I've got to hand it to Diageo, they've struck when the iron is red hot. The spirits giant came across some old barrels of bourbon that's been quietly aging in the mythical Stitzel-Weller warehouses in Kentucky for 20 to 26 years and turned them into what's sure to be the latest must have additions to many a bourbon aficionado's collection. They even came up with the catchy phrase "orphan barrel" to let us know just how special Old Blowhard and Barterhouse really are. Once again I have to wonder why I didn't go into the bourbon making business when I was a wee lad.
I hate to admit this but, I had no idea that any of the near mythic Stitzel-Weller warehouses still existed and, to my even greater shame, I don't know where they are. Perhaps this is an opportunity to do some investigative reporting.
The term "Orphan Barrel" denotes that these older barrels have been somewhat overlooked when being transferred from one warehouse to another presumably when an acquisition of some sort took place or when conditions dictated they're relocation. Given the popularity of bourbon these days, I'm surprised there are any barrels that haven't been earmarked for some kind of bourbon before now.
I read about all this in Lexington KY's Herald-Leader and was surprised to find a Diageo representative revealed the mash-bill of the whiskeys. According to Master of Whisky, Ewan Morgan, both bourbons are made up of 86 percent corn, 8 percent barley and 6 percent rye. I wonder if another producer might copy this recipe for a copycat release down the road?
It looks like pretty limited release runs for these bourbons but, if I manage to get a sip or two, I'll let you know.
No comments:
Post a Comment