CHAPTER NINE
SELECT LIMITED EDITIONS AND
SPECIAL RELEASES
Think back to your childhood. Was there a toy you really wanted but you could never get? Did a family member surprise you with the desired pony, Transformer, or special Barbie doll, only for you to be disappointed? Well, that is the story of limited-edition bourbons.
They can be overhyped, impossible to find, and not worth the money. Your liquor store will likely not have them in stock; if they do, you might be putting your name in a hat drawing or lottery, or you’re paying 500 percent over the MSRP. Occasionally, you’ll get your hands on these rare products, taste them, and feel chills trickle up your spine, making you think they’re worth the money after all. In the end, these bourbons are for the hunter, one who is willing to brave the cold and risk coming up empty handed. I’m a bourbon hunter, as are thousands of other enthusiasts. Some bourbons in this chapter represent bourbon’s very best; some are complete duds.
BALCONES FIFTH ANNIVERSARY TEXAS STRAIGHT BOURBON WHISKEY
Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey / Bottle no. 4 of 124 (bottled April 4, 2013)
DISTILLERY: Balcones Distillery, Waco, Texas
MASTER DISTILLER: Chip Tate, who is no longer the master distiller, made this product. One of the first employees, Jared Himstedt, is now the distiller.
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 124 proof. 2 years old.
MASHBILL: 100 percent corn. Balcones uses commercial enzymes on all 100 percent corn mashes.
GRAIN ORIGINS: Midwestern blue corn
DISTILLATION: Double copper-pot stilled
BARREL ENTRY PROOF: 124.6
AGING: Balcones uses 225-liter American white oak barrels with a light toasting and light charring. The brand would not specify the barrel char when asked. Barrels are stacked for storage.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: The Fifth Anniversary was one of the final products created by distiller and Balcones founder Chip Tate. He made subsequent bourbons, but this was his best. It was a one-time release and is extremely hard to find.
COLOR: Rich, offering hues of russet and caramel
NOSE: Nosing Balcones Fifth Year Anniversary is a little like working in a kitchen when someone is mixing cornbread. The smell of Jiffy cornbread batter fills the nose with profound hints of peach, apple, and jarred cherries.
PALATE: On the palate, the batter blossoms into the full-blown sweet taste of cornbread with a pat of creamy salted butter, followed by layers of caramel and vanilla with just a hint of a watermelon Jolly Rancher.
FINISH: For such a young, high-proof bourbon, Balcones finishes exceptionally smooth.
PAPPY VAN WINKLE 15-YEAR-OLD
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
DISTILLERY: This is complicated. In an effort to save his family’s legacy, Julian Van Winkle III and his father worked with the new owners of the Old Fitzgerald Distillery, who purchased the Stitzel-Weller Distillery from the Van Winkles in 1972 and renamed it Old Fitzgerald, to secure barrels of bourbon to continue the family line. He also purchased the Hoffman/Commonwealth Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, accumulating more stocks and using the warehouse space as well as the bottling facilities, but he did not distill here. In 1992, his former family distillery closed, and in 2002, he entered a contract with the Buffalo Trace Distillery to begin distilling his family’s wheated bourbon recipe. Van Winkle bourbons originally included barrels from several distilleries, but the core—the flavor-making bourbon anyway—was always from the family distillery with a touch of Lawrenceburg here and Buffalo Trace juice there. Now, that’s gone or only a few drops remain. Van Winkle products 15 years and older may contain older stocks from distilleries past, but neither the family nor Buffalo Trace indicates how much Stitzel-Weller juice is left, so there’s a bit of a mystery when you purchase a bottle.
MASTER BLENDER: Julian Van Winkle III. Van Winkle is not a distiller; he mingles or blends barrels of bourbon.
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 107 proof. 15 years old.
MASHBILL: Wheated bourbon. This the same recipe used to create the Weller line at the Buffalo Trace Distillery (see page 165).
GRAIN ORIGINS: Post-2002, same as Buffalo Trace (see page 148)
DISTILLATION: Same as Buffalo Trace (see page 148)
BARREL ENTRY PROOF: 114
AGING: Pappy Van Winkle gets the pick of the barrel spots in Buffalo Trace warehouses.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: Every fall and spring, liquor stores get their allocations of Pappy Van Winkle, which come in the form of Pappy 15, 20, and 23. Stores are lucky to get a single bottle and will hold auctions or lotteries for customers; some will sell them for as much as $6,000 per bottle. Sadly, bootleggers purchase every case they can and resell them through private Internet circles. The whole Pappy phenomenon is chaotic and incredibly unfair to you, the consumer. Your best bet to taste this bourbon is to fly to Louisville, where the local bourbon bars seemingly never run out of it. In fact, my Pappy 15 tasting notes come from the bottle at the Silver Dollar bar in Louisville. You can identify a pre-2007 Pappy Van Winkle bottle based on where it says it was bottled—if it’s Lawrenceburg, Kentucky, it’s from between 1989 and 2002; if it’s Frankfort, Kentucky, it’s 2002 to 2007. Post-2007 bottles indicate the date and time of bottling in the laser code on the back, below the label.
