THE BOURBON RESOURCE: APRIL 2023

An epic pissing match, here comes Blood Oath Pact 9, Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey review

Rollin' out some barrels of Whiskey Bourbon, at Buffalo Trace. (William Bell via Flickr Creative Commons

THE BIG NEWS AND THIS IS REALLY BIG NEWS

AN EPIC PISSING MATCH: Earlier this month, Kentucky lawmakers voted to phase out its “aging barrel” tax which distillers believe unfair because they have to pay a tax for each year the bourbon ages, not simply for what they sell. As you might imagine, the distilleries rejoiced because they paid $40 million in taxes in 2022, which can now go to the bottom line. 

But the change in the tax law doesn’t sit well with Nelson County, located in the heart of bourbon county. County officials are so pissed that they voted to temporarily stop zoning approvals for bourbon-related projects. That’s a big message since Bardstown is the county seat, and several distillers like Heaven Hill have huge expansion plans in the works. The bourbon industry fired back, calling the move retaliation for the tax cuts, and noted that many counties would happily take their business. 

BUT: After Nelson County’s action, Bullitt County, home to Jim Beam and Four Roses, said it wouldn’t consider new construction permits until the distilleries agreed to pay their fair share. And at least one Marion County official wants to create zoning laws (they don’t have any right now) that could give them leverage over future expansion. 

This isn’t a small issue for counties that depend on tax dollars to help fund infrastructure repairs, school improvement, public safety, and more.

Taking on the powerful distillery industry is certainly a bold move that may strain relationships in the short term. This dispute will get worked out in the long term since there’s too much at stake for everyone. 

MORE NEWS:

• Furman University has launched a private-label bourbon to raise money. It’s called FU All The Time. I don’t care if the bourbon’s good, but the name rocks.

• Willet Family Reserve will release 125 bottles of a rare 10-year bourbon with the Papal Seal. Proceeds benefit a Papal charity. You have to go to Ernie’s in Lexington to snare one. 

BLOOD OATH PACT 9 IS ON THE WAY

Blood Oath, a favorite of bourbon connoisseurs, arrives this month. The limited-edition product, with 51,000 total bottles, retails for $129.99 Pact 9, according to a press release from Lux Row Distillers, will be a blend of bourbons that include 16-, 12-, and 7-year rye products. The bourbon has been 

finished in Oloroso Sherry casks from the Sherry Triangle region in southwest Spain to bring out deep, ripe fruit. 

If you can’t find one of the shelves, the secondary markups aren’t bad; the newest versions (7,8) sell in the $225 range, so expect Pact 9 to be the same. As it has in the past, Lux Row will hold back 1,400 for its next trilogy release of Pact 7, 8, and 9. The trilogies appreciate nicely. The first trilogy, Pact 1-3, will cost you at least $5K on the secondary, and all eight releases about $9K (or more). 

Bottom lines: I hope I can find a trilogy (unlikely). I will review the Pact 9 in the May newsletter.

BOURBON REVIEW

Source: Lux Row Distillers

REBEL 100 STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY

Mash bill: 51% rye, 45% corn, 4% Malted Barley

Price: $19.99

Note: LuxCo provided a bottle of the Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey for review purposes without any special considerations.

I have brunch every Wednesday with a group of guys, all of them bourbon lovers. At a recent gathering, I brought the Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey because I’m not a big rye fan, and most of them are. I figured the perspective would be helpful.

When Bob Roalef, a Bourbon Resource reader, good friend, and rye lover, saw that I what I had at the table, he decided to dip into his collection. The next thing we knew, we had the Rebel, two Whistle Pigs, and one of our private rye picks, The Sterling, from Starlight Distillery. 

It was 11:15 a.m. EST.

As we ate our brunch (eggs, pancakes, bacon, and much more), another good friend, Sterling DePew marveled at the food spread and whiskey in the morning. To which he shrugged his shoulders and said: 

“Be a Rebel. Break an egg.”

If there was ever a slogan for drinking rye at brunch that’s it. Maybe the LuxCo team will take notice.

Frankly, none of us expected much. We didn’t think the rye would be bad, but at $20, we all expected a decent daily drinker to make a good Manhattan.

We were wrong. The Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskey is the best lower-priced product I’ve tasted in a while. Not only that, all six people around the table agreed that, from a pure value perspective, they would take the Rebel over anything else we tried.

Here’s how I looked at it. At $19.99, the Rebel is three times cheaper than the Starlight and five times less expensive than the WhistlePig. While the Rebel doesn’t have the same body or depth as the more expensive whiskeys, it holds its own.

THE NOSE: Pepper, baking spice, orange peel, light vanilla

THE PALATE: Grain, vanilla, orange, allspice,  

THE FINISH: Pepper, spice, light vanilla

OVERALL: This is a winner, winner chicken dinner. It’s a whiskey that punches well above its weight class, like Roberto Duran as a middleweight (for those of us boxing lovers). I didn’t expect the lingering sweetness, and that was a pleasant surprise. I went into this thinking this would be an OK whiskey as a mixer that sells it way short. 

The Rebel 100 Straight Rye Whiskeys should be on shelves before the month of April is out. I’m getting more.

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The Best Bourbon for Cocktails

With so many products on the market, it can be a tad challenging to determine what’s the best bourbon for cocktails. 

Enter bourbon educator Aften Locken, who out together the top 10 list of bourbons for cocktails for our friend at BourbonObessed.com. Aften notes that proof matters and tells us why. She has an extensive bourbon and cocktail background, including designing cocktails for the 6th Floor Millionaires Row at the Kentucky Derby. It’s worth a read. 

And, speaking of cocktails:

THIS MONTH’S COCKTAIL:

Frozen Bourbon Lemon Daquiri

Anytime I go on a cruise, which is as often as I can, I drink Frozen Lemon Daquiris. It’s like sipping on a bourbon slushie. Yum. This recipe makes two, or as I like to say, enough for me.

· 4 ounces good quality bourbon (I like Evan Williams 1783)

· 2 ounces fresh-squeezed lemon juice (lemon concentrate works in a pinch)

· 1-ounce simple syrup

· 3 cups ice

· Slice of lemon for garnish

Place (except the lemon slice) in a blender and blend until combined and smooth. Pour in a glass and enjoy.

(I’m going to make this for a warm-weather brunch. You’ve been warned).

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That’s it for this month! If you’re an NBA fan, look at the Knicks Film School newsletter, the smartest commentary, and all things the New York Knicks and NBA basketball.

Ray Marcano writes and publishes the Bourbon Resource monthly. He’s a bourbon lover and long-time journalist who has worked 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.