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Buffalo Trace Distillery Named The World’s Most Innovative Whiskey Maker

Apr 2

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buffalo trace statueWhisky Magazine recently awarded Buffalo Trace Distillery with the title of Innovator of the Year at the Whiskies & Spirits Conference in London. According to Whisky Magazine, the 240+ year-old-Distillery was named the World’s Best Whisky Brand Innovator due to its, “ …maintaining a continuous commitment to experimentation and research in the production of premium American Whiskeys,” said Managing Editor, Rupert Wheeler.

One clear example is Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye Whiskey, which the Distillery produces once each year. Handy won top honors at the 2015 World Whiskies Awards when the rye whiskey was named the World’s Best American Whiskey. In addition, eight other whiskeys from Buffalo Trace won awards at this prestigious competition.

Over the years Buffalo Trace Distillery has become known for innovation and experimental whiskies, including the Single Oak Project. This experiment has been called the most extensive bourbon experiment ever undertaken and examines seven critical variables which resulted in 192 unique bourbons, currently being rated by whisky connoisseurs. Results and findings are expected to be released later this year.

The Distillery also just recently built and filled Warehouse X, an experimental warehouse comprised of four independently operating chambers that will allow specific environmental factors to be tested, to determine their effect on aging barrels. Although not quite a year into the first experiment, measuring how light affects barrel aging, already the Distillery has obtained valuable data.

In addition to Whisky Brand Innovator of the Year and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye’s World’s Best American Whiskey designation, two whiskies received three American overall awards. Pappy Van Winkle thomas_h_handy_rye_2011Family Reserve 20 Year was the overall winner for Best Age Statement Bourbon and the overall winner for Best Bourbon, and Thomas H. Handy Straight Rye Whiskey was the overall winner for Best American Rye.

For Best Non-Age Statement Bourbon, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon received gold, Col. E. H. Taylor Jr. Single Barrel Bourbon received silver and William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey received bronze.

Col. E.H. Taylor Jr. Straight Rye Whiskey won gold for Best Non-Age Statement American Rye, and W.L. Weller 12 Year won bronze for Best Age Statement Bourbon.

The 2015 World Whiskies Awards and Icons of Whisky were announced at the Whiskies & Spirits Conference in London on March 19. Whiskies in each category were subject to rigorous blind taste testing to determine the best of each category. American Icons are determined following nominations from producers, retailers, distributors and importers, which are then voted on by those in the industry before Whisky Magazine’s editorial panel reviews the votes.

To determine the 2015 World Icons of Whisky, icons in America, Scotland and the rest of the world were voted on before the Whisky Magazine editorial panel was tasked with deciding the winner for each global title in the Icons categories.

For more information about the World Whiskies Awards visit www.worldwhiskiesawards.com and http://iconsofwhisky.com/.

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Buffalo Trace Wins 3 Awards From Whisky Magazine

Apr 4

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FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (April 3, 2012) – Buffalo Trace Distillery garnered high honors during the Whisky Magazine Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame Awards ceremony held March 22, 2012 at the Waldorf Hilton in London, England.  Most special was the Lifetime Achievement Award and Hall of Fame induction given to Master Distiller Emeritus Elmer T. Lee.

Elmer T. Lee was born in 1919 on a tobacco farm near Peaks Mill in Franklin County, Kentucky. He graduated from Frankfort High School in 1936 and served in the U. S. Army Air Force during World War II as a radar bombardier on a B-29. After flying missions over Japan through 1945, Elmer was honorably discharged in January 1946. He returned home and studied engineering at the University of Kentucky, where he graduated with honors in 1949.

In September 1949 Elmer began working in the engineering department of the George T. Stagg (now Buffalo Trace) Distillery in Frankfort. In 1966, he was promoted to plant superintendent, responsible for all plant operations and in 1969 he became plant manager. Elmer retired in 1985, but continues to serve as ambassador for Buffalo Trace, educating others on the unique qualities of Kentucky’s bourbon whiskey.

It was in 1984 that Elmer introduced the single-barrel bourbon concept to the world with Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon, named in honor of Col. Albert B. Blanton. Elmer is known throughout the industry for his expertise and knowledge of bourbon whiskey and has received numerous awards and recognition.