BARRELS PER BOTTLING: Unknown
COLOR: Deep, dark amber with gold hues
NOSE: So what’s all the fuss about with this bourbon, right? Let’s look at the nose. It’s not jumping out of the glass like you’d expect if you believe in the hype. The nose is average, with oak, caramel, baked apples, brown sugar, honey, and melted, salted butter.
PALATE: This is where Pappy earns the hype. While the nose is average, the palate is a look into old-school whiskey with a drippingly good, mouth-coating mouthfeel, the whiskey slowly making its way around the jaw. The old notes are there, with caramel and vanilla custards leading the way and berry pies following, but it’s how long they linger on your tongue that makes this one special. The caramel dances with your taste buds for a good 15 to 20 seconds, while other notes, such nutmeg, cinnamon, and dark cherry, surface along with hints of celery salt and oregano. This palate is like the Energizer Bunny—it just keeps on going.
FINISH: Extraordinary long, with a salted caramel note
ELIJAH CRAIG 21-YEAR-OLD
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey / Barrel no. 41
DISTILLERY: Heaven Hill Distillery. This product came from Heaven Hill’s former Bardstown distillery, which burned to the ground in 1996.
MASTER DISTILLER: Parker Beam
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 90 proof. 21 years old.
MASHBILL: For mashbill and other tech specs see page 140.
BARRELS PER BOTTLING: 1
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: This was a onetime release in 2013 but can occasionally be found in larger liquor stores that received a case. Heaven Hill has since released older Elijah Craigs than this one, but the 21-year-old remains the best.
COLOR: Deep, rich amber with golden hues
NOSE: The nose fully pronounces the style of great bourbons. It’s complex, layered, and completely balanced, with cotton candy, vanilla cream, caramel, the freshly burnt crisp of crème brûlée, toffee, chocolate, and praline.
PALATE: Elijah Craig 21-Year-Old offers a baker’s kitchen aroma, and the palate is like stepping inside the spice rack. The whiskey’s velvety structure and creamy mouthfeel endure a juicy, somewhat fruity beginning before jumping right into a spice kick of cinnamon and nutmeg, the zest of orange peel, and toasted almond. Then, it gently brings the caramel, vanilla, and spice back to a warm, long finish. The whiskey just lingers.
FINISH: Long and lush, with vanilla
JIM BEAM SHERRY CASK
Bourbon Whiskey Finished in PX Sherry Casks / Distiller’s MasterpieceDistillery: Jim Beam, Claremont, Kentucky
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 100 proof. No age statement, but the bourbon was 12 years old before entering a sherry cask.
MASHBILL: Unknown; presumably Jim Beam’s mashbill (see page 153).
GRAIN ORIGINS: Unknown
DISTILLATION: Double
BARREL ENTRY PROOF: Unknown
AGING: Beam takes 12-year-old bourbon and pours it into Pedro Ximenex (PX) sherry casks, where it sits for an undisclosed time.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: The master’s collections come out every fall, starting in 2013. This was the first.
BARRELS PER BOTTLING: Unknown
COLOR: Extremely deep amber
NOSE: Cream sherry, bananas, vanilla icing, dark-roast coffee, and dark fruits.
PALATE: The creamy mouthfeel certainly shows its sherry self, giving way to a characteristic sherry-like creaminess, almonds, and a slight brininess. This is followed by Fig Newton, smoke, an almost Scotch-like honey note, and hints of caramel and apple.
FINISH: Long and creamy
BUFFALO TRACE SINGLE OAK PROJECT
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey / Barrel no. 188
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 90 proof.
MASHBILL, GRAIN ORIGINS, AND DISTILLATION: Same as Buffalo Trace (see page 148)
BARREL ENTRY PROOF: 105
AGING: This particular barrel was aged in the wooden ricks of Warehouse K, with a no. 4 barrel char after the staves were seasoned for 12 months.
BARRELS PER BOTTLING: 1
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: Since 2011, there have been 15 releases of the Single Oak Project, a study that analyzes the wood grains of 96 trees. Buffalo Trace made barrels from the top and bottom sections of the trees, studying the 192 unique sections. Staves were created from each section and air dried for 6 months or a year, then charred at no. 3 or 4 levels. The distillery has also studied the different barrel entry proof levels and different warehouse styles. A database has tracked the tasting profiles and differences, and Buffalo Trace has discovered nearly 1,400 tasting combinations among the 192 barrels. It’s typically easy to find at least some of these products in high-volume bourbon stores in the United States, but finding all of them will be a challenge. This bottling, barrel no. 188, hit stores in February 2013.
