#Castle & Key Bourbon Barrel

[spaceoperetta]

Last stop on our day trip was unplanned - a woman at Woodford recommended we check out the grounds of Castle and Key, just up the road from them. Seeing as Woodford and Buffalo Trace were an easy twenty minute drive from each other, we swung back on our way home.

Can’t comment on the booze, but the old buildings were impressive! A theme of all three destinations was “if it ain’t broke!”

I thought Bourbon had to be made in Kentucky - no, just in America - but 95% of it is as the limestone and the water and the seasons makes the conditions perfect. Also, you can’t reuse barrels so many of them are shipped off to Scotland and Ireland for use there!

Making a weekend of it - there are so many distilleries - would be a bit much, but I had a lovely day trip with my family.

[elixir-collection-seleuss]

SELEUSS - ELIXIR COLLECTION - V12

This special ELIXIR collection for the Holidays contains the following chocolate truffles:

Elixir d'OR: Grand Imperial (Orange Liqueur)

The Barron: Elixir de Framboise (Raspberry Liqueur)

Cafe de Ulua: Micha Kahlua (Coffee Liqueur)

Eireann d'Or: Glencara Irish Cream + Buffalo Trace Bourbon

Crown Maple: Bourbon Barrel Aged Organic Maple + Castle & Key 2023 Bourbon

Tom & Jerry: Pumpkin Spice & Spiced Rum + Kahlua

[acermaple-whiskey-seleuss]

SELEUSS - ACER MAPLE - CROWN BOURBON MAPLE TRUFFLES

BATCH 1546, 1547

Made with Bourbon Barrel Aged Organic Maple Syrup from our friends at CROWN MAPLE in Duchess County New York, fresh organic cream, a specially formulated 46% LORETTA™ Dark Milk chocolate to complement the maple notes, and equal parts of CASTLE & KEY: 2023 Small-Batch Bourbon! (Bottle: 21301). Enrobed in a smooth 71% MORETTA™ Dark Chocolate, and rests on either a piece of Hawthorn Berry Wafer or Crown Maple Pearls. (B1546, 1547) Pairing: Castle & Key Bourbons or Espresso drinks. This product contains liquor and the alcohol content is one 1% or less of the weight of the product. EXEMPTION: RCW 66.12.160.

ACER: CROWN {BOURBON MAPLE} INGREDIENTS: Chocolates (Cacao Beans, Sugar, FULL CREAM MILK, LACTOSE, Cacao Butter, Sunflower & soy Lecithin, Vanilla), CROWN maple BOURBON BARREL AGED ORGANIC MAPLE syrup, Organic Cream, CASTLE & KEY BOURBON 2023 RELEASE, Glucose, spices. Decorations: crown maple PEARL SUGAR (ORGANIC 100% PURE MAPLE SUGAR) OR HAWTHORN BERRY WAFER (HAWTHORN BERRY, SUGAR, WATER, ALLURA RED AC). CONTAINS: MILK, LACTOSE, RESIDUAL ALCOHOL. THIS PRODUCT IS PROCESSED IN A FACILITY THAT CONTAINS MILK, EGGS, WHEAT, HAZELNUTS, PEANUTS AND OTHER NUTS. This product contains liquor and the alcohol content is one 1% or less of the weight of the product. EXEMPTION: RCW 66.12.160  INGREDIENTS FROM: usa, ITALY, Belgium, MALAYSIA, Vietnam, FRANCE, CHINA, ECUADOR, PERU.

[nwbeerguide]

Kentucky's largest art museum, the Speed of Art, is hosting its annual bourbon auction on September 23rd. Items include a rare Van Winkle Family Reserve 15-year.

Press Release

LOUISVILLE, KY September 14, 2021 — The Speed Art Museum’s annual bourbon auction, which takes place 7pm-8:45pm EST, Sept 23, will auction off some of the world’s most hard-to-find whiskeys. Among the bottles is a rare, numbered $12,500 Van Winkle Family Reserve 15-year from the 1990s.

This year’s “Art of Bourbon” shelves are lined with an Old Forester Birthday Bourbon, a bottle of 1940s-1950s Private Stock Park & Tilford, a Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition bottle, the impossible-to-find 21-year Collectors Edition, and several exclusive experiences that allow winning bidders to get their custom barrel straight from the source.