In addition to Elmer’s honor, two whiskeys distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery were also awarded “Best in the World” honors by Whisky Magazine at the Hall of Fame Awards:

  • Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Kentucky Bourbon
    • Best American Whiskey in the World
    • Best Bourbon in the World
  • Sazerac 18 Year Old Kentucky Rye Whiskey
    • Best Rye in the World

“It’s been such a pleasure and an honor to be able to learn from Elmer Lee,” said Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace Distillery’s current Master Distiller.  “The knowledge he brings forth to our industry has been invaluable, and we’re happy everyone else in the world recognizes it as well.”

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Buffalo Trace Distillery Produces Trophy Winners in 2011 Ultimate Spirits Challenge

Apr 21

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FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (April 21, 2011) – The winners from the 2011 Ultimate Spirits Challenge, held in New York in March, have been announced and the whiskeys from Buffalo Trace Distillery continue to win significant awards.  Named “Chairman’s Trophy” winners were Sazerac 18 Rye and George T. Stagg. The “Chairman’s Trophy” awards are given to the category’s highest scorer. Results are as follows:

Chairman’s Trophy Winner – Rye

    • Sazerac 18 Year Old Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey – With a “95” score and “Extraordinary Recommendation,” this whiskey was described as “Wonderfully balanced with fruit and spice being offered in perfect harmony and with incredible length.”

Chairman’s Trophy Winner – Bourbon

    • George T. Stagg Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – With a “96” score and “Extraordinary Recommendation,” this bourbon was called a “mind blowing bourbon” by one of the judges who also said “…Bottled at cask strength which suggests that a water addition is prudent but we are amazed by how soft, supple, and perfectly integrated this spirit is at full strength.”

Chairman’s Trophy Finalists

    • Caribou Crossing Single Barrel Canadian Whisky – Received a “92” and “Excellent, Highly Recommended” rating.
    • Eagle Rare Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Received a “95” and “Extraordinary, Ultimate Recommendation” as well as a “Great Value” notation.
    • Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve 20 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – Received a “95” and “Extraordinary Recommendation.”
    • Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey – Received a “92” and “Highly Recommended” notation.
  • Other notable scores of Buffalo Trace’s whiskeys include:
    • Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – “93” rating
    • Charter 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – “93” rating and “Great Value”
    • William LaRue Weller 12 Years Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – “92” rating
    • Eagle Rare 17 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – “91” rating
    • Pappy Van Winkle 15 Year Old Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – “91” rating
    • Blanton’s Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey – “90” rating
    • Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon Whiskey – “89” rating
    • Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey – “89” rating

 

“What an honor to receive not one, but two Chairman’s Trophy Winners this year, for those represent the ‘best of the best,’” said Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley. “And then to have so many of our other whiskies do so well, too, is just amazing. We’re very excited.”

For a complete list of USC winners, go to www.ultimate-beverage.com/wine_reviews/spirits-results/.

 

About Buffalo Trace Distillery

Buffalo Trace Distillery is a family-owned company based in Frankfort, Franklin County, Kentucky. The distillery’s rich distilling tradition dates back to 1787 and includes such legends as E.H. Taylor, Jr., George T. Stagg, Albert B. Blanton, Orville Schupp, and Elmer T. Lee.  Buffalo Trace Distillery is a fully operational distillery producing bourbon, rye and vodka on site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Distillery has won seven distillery titles since 2000 from such notable publications as Whisky Magazine, Malt Advocate Magazine and Wine Enthusiast Magazine. It was named Whisky Magazine 2010 World Icons of Whisky “Whisky Visitor Attraction of the Year.” Buffalo Trace Distillery has also garnered more than 200 awards for its wide range of premium whiskies. To learn more about Buffalo Trace Distillery visit www.buffalotrace.com.

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Buffalo Trace Announces E.H. Taylor, Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash

Feb 22

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FRANKFORT, Franklin County, Ky (Feb. 22, 2011) – Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. will yet again leave his indelible mark on the whiskey industry. The man who introduced the first climate controlled aging warehouses, used a patented sour mash technique, and fought for the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 will have a line of premium whiskeys bearing his name. Buffalo Trace Distillery has recreated his traditional sour mash and produced a limited edition, one-time offering of Colonel E. H. Taylor Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon Whiskey.