COLOR: Amber
NOSE: Spicy with hints of chocolate and caramel. Fruits such as peach and apple express themselves toward the end.
PALATE: This is one of those bourbons for which the palate offers much more than the nose. It’s rich with caramel, baking spice, vanilla custard, whipped cream, peach cobbler, Chinese allspice, and nutmeg, all with a crispy mouthfeel that tickles the tongue with citrus.
FINISH: Long, with a hint of orange
MICHTER’S TOASTED BOURBON
DISTILLERY, MASHBILL, GRAIN, AND DISTILLATION: Same as Michter’s US 1 (see page 167)
AGING: For a onetime release, Michter’s transferred its US 1 product to barrels seasoned 18 months and toasted to the company’s specifications, but never charred like normal bourbon barrels.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: This was the first barrel-finish release for the company. It should be available in most liquor stores that carry Michter’s.
COLOR: Dark amber
NOSE: Oak, cinnamon, toffee, vanilla extract, almond extract, custard, and mint.
PALATE: There’s a burnt grain in here, almost like blue corn chips or a sharp rye bread, but it’s a welcome and unique note that you don’t find often. There’s also caramel, vanilla, marshmallow, praline, and a heavy dose of ginger toward the end of the chewy mouthfeel.
FINISH: Long, with hints of smoke
OKI RESERVE
Straight Bourbon Whiskey / Bottle no. 267 of 379 / Batch no. 4
DISTILLERY: Distilled at the MGP Ingredients Distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, and bottled at the New Riff Distillery in Newport, Kentucky (a suburb of Cincinnati, Ohio).
MASTER DISTILLER: Greg Metze, MGP Ingredients. The New Riff blender is Jay Erisman.
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 97.2 proof. 8 years old.
MASHBILL: 60 percent corn, 36 percent rye, and 4 percent malted barley
GRAIN ORIGINS: Likely Indiana and Kentucky for corn and the upper Midwest for rye.
DISTILLATION: Double distilled
BARREL ENTRY PROOF: 120
AGING: New Riff Distillery purchases barrels from MGP Ingredients 20 at a time and stores them in a Scottish-style stow. Shortly thereafter, these barrels are dumped to be bottled.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: OKI is a celebration of the distillery’s location. On the Kentucky-Ohio border, New Riff Distillery is sourcing whiskey from Indiana and bottling in a part of Kentucky that most locals consider Ohio. This tradition dates back to the 1800s, when distilleries sourced whiskey from Indiana. Thus, the name includes O for Ohio, K for Kentucky, and I for Indiana. OKI purchased a small assortment of 8-year-old MGP Ingredients barrels, which are among the oldest sourced from this location. The whiskey is uncut and unfiltered, and when this product is gone, this Indiana style at this age will be next to impossible to find. It’s available at the distillery and in Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky liquor stores.
BARRELS PER BOTTLING: 3 to 5
FILTERING METHOD: None
COLOR: Deep russet
NOSE: Beautiful nose of cherries, flowers, cinnamon, fresh-baked rye bread, and nutmeg.
PALATE: Spicy and warm, with lovely notes of black fruit jams, cornbread, caramel candies, vanilla-filled pastry, and a spicy note that follows the chewy mouthfeel to the finish.
FINISH: Long and filled with spice
WOODFORD RESERVE MASTER’S COLLECTION
Sonoma-Cutrer Finish
DISTILLERY: Woodford Reserve
MASTER DISTILLER: Chris Morris
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 90.4 proof.
MASHBILL, GRAIN ORIGINS, AND DISTILLATION: Same as Woodford (see page 170).
AGING: Finished in Sonoma-Cutrer Pinot Noir barrels. Brown-Forman owns both brands.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: The Master’s Collection is an annual fall release of Woodford Reserve and changes one of the 5 sources of flavor every year. It’s usually widely available.
BARRELS PER BOTTLING: Unknown
COLOR: Ultradark amber
NOSE: This nose will catch traditional bourbon drinkers off-guard. The Pinot Noir barrel certainly does its job here, offering up notes of cassis and loads of cherries. If not for the caramel and spice coming through, I wouldn’t know this is a bourbon by its nose. A heavy oak bouquet finishes the nose.
PALATE: Unbalanced in the beginning, with one taste set pulling you toward the Pinot and the other trying to reel you back into the bourbon profile. For some, the palate might end there. But given the chance, the bourbon opens up with cherries—especially a turnover cherry pie—and caramel.