The 2021 stunning lineup — comprised of rare bourbons, “dusties” and VIP experiences — may just be the best one yet. The auction is free to bid but registration is required at artofbourbon.org.

Elusive whisky and high-end bourbon packages are up for bid among the 40 lots. Here’s a taste:

Van Winkle Family Reserve 15-yr No 841 - Lot 23 Estimate: $12,500

The Collector's Edition 21-Year Old Bourbon from the 1960s/early 70s. Distilled and bottled by Dowling Distillers. A collector’s item in every sense of the word. Estimate: $6,500 - $7,000

Old Forester BF 150 Special Edition Birthday Bourbon, 2021 12-yr - Lot 32. Bottled specifically for Brown-Forman’s 150th anniversary and only made for the distillery’s founding family members. Never sold in retail, very limited quantities produced. Estimate: $2,000

Woodford Reserve Baccarat Edition - Lot 15 Estimate: $6,000

Jim Beam Lineage 15-yr, only available in duty-free stores. Estimate: $2,000

Park & Tilford Private Stock Estimate: $6,000

The Ultimate Maker’s Mark “Immersion Experience Barrel Selection with Rob Samuels” that includes custom Brook White artwork Estimate: $20,000

Rabbit Hole Single Barrel, picked with Founder and Whiskey Maker, Kaveh Zamanian Estimate: $20,000

Nearest Green Private Distillery Experience with Master Blender and 5th generation Nearest Green descendent, Victoria Eady Butler, Plus 1 Signed Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey Master Blend Trilogy Set (1 bottle each of its newest release, Master Blend, and the 1884 Small Batch & 1856 Premium Aged Whiskeys) Estimate: $2,000

1-year-old Castle & Key Bourbon Barrel distilled by one of the most well-known Master Distillers in the industry, aged in the famous Castle and Key rickhouses for the next two years. Estimate: $2,000

Longbranch Bourbon and a Yeti Cooler with off-the-hook goodies from the Lone Star State curated by Matthew McConaughey Estimate: $800 plus bragging rights

Bourbon royalty - families with last names like Van Winkle, Brown and Samuels - along with famed master distillers - have stepped up to support Kentucky’s iconic arts institution. Julian P. Van Winkle III, for example, is donating a Pappy bottle of 15-year and 12-year, lot b from his personal stash. Those bottles are expected to fetch $5,000 and $2,500 respectively at auction.

Van Winkle III acknowledged that while many collectors and enthusiasts will be eyeing these lots, he’s particularly pleased Pappy will be in the line-up. “The Van Winkle family has always believed in the mission of the Speed. Making sure Pappy is included in this year’s auction supports this worthwhile cause,” said Van Winkle, Pappy’s grandson and a third generation whiskey maker.

Online bids draw interest from serious bourbon enthusiasts and connoisseurs from around the nation. Bourbon experts say it’s a toss-up on which lot will command the most and steal the show. The event is curated with the support of Wall Street Journal-bestselling author and renowned bourbon critic Fred Minnick.

Collectors especially look to the Art of Bourbon for dusties, which are old bottles of whiskey that haven’t been in production for years. The bottle of Park & Tilford Private Stock exemplifies how sought after many of these brands have become because it represents a once forgotten era of American whiskey that is making a strong comeback — Blends of Straight Whiskeys.

“This bottle garnered a premium for the category in the 1940s and '50s. Today, it’s a piece of history in a bottle,” said Minnick.

Kaveh Zamanian, Rabbit Hole’s founder and whiskey maker, continues to ensure that Rabbit Hole plays a key role in supporting the Speed auction. This year, the company donated a barrel of Heigold Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey for a unique, exclusive personal blending experience where the winner actually picks the barrel with Zamanian’s guidance and insight. It doesn’t get more insider than this. Valued at $20,000, this experience sets the tone for other distillery donations.

“Just like bourbon, the Speed Art Museum is part of our community’s culture and heritage, said Zamanian. “Both the bourbon industry and the art world can work in tandem to attract tourism, foster dialogue and curiosity, and contribute to the vibrancy of our city. For these reasons, Rabbit Hole is proud to lend our support.”

