THE BOURBON RESOURCE: OCTOBER 2022
Get ready for the Pappy release, a bourbon bar reopens, a trip to Old Pogue
BIG NEWS
Here comes Pappy. Buffalo Trace is gearing up for its annual Van Winkle release, which means most of us can look forward to not getting a bottle at retail. We all know the Pappy story and how people go nutty cuckoo over this stuff. If I can get a bottle close to retail, OK. Otherwise, meh. Buffalo Trace, based on its press release, has suggested retail pricing as follows:
Old Rip Van Winkle Handmade Bourbon 10-Year-Old 107 proof: $69.99
Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12-Year-Old (90.4 proof): $79.99
Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13-Year-Old (95.6 proof): $119.99
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 15-Year-Old (107 proof): $119.99
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 20-Year-Old (90.4 proof): $199.99
Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve Bourbon 23-Year-Old (95.6 proof): $299.99
Expect most places to make their allocation available only by lottery. Most stores have tired of those long lines forming three days (or more) ahead with people clamoring for a chance to buy a bottle. I think stores also understand that many people in line for that long sometimes in miserable weather conditions, simply intend to flip the bottle and not enjoy it.
Buffalo Trace, in its press release, said it’s releasing “high yields” of its Van Winkle line but didn’t provide specifics. We should start seeing the product hit the market this month.
The secondary prices are off the charts, with the 10-year the cheapest at about $850 and the 23-year the most expensive at about $4,500. It pays to be trendy.
MORE NEWS
Heaven Hill came out with a list of eight bourbon trends, including the popularity of barrel picks. It’s worth a read.
Company Distilling has launched its barrel-strength bourbon, and that’s notable for a number if reasons. Master Distiller Jeff Arnett was a former Jack Daniel’s Master Distiller and has Company Distilling’s headquarters in Tennessee. His initial 300 bottles released quickly sold out, and a second release will be available in November at its distilleries.
This is very good news for anyone who goes to Louisville or the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. The Down One Bourbon Bar, one of the best there is, has reopened after being closed for the last two years due to Covid. Welcome back. It’s a place I’ll hit next time I’m there.
A Trip to Old Pogue
The Old Pogue Distillery sits above a riverbank overlooking the Ohio River. Its distillery isn’t any bigger than a McMansion’s three-car garage. Its museum could fit into a modern living area.
In this case, less is more, and makes the trip to Maysville, Kentucky, to see Pogue worth it.
My friend, Norm McCord, arranged a trip to the distillery where he and another friend, Bob Roalef, picked up six bottles each of their annual Old Pogue allocation. I tagged along because I’d never seen Pogue.
Henry Edward Pogue purchased the Old Time Distillery in 1876, and the distillery turned out several whiskeys through the early 1900s. A January 25, 1900 newspaper story lauded the distillery. “This whiskey has a wide reputation and is shipped all over the country,” the story noted.
The Pogues had a tragic life. HE Pogue, in 1890, and his son, HE Pogue II, in 1919, each died in distillery accidents. The distillery tried to stay in business during prohibition by selling “medicinal whiskey,” but by 1926, closed.
After Prohibition’s repeal, HE Pogue III sold the distillery to a Chicago firm, which sold it to another group, before it shut down again in 1963. The property had been abandoned for decades before a developer began restoring the grounds and sold it back to the Pogue family, which has been making bourbon there since 2008.
Pogue distills at its facilities and ages at Heaven Hill because it’s simply not big enough to handle all of those barrels. But the history --- and outstanding small-batch bourbons --- make the trip a must-see.
The distillery releases:
Old Pogue Master’s Select
Mash bill: 76% corn, 14% rye, 9% malted barley
Proof: 91
Retail: $110
My take: The Master’s Select, a blend of 9-plus year bourbons comes the closest to a standard whiskey. For a product aged this long, I was surprised by the light color. There’s plenty of grain on the nose but also a cane-sugar sweetness and little citrus. That sweetness carries through to a medium-long to long finish that ends with more spice than I thought I’d get with a bourbon that contains just 14% rye,
Mason County Pogue Family Single Barrel Bourbon
Mash bill: N/A
Proof: 126
Retail: $140
My take: This is my favorite Pogue product because it’s big, hot, and has a great mouth feel. When we were at the distillery, Pogue sold the Mason County at a lower proof (106 if I recall) and I’m glad I had a chance to taste this one. I had a tough time breaking through the heat on the nose but got a lot of oak, which makes sense, given the Char 4 on the barrels. I tried it first without water, and I was surprised it wasn’t as hot as I expected. That first sip left behind a big, thick presence with hints of licorice and oak. I added a drop of water, and that’s when the flavors exploded. Caramel, vanilla, clove, and pepper all came through. It’s bourbon worth having, but you’ll need to go to Maysville to get a bottle
Port of Kentucke
Mash bill: 70% Corn, 30% rye, $140.
Proof: 117
Retail: $140
My take: First, that’s the spelling on the bottle, and the proof varies depending on the release. You can’t find this one on the Pogue website, but you can at the small gift shop. I got a lot of rye qualities on the nose with this one, as cloves, pepper, and allspice came through. It tasted like rye, too, with spice and grain as the predominant flavors, and a little vanilla and eucalyptus mixed in. The finish was medium-long with little heat.
Old Pogue has a terrific museum, filled with all sorts of bourbon history. The place may be small, but there’s so much there that you could spend significant time reading through the bourbon history and books that adorn the walls and shelves.
For those who make the trip, Covington isn’t that far away — about an hour —- and the small city has a number of fine bourbon bars, Smoke Justis is a good stop. Cincinnati’s just across the river (for those that don’t know the area) but for my money, Covington and nearby Newport have better bourbon bars (and Newport has the New Riff Distillery)
WHAT’S NEW ON MY SHELF:
The Burning Chair
Mash Bill: 75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley
Proof: 88
Retail: $50
Dave Phinney, a successful winemaker who created Orin Swift Cellars, has decided to try this hand at spirits. The Burning Chair, a blend of sourced barrels aged for a minimum of four years, hit the market this year as his first release. My friend Greg Palmer saw a bottle and purchased it for me to try (Thanks Greg!).
Yes, it’s another craft product in a market now overflowing with craft products. There are so many I’ve stopped buying stuff I’ve never heard of because I’m routinely disappointed.
The Bourbon Chair doesn’t disappoint. It’s a solid bourbon worthy of a purchase if you can find it.
The bourbon comes out of the bottle in a light-gold color. There are hints of grain, cane sugar, and vanilla on the nose. Butterscotch and more vanilla and sugar dominate the palate. It has a medium finish that, after a minute, brings forward a hint of deep, rich honey. You’ll get a little burn that’s a bit surprising for a lower-proof product, but it’s not at all bad; just surprising.
This one is an easy sipper and a solid product. The issue, as with all of these craft bourbons, is whether The Burning Chair can build enough name recognition to become a real player in the market.
BOURBON COCKTAIL
HIGHBALL
INGREDIENTS
2 oz. Bourbon
Ginger Ale
Lemon Wedge
INSTRUCTIONS
Build over ice in a highball glass and garnish with a lemon wedge. It’s that simply.
That’s it for this month!
COMING IN NOVEMBER: The Bourbon Resource Holiday Buying Guide!
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