FINISH: Long and weird, finishing like a fruity Pinot
FOUR ROSES LIMITED EDITION SINGLE BARREL 2014
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey / Media sample
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 120 proof, 11 years old
MASHBILL, GRAIN ORIGINS, DISTILLATION, AND AGING: Recipe OESF. See the Four Roses recipes and other tech specs on page 188.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: Prior to 2015, Four Roses released 2 limited editions a year. Bourbon shortages forced them to discontinue the Limited Edition Single Barrel, making this 2014 vintage the last of its kind. Four Roses continues to release the Limited Edition Small Batch in the fall, and it is a perennial American Whiskey of the Year contender. Because of Four Roses’ popularity, you should call your liquor store in advance to reserve a bottle.
COLOR: Dark amber
NOSE: Cinnamon, vanilla, caramel, toffee, melted butter, roasted almonds, and freshly baked pecan pie straight out of the oven. There are also some fun hints of earthiness, such as freshly cut grass, mushrooms, and tree bark.
PALATE: Warm, with a creamy mouthfeel, the bourbon swims down the jaw and gives a lesson in smoothness without a single burn. But boy, is it spicy! There’s pepper, bell pepper, a slight bit of dried jalapeño, and a little cayenne in addition to the expected cinnamon and nutmeg spices. Of course, we cannot forget the vanillas and caramels—they’re almost lost amidst the spice, but they’re there.
FINISH: Long and spicy
BUFFALO TRACE ANTIQUE COLLECTION: EAGLE RARE 17-YEAR-OLD
For mashbill, aging, and other tech specs, see Buffalo Trace (page 148).
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: The Buffalo Trace Antique collection includes George T. Stagg, William Larue Weller, Eagle Rare 17-Year-Old, Sazerac Rye 18-Year-Old, and Thomas H. Handy Rye. They hit stores in the fall, but the limited supply forces liquor stores to be creative with how they sell them.
COLOR: Amber
NOSE: Orange zest, butter on toast, marshmallow, baked apples, warm cinnamon sticks, and hints of caramel and vanilla.
PALATE: Citrus, berries, and vanilla custard hit the taste buds immediately, settling the fully formed, mouth-coating mouthfeel that erupts into cinnamon sprinkled over a hot apple pie. Brown sugar, honey, and the vanilla custard follow this joy ride to the end.
FINISH: Long and lovely, with a vanilla custard finish
ORPHAN BARREL PROJECT: LOST PROPHET
Batch Tul-Tr-1 / Media sample
DISTILLERY: The Orphan Barrel Project is Diageo’s series that bottles forgotten barrels. In the beginning, the company marketed these as “lost barrels,” but in reality, they were never lost; taxes were paid on the barrels, after all. In reality, they were merely inventory not earmarked for a particular brand or sourced whiskey client. The Orphan Barrel bourbons include Old Blowhard, Barterhouse, Rhetoric, and Lost Prophet, and each has its own backstory. The Lost Prophet was distilled at the former George T. Stagg facility in 1991 and aged at Stitzel-Weller.
MASTER DISTILLER: Gary Gayhart was the George T. Stagg distiller when this was made.
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 90.1 proof. 22 years old.
MASHBILL: 75 to 78 percent corn, 7 to 10 percent barley, 15 percent rye
GRAIN ORIGINS: Unknown
DISTILLATION: Double
BARREL ENTRY PROOF: Unknown
AGING: Aged at the Stitzel-Weller facility.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: The Orphan Barrel releases are limited, so their availability varies per market. However, some releases appear to have more store availability than others.
COLOR: Ultradark caramel
NOSE: A lovely nose of caramel, vanilla, bread pudding, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, campfire smoke, dark cherry jam, and honey. There’s an unwanted nail-polish note in here, but the aforementioned notes mostly overshadow it.
PALATE: The palate dances with pumpkin spice, burnt caramel, vanilla latté, and an assortment of baking spices that range from nutmeg to allspice. The creamy mouthfeel coats the mouth with warmth.
FINISH: Long, with hints of cinnamon
OLD FORESTER BIRTHDAY BOURBON 2013
Media sample
For mashbill, aging, and other tech specs, see Old Forester (page 157).
PROOF AND PRODUCT AGE: 98 proof. No age statement.
RELEASE TIMING AND HOW TO FIND: Old Forester Birthday Bourbon is announced every year on September 2, the birthday of Brown-Forman founder George Garvin Brown. It’s become a popular release but is still widely available where Old Forester is carried. That said, it’s recommended to call your liquor store ahead of time.
COLOR: Deep amber
NOSE: Pear, oak, caramel, figs, sweet corn, vanilla, and toffee.
PALATE: Spicy, with a warm, creamy mouthfeel featuring hints of banana, strawberry, caramel, toffee, and sesame seeds.
FINISH: Short to medium, with hints of pumpkin