“This event has become the nation’s premier nonprofit bourbon auction,” said Minnick. “Since 2018, I’ve worked closely with the Speed to auction the rarest whiskey bottles and experiences ever, raising nearly a half a million dollars for this institution.” All proceeds support education programs and exhibitions at the Speed.

Minnick, widely considered the world’s leading bourbon authority, is eyeing many of these lots closely, knowing that these bids can make a difference. “These rare whiskeys can make a huge impact on one of our country’s best art museums. We have the vintage and rare, and the new and unique. These sort of in-the-know bourbons don’t come up very often. This is truly the case where buying a coveted bottle of bourbon will go a long way to support the Speed’s mission.” Bill Menish will serve as auctioneer.

“On Sept. 23, collectors have the opportunity to buy and taste history, and this auction creates these opportunities,” said Jamar Mack, founder of KOBBE, Kentucky's Original Black Bourbon Enthusiasts, and one of several bourbon experts curating the auction.

“It’s not every day you can get your hands on these bottles,” said Mack.

About the Speed Art Museum

The Speed Art Museum is Kentucky’s largest art museum. Its mission is to “invite everyone to celebrate art forever.” It is an independent and encyclopedic museum located on the campus of the University of Louisville. In 1927, Louisville philanthropist Hattie Bishop Speed founded the Speed Art Museum with a belief in the power of art to change people’s lives. Current exhibitions at the Speed include Collecting – A Love Story: Glass from the Adele and Leonard Leight Collection and Ralph Eugene Meatyard’s The Unforeseen Wilderness. For more information, visit www.speedmuseum.org.

For access to online auction and auction catalogue: artofbourbon.com

#artofbourbon

#artofbourbon2021

#speedartmuseum

###

[goodspiritsnewsat]

GSN Spirited News: November 9th 2021 Edition

Evanston, Illinois-based Few Spirits is celebrating its tenth anniversary with new release Few Bottled In Bond Bourbon Whiskey. It’s made from a mashbill of 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley and bottled at 50% abv after aging in oak for a minimum of 4 years. An initial 2,000 cases are being released this month to the New York, Illinois, California, Florida, and Colorado markets, as well as…

[luxebeat]

Rare & unique bourbons hit the online auction block Sept 23

Rare & unique bourbons hit the online auction block Sept 23

PAPPY VAN WINKLE HEADLINES THE SPEED ART MUSEUM’S ONLINE “ART OF BOURBON” AUCTION Log into the live-streamed production and place bids in real time from around the nation. The Speed Art Museum’s annual bourbon auction, which takes place 7pm-8:45pm EST, Sept 23, will auction off some of the world’s most hard-to-find whiskeys. Among the bottles is a rare, numbered $12,500 Van Winkle Family Reserve…

[apageinthecastle]

A Quarantined Reunion - Chapter One: An Apple Pie Kind of Day

Karen Page and Frank Castle haven't seen each other since their exchange at the hospital. Now, in the middle of a pandemic, the two have been brought together again and have no choice but to quarantine together. What will come of the reunion?

Karen slipped her heels on, reaching for the hook where she always kept her keys and, thanks to this pandemic, her mask. Grabbing her purse off of the table by the door, she started out, careful to lock up behind her. She looped her mask over her ears, adjusting it as she left the building.

It had been months since this pandemic had started, with no end in sight. All of New York City was on lockdown except for essential errands only. It was the empty refrigerator that had Karen currently outside of the walls she’d been confined to for the last few weeks. Even her job with the Bulletin had gone completely remote.

She hurried quickly down the street to the grocery store just a fifteen minute walk from her apartment. Hell’s Kitchen was too quiet for the former Vermont woman. It had taken her months to get used to the noise of the bustling city and now that it was gone, she desperately wanted it back. New York, and it’s loudness, had become a warm familiarity that was now missing from her nights.

