU!) know that I prefer big bourbons of at least 120 proof. That doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate lower-proof pours. I’ve been fortunate enough to try four Penelope releases over the last two months —- the Architect (Build 10), Toasted and Barrel Strentght —- and Rose Cask comes a close second the the Architect., which is finished in French Oak Staves. $50 has now become the line of demarkation for mid-priced bourbons, so anytime you can find a good on for that price (or below) buy it. This falls in the buy category.
Have you tried the Penelope Bourbon Rose Cask Finish (Batch 8)? What do you think?
That’s it for this month! If you’re an NBA fan, look at the Knicks Film School newsletter, which has the smartest commentary on all things New York Knicks and NBA basketball. You can click on the below button to learn more.
And our friends at Bourbon Obsessed have a tremendous catalog of bourbon and distillery reviews. You can see more from them here:
Ray Marcano writes and publishes the Bourbon Resource monthly, and he’s president of the 32 Staves Society. He’s a bourbon lover and long-time journalist who freelances for some of the country’s largest media brands. He’s the former national president of the Society of Professional Journalists, a two-time Pulitzer juror, and a Fulbright fellow.
Glad you liked it. It’s one of the bourbons I give guests who want a nice surprise
Thanks Kyle I hope you enjoy it