This faithfully reproduced bourbon was carefully aged for nine years and “Bottled in Bond” at 100 proof. The sour mashing technique for this small batch bourbon was derived from a meeting several years ago with some Buffalo Trace Distillery retirees who recounted a method for making old fashioned sour mash whiskey. The process replicated the way in which E.H. Taylor, Jr. made sour mash back in his day.

So in 2002 Buffalo Trace Distillery set to work making bourbon using Taylor’s original souring method.  The end result was a bourbon delivering a character and body rarely found in whiskeys today. Taylor, a name synonymous with quality whiskey making, might have even said this whisky is “of Topmost Class.”

“Taylor was a true pioneer of the whiskey industry over a century ago,” said Mark Brown, president of Buffalo Trace Distillery. “We believe this whiskey is a tribute to him.” Taylor was the great-nephew of President Zachary Taylor, mayor of Frankfort, state representative to the Kentucky General Assembly and a member of the State Senate. In 1870 he first purchased the distillery and took on the daunting task of modernization. He later named the distillery O.F.C. and continued to invest large sums of money to make it an industry leader. Taylor over-extended himself financially in an effort to use the most modern equipment to make the finest bourbon whiskey available.  Throughout his career, Taylor was responsible for the development of seven different distilleries in the area and is widely considered one of the founding fathers of the bourbon industry.

This Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon is the first of several new E.H. Taylor, Jr. whiskeys to be released over the next few years. “All of the Taylor whiskeys will be distinctive. Most will be very limited,” said Kris Comstock, brand manager. Each offering will showcase a vintage label and canister, reminiscent of Taylor’s bottles nearly one hundred years ago. “We designed the current bottle to replicate antique bottles made by Taylor back in 1913,” adds Comstock. Each bottle will be packaged in a canister, much like something Taylor used during his day. Retail price for the E.H. Taylor Jr. Old Fashioned Sour Mash Bourbon will be available for around $70 per 750ml bottle.

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Whisky Magazine Names Four Roses Whisky Distiller of the Year

Nov 1

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LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (October 20, 2010) – Whisky Magazine named Lawrenceburg, Ky.-based Four Roses Distillery the Whisky Distiller of the Year last week as part of the annual “Icons of Whisky – America” Awards “designed to celebrate the people and places behind the greatest whiskies in the world.”

“This is an overwhelming honor that caps off the year-long celebration of our distillery building’s 100th anniversary,” said Jim Rutledge, Four Roses Master Distiller. “We’ve worked hard to bring Four Roses premium Kentucky Bourbon back to the states.”

Once the nation’s leading Bourbon in the 1930s, 40s and 50s, Four Roses was pulled from U.S. distribution by then owner Seagram to market the brand solely overseas. Eight years ago, with distribution limited to Kentucky, Four Roses returned to the domestic market after four decades of absence.

Four Roses continues to build on the success of the, annual Limited Edition Single Barrel and Small Batch offerings – the most recent being
a small batch featuring three of Four Roses’ ten recipes – OBSV aged 15 years, OBSK aged 11 years and OESK aged 10 years.

Also gaining popularity is the private barrel selection program the distillery conducts for retailers or groups interested in purchasing a barrel, complete with a private tasting and customized bottling.

“This honor from Whisky Magazine puts everything into perspective,” added Rutledge. “We’re very appreciative and excited about the future of Four Roses.”

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Ole Smoky Distillery Gets The ‘Shine On!

Jul 2

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GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE – Tennessee Moonshine will be available legally for the first time when Ole Smoky Distillery opens for business in Ole Smoky Holler at 903 Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg. The distillery will have a grand opening celebration on Friday, July 2 and will offer free tours, free samples of moonshine to adults over 21, and moonshine for sale.

Ole Smoky will offer a number of moonshine products: original unaged corn whiskey moonshine, apple pie moonshine, sweet tea moonshine, and peach moonshine. Moonshine cherries will be available for purchase during the holiday season. The Ole Smoky recipes are the product of the hard work and experience of local families who have made moonshine in the mountains for over a century. Dave Pickerell, who served as the Master Distiller for Maker’s Mark for over 15 years, assisted with the refinement of the recipes in order to ensure a superior mountain – made moonshine.

A highlight of the facility is the authentic working moonshine still where visitors will learn the science of the distilling process as well as the history and lore of moonshining in East Tennessee. Ole Smoky is the only distillery in the state dedicated to moonshine products. Proprietors Joe Baker, Tony Breeden and Cory Cottongim place a particular emphasis on celebrating their mountain heritage as well as the historical significance of the moonshine craft in sustaining families during hard economic times of the early 20th century.

