A Century of American Whiskey

Jack Daniel's Old No.7 90 Proof 1976

Jack Daniel's is the best-selling American whiskey in the world. Despite that fact it can legally be categorised as a straight bourbon, it has always shunned this title, preferring to market itself as a Tennessee Whiskey. These are similar to straight bourbons but have the additional requirement of having been filtered through maple wood charcoal, a practice known as the Lincoln County Process. History has not always given the distillery an easy ride though. Tennessee was an early adopter of Prohibition in 1910, and one of the last to repeal it in 1938 (five years later than the repeal at Federal level). Even today the distillery is still located in a \"dry\" county, meaning none of its products are sold in its hometown or those around it. The distillery was then only operational for four years before being forced to close again during the second world war. Ten years later it was purchased by the Brown-Forman corporation and its fortunes turned for good. Its classic black-labelled Old No.7 brand (named after the distillery’s original DSP number) is now a globally recognised product.

An early 1970s bottle of the Old No.7 brand. This was bottled at the classic 90 proof, the historic strength for the brand until it was reduced to 86 proof in 1987.

Jefferson's Cognac Cask Finish Straight Rye 

The Jefferson's Reserve brand was launched in 1997, created by Try Zoeller and his father Chet, and marketed by their company, McClain & Kyne. Zoeller sold the business to Castle Brands in 2005. As of 2015, Castle Brands have had a 20% stake in Copperhead Distillery Company, which owns and operates Kentucky Artisan Distillery and are increasingly warehousing their own stock. Originally the brand was bottled using casks sourced from other distilleries.

This straight rye whisky was finished in ex-Cognac Casks. 

High West Bourye 2016

High West sourced their early whiskey from the MGP distillery in Indiana. Parent company, Constellation Brands, purchased a minority stake in the Bardstown Bourbon Company contract-distillery in 2016, so future releases will likely be distilled there.

Bourye is a blend of bourbon and rye whiskies, usually sourced from MGP. This is the 2016 release.

The history of MGP distillery has its roots in the emid-19th century, however it is best known for its association to Seagram, who purchased it at the close of Prohibition in 1933. Located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the distillery provided whiskey and grain neutral spirits for many of the Canadian distilling giants products for the rest of the 20th century. When an ill-advised move into the entertainment industry saw Seagram collapse in the early 2000s, much of their assets, including the Lawrenceburg distillery were bought up by Pernod-Ricard. They announced in 2006 that they intended to close it, however ended up selling it instead to a holding company in Trinidad called CL Financial. They renamed it LDI (Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana). It was not long however before the new owners would go bust as well, and the distillery was again sold, this time to MGP Ingredients, who renamed it in the process. The company produced and markets some of its own brands, but its main line of business is a huge contract-distilling operation. Among these are a number of well-regarded grain recipes, and several bourbons. Among its biggest customers are Diageo, and former owners, Pernod-Ricard, alongside an extensive list of independent boutique brands. In 2021 it was announced that MGP had acquired Luxco, which would provide it with a new national distribution for its Indiana-produced brands, but also facilitated it with the Lux Row distillery, which opened in 2018.

Jim Beam 4 Year Old Classic Eighteen Wheeler Decanter 1991

The Beam family (anglicised from the German surname Böhm in the 18th century) are the greatest dynasty in all of American distilling, with members involved in nearly every Kentucky distillery during the 20th century. Perhaps none more important however than James \"Jim\" Beauregard Beam, who rebuilt his family business following the repeal of Prohibition, re-opening the famous Clermont distillery in 1935. The company is now the best-selling bourbon brand in the world (due to Jack Daniel's refusing to be categorised as such). They operate two Kentucky distilleries, the eponymous Jim Beam in Clermont and the Booker Noe distillery in nearby Boston, and since their purchase of National Distillers in 1987 also have a wealth of historic brands under their banner. Since 2014 the company has been a subsidiary of Suntory in Japan, which has widened its portfolio into the Scotch and Japanese whisky industries as well.

Bottling bourbon in decanters was a practice that took off though the 1960s, and nobody embraced it with as much fervour as Jim Beam. By the 1990s, there were over 200 Jim Beam Decanter collector's clubs dotted across the globe.

This is the Classic Eighteen Wheeler Decanter, and it contains a 4 year old bourbon bottled in 1991.

Hunter's Select Barrel 9 Year Old Tennesse Bourbon Batch #1

This is a small batch bottling if Tennessee bourbon, bottled by Leiper's Fork distillery in Franklin, Tennessee. The distillery does produce its own whiskey, however this one was bottled from barrels sourced elsewhere in the state (likely at Cascade Hollow).

The mashbill is 72% corn, 20% rye and 8% malted barley, and this was aged 9 years.

Hunter's Select Barrel 9 Year Old Tennesse Bourbon Batch #1

This is a small batch bottling if Tennessee bourbon, bottled by Leiper's Fork distillery in Franklin, Tennessee. The distillery does produce its own whiskey, however this one was bottled from barrels sourced elsewhere in the state (likely at Cascade Hollow).

The mashbill is 72% corn, 20% rye and 8% malted barley, and this was aged 9 years.

Hirsch Selection 8 Year Old High Rye

Hirsch Selection is a brand of American whiskey from Preiss Imports, who bottled to the original A.H. Hirsch Reserve, and is intended to evoke and honour that legendary batch of bourbon.

This particular bottling is an 8 year old high rye sourced from MGP.

The history of MGP distillery has its roots in the mid-19th century, however it is best known for its association to Seagram, who purchased it at the close of Prohibition in 1933. Located in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, the distillery provided whiskey and grain neutral spirits for many of the Canadian distilling giants products for the rest of the 20th century. When an ill-advised move into the entertainment industry saw Seagram collapse in the early 2000s, much of their assets, including the Lawrenceburg distillery were bought up by Pernod-Ricard. They announced in 2006 that they intended to close it, however ended up selling it instead to a holding company in Trinidad called CL Financial. They renamed it LDI (Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana). It was not long however before the new owners would go bust as well, and the distillery was again sold, this time to MGP Ingredients, who renamed it in the process. The company produced and markets some of its own brands, but its main line of business is a huge contract-distilling operation. Among these are a number of well-regarded grain recipes, and several bourbons. Among its biggest customers are Diageo, and former owners, Pernod-Ricard, alongside an extensive list of independent boutique brands. In 2021 it was announced that MGP had acquired Luxco, which would provide it with a new national distribution for its Indiana-produced brands, but also facilitated it with the Lux Row distillery, which opened in 2018.