THE BOURBON RESOURCE: SEPTEMBER 2022

Beam's expansion, Blue Run makes a big move, a hotter-than-hell bourbon (love it!)

BIG NEWS

Jim Beam plans a $400 million expansion of its distillery in Boston, Kentucky, about 36 miles south of Louisville. The good news --- the expansion will increase production capacity by 50%. The bad news --- Beam will pump out more of its white and black label bourbons to fuel overseas growth.

Ugh.

Beam's parent company, Beam Suntory, has annual revenue of $4.3B and is the third largest distilled beverages producer in the world, behind Diageo and Penrod Ricard. Last year, Beam Suntory announced a move into higher-end spirits across all of its product lines to prop up sales and profits. 

So why just increase capacity to make more of Beam's lower-end products? Beam could distill more Booker's or higher-end Knob Creek (the 15-year is tasty!) and meet its stated goals.

But they obviously have an overseas market thirsty for the run-of-the-mill stuff. Jim Beam white and black aren't awful. It's fine. But there's too much in that $18 to $25 price point that's better. So while it's nice Beam will increase production, it's disappointing we're not getting better bourbon on the shelves here.

BIG NEWS II

A new subscription-only bourbon club promises hard-to-get bourbons delivered to your door. But read carefully.

The Bourbon Members Club LTD promises an "exclusive, subscription-only club offering the scarcest private releases from the heart of bourbon country." That's exciting! 

Not yet, though.

The club can only mail bourbon to customers in Kentucky, though its website says it's working with other states. The website says the club currently partners with four distilleries --- Peerless, Four Gate, Wilderness Trail, and Blue Run (see below). 

The club's website says, "The bottlings we offer are the highest expressions of the distiller's art. As with anything that's truly special, demand will always exceed supply. By joining us, you're sure of being among the fortunate few to experience these truly special bourbons."

The cost: $200 per bottle plus taxes and shipping fees.

That's a lot for any bottle, let alone one from those four distilleries. I'm not denigrating their bourbon, just noting that, for that money, I can easily find a bottle of Blanton's, EH Taylor Small Batch, Blood Oath Pact 8, Bomberger’s, Shenk's, and the list goes on and on.

This falls under the "time will tell" label.

MORE NEWS

• Two men were arrested in an alleged bourbon scam in Virginia. Authorities say a former employee would send information about which stores would have allocated bourbons before the public knew. The man then sold that information to bourbon enthusiasts, authorities said.

• Blue Run Spirits is making a serious move. The brand, which launched its first bourbons and ryes in 2020, has announced plans to build a $51 million distillery in Georgetown, KY. Currently, the Castle and Key Distillery makes Blue Run. In addition, Blue Run has coaxed Shaylyn Gammon --- the brains behind the remarkable Russell Reserve 13 --- and Jim Rutledge, the former Four Roses master distiller, to join the company. Those are two big gets.

  

• In another shakeup, Maker's Mark lost their head distiller and master blender to explore other opportunities. That's a blow. That's the story that was No. 1 in August on the Bourbon Resource Facebook page.

• Indiana's Ross and Squibb Distillery will release the Remus Repeal Reserve Series VI Straight Bourbon Whiskey this month. It's a high-rye product that retails for $99.99 retail.

A new trend   

It seems distilleries have a new strategy for selling their allocated bourbon. Old Forester and Four Roses established lotteries for their sought-after Birthday Bourbon and Limited Edition Small Batch, respectively.

The rules were pretty much the same. Enter the lottery, and if you win a bottle (unlikely) you can purchase it at the distillery

Neither announced why they took this step, although Old Forester, in announcing the more, offered a hint.

The company made clear that it would not sell bottles at its Louisville headquarters, so people should avoid camping outside for a day or more to try to snag a Birthday Bourbon.

I imagine this system would also relieve pressure on merchants, who don't have to deal with lines of their own or inquiries wondering when the Birthday or Limited Edition would be availabe.

But the system won't slow down the secondary market. The Birthday Bourbon sells for $169.99 and fetches more than $1,000 on the secondary. The $149.99 Limited Edition resells in the $600 range.

I've had both and I wouldn't pay that kind of money for either. They're above-average bourbons, but they're not worth hundreds of dollars above retail. 

What's new on my shelf:

Elijah Craig 136.9 barrel proof

• 10 year, barreled 2008, released 2019

• 78 corn/10 rye /12 barley

• No. 3 char

• Heaven Hill Distillers

"You tasted like fire

And I miss that.

So, at times

I drank a little.

And at times,

I drank too much.

But I only drank

Till it burned me enough."

That's a passage from the book Stardust and Sheets by Saiber Shaikh, and damn if I don't think she had a shot of that Elijah Craig before writing that.

That perfectly describes this high-proof bourbon. (Note the photo is just a representation and not the actual bottle)

I have been, for a while, on the lookout for the C914 vintage because it clocks in at an insane 140.2 proof. 

TRIVIA: What's the highest-proof alcohol you can bring on an airplane? 140 proof, so the C914 would be a no-go. 

When I saw the 136.9 proof on the secondary for $110, I pounced. That's a fair price, given the retail ($69) plus the shipping costs. 

I took a sniff, which is good because it burned out all those annoying nose hairs (I kid, I kid). But sniffing this uncut is so intense it's hard to ascertain the flavors.

I tried it, first, without ice, and my first thought was, well, wow, that's frickin' hot, as if a ghost and Sereno pepper had a baby that you then sniffed and ran over your tongue. 

While I normally don't add water or ice to bourbon, I decided I would, for the benefit of my burning larynx.

I think I added about three drops of water before diving back in. This time, the flavors exploded. This is a massive bourbon with a deep, dark, maple-like color. Once it opened, the rich caramel, vanilla, maple, and honey all shined. The water cut just enough so I could get the flavors and heat without being difficult to drink. The long finish lingers and closes with a little grain, far less than I would expect from something so hot.

I really like this bourbon because it's unique, good, and reasonably priced. If I can find another bottle at about the same price, I'll grab one, understanding it will last a long while because I can't drink a lot at once. 

Oh, and don't keep this near an open flame!

BOURBON COCKTAIL

The Boulevardier

• 1 ½ ounces (3 tablespoons) bourbon whiskey

• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) sweet or semi-sweet red vermouth

• 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) Campari

• Ice, for serving (try clear ice!)

• For the garnish: Orange peel

That’s it for this month. Please consider taking a look at:

Bourbon Obsessed, which published some of the Bourbon Resource reviews

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