“Moonshine played an integral role in the daily lives of families in this region,” said Baker. “Too often, people rely on the stereotype of a backwards old man making a cheap, dangerous product. In truth, a lot of good people made and sold moonshine in order to feed and clothe their families. Without moonshine, many mountain families would not have survived.”

Ole Smoky is the first federally licensed distillery in the history of East Tennessee, and is currently one of only four distilleries operating in the state. Jack Daniel’s and George Dickel received their licenses before Prohibition, and Prichards Rum opened their Tennessee facility in 1999. Check them out at www.olesmokymoonshine.com

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Great Lakes Distillery Releases Test Batch of Bourbon

Mar 30

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Great Lakes Distillery released its first batch of bourbon on March 20th.

The Milwaukee distillery claims the bourbon is the first produced in Wisconsin since Prohibition.

Great Lakes Distillery Test Batch bourbon, bottled at 92 proof, was released March 20 at a price of $44.95 per 375-ML bottle.

Great Lakes will held a release party that same day at the distillery and offered bourbon cocktails made from the Great Lakes’ test batch.

The batch of bourbon was distilled nearly three years ago and aged in smaller barrels. Since only 263 bottles of the bourbon were made, it was only be available at the distillery.

“We’ve been sampling it and it got to a point where we thought it was ready to go,” said Guy Rehorst, Great Lakes Distillery founder and distiller.

Since whiskey cannot be quickly scaled up and replicated, Great Lakes said it will be several more years before any additional bourbon becomes available after this batch sells out.

“We have more bourbon in the works but it’s years off,” Rehorst said.

Bourbon can take anywhere from two to 12 years to age, he said.

Great Lakes Distillery also produces premium vodka and gin sold under the Rehorst brand name. In September 2009, it introduced a new line of absinthe, a once-banned anise-flavored spirit.

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Four Roses 100th Anniversary Single Barrel Coming Soon

Mar 10

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LAWRENCEBURG, Ky. (March 8, 2010) – Four Roses Bourbon is adding another barrel strength single barrel Bourbon to its collection of limited edition releases – this time, commemorating the 100-year anniversary of the opening of the distillery building in Lawrenceburg, Ky.

The Four Roses 100th Anniversary Limited Edition Single Barrel Bourbon will be released in early April just in time for the Kentucky Derby. Bottled at barrel strength and non-chill filtered, the distillery will produce only about 2,300 bottles to be distributed nationally in markets where Four Roses is currently available.

Selected from one of Four Roses’ 10 Bourbon recipes, the rare, 17-year-old offering boasts an aroma of brisk cloves and candied fruits while hints of peach and cherry meld seamlessly with creamy, spiced vanilla and oak.

“Every year our goal is to select the most special recipe aged to perfection,” said Jim Rutledge, Master Distiller of Four Roses Bourbon. “A milestone anniversary deserves a milestone bourbon and we believe this release is one-of-a-kind.”

The Four Roses Distillery, on the banks of the scenic Salt River, is a special find on the Kentucky Bourbon Trail route. The facility was built in 1910 and features a unique Spanish Mission-Style architecture rarely seen in Kentucky. The distillery is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

A gold etching of the distillery building is featured on the back of the limited edition bottle, adding to its appeal for the Bourbon enthusiast or collector.

Four Roses seeks oldest distillery employee
Also to commemorate the anniversary, Four Roses is searching for the oldest living person to have worked at its Lawrenceburg distillery. Once found, later this year, the individual will receive the No. 1 bottle of the limited edition bourbon release autographed by Rutledge as a collector’s item, and a still at the distillery will be named in their honor.

“Over the years, we have seen so many team members who are so committed and dedicated to our Bourbon,” said Rutledge. “The Four Roses Distillery could not have reached this level of success without a dedicated, loyal and hard-working staff. I applaud our entire team, and look forward to the future of Four Roses Bourbon.”

People who would like to submit someone for consideration as the oldest former distillery employee can contact Four Roses at (502) 839-3436 or by email at info@fourroses.biz for more information.

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Be sure to check out the first review of this bourbon over at BourbonBlog.com

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