Frank adjusted the mask on his face for what must have been the tenth time in the short distance between his apartment door and the street below. When the lockdown was first initiated, the pandemic had only been expected to last a few weeks – Hell’s Kitchen residents were hopeful that life as they knew it would return to something next to normal by the end of Spring Break. After a short reprieve from full lockdown, December saw the restrictions return full-force. Easy enough to lay low when everyone else is doing the same, Frank thought to himself. Still, a creature of habit, he was annoyed with the constant change in pandemic rules and regulations.

In the midst of the neverending flux around him, however, at least one thing had remained the same: the weekly walk to 5 Napkin for a Double 5 Cheeseburger Smash and Bourbon spiked S’mores shake. If he was in a particularly annoyed mood, he might even add a slice of apple pie. Yeah, he decided as he shoved his hands in his pockets against the mid-December cold, it is definitely an apple pie kinda day.

Karen breathed into her hands as she walked, pulling her scarf a little tighter around her neck. Yes, she’d grown up even further North than her current residence, but eventually cold was just cold. Today was one of those days and she’d forgone the gloves, per usual. In the event she did need to use the firearm she concealed in her purse, it was much easier to do without fabric to get in the way.

For all the attention the woman usually paid, the empty streets had lowered her guard. She allowed herself to become absorbed in her thoughts as she walked, musing over her newest assignment from Ellison. Consumed in her own head, the hand that grabbed her by the arm and yanked her into a small space between buildings caught her completely by surprise.

It took a moment to register what was happening - the police officer shoving her against the bricks behind her, pinning her with his body. She didn’t have an opportunity to reach for her gun before the moment was gone and it was too late. A scream erupted from her throat, only to be cut off by the hand that clamped down over her mouth.

Tossing his regretfully empty milkshake cup into the trash as he continued along 9th, Frank haphazardly shoved the apple pie container and compulsory five napkins into the pocket of his coat; he was too hungry to wait to eat anything that required a fork. Tugging his mask down and unwrapping the foil around his burger had become one swift, instinctive motion over the months, not unlike the simultaneous action of dropping one magazine and replacing it with another in the heat of a firefight.

The burger was almost in his mouth when he heard it.at The sound, abrupt but unmistakably a scream, cutting through the eerie pandemic quiet and reverberating off of the buildings nearby. God damnit, he thought, can’t a man eat a burger in peace?

Any potential for cheeseburger peace now ruined, Frank frowned to himself and re-wrapped it, dropping it into the other pocket of his coat. Screams like that - the kind that made the hair on the back of his neck stand on end - didn’t happen without good reason. Having spent the last year keeping a low profile (and the one before, working with Madani and the CIA in that god forsaken desert to earn what little amnesty he had), the Marine was conflicted. If the year laying low had taught him anything, it was how to effectively contain the restlessness that had a way of seeping through his better judgement. Hell’s Kitchen has survived this long without the Punisher bullshit, it sure as hell doesn’t need another pile of bodies, he thought. God knows they’re running out of toe tags.

The thought was wiped clean and his blood turned cold as a familiar voice filled his ears. Her voice.

“Help!”

His feet, which had been tracking the source of the sound of their own accord, fell silent against the pavement as he closed the half-block distance and saw Karen Page in the meat hook hands of the NYPD. So much for laying low.

Everything was happening too fast for the blonde to register as she tried to fight against her assailant. She was barely keeping him at bay, let alone making any headway in getting him away from her, and she felt her heartbeat drumming in her ears. Her vision was a flurry of limbs as she continued to struggle, crying out as her wrist was turned to an unnatural angle at a violent speed.

A moment later, she felt space around her as the man was shoved away. Her eyes went wide as she looked, trying to take in the scene playing out in front of her. Her breath caught in her chest. No. She thought, blinking back the pain filled tears that threatened to spill over her onto her cheek. It can’t be. It had been two years since she’d seen him and she’d convinced herself she never would again. Not after that conversation in the hospital when he’d told her he didn’t want to choose to love someone over another goddamn war.

Swallowing as she sank down the brick wall, Karen couldn’t deny the sight anymore. Seeing the meticulous nature of the attack of what had moments ago been her attacker, there was no room for doubt. It was him.

Frank Castle.

He let the incoming right hook catch his cheekbone, and used the cop’s sluggish moment of recoil to throw his weight into the man’s middle, tackling him hip-first against the pavement. Driving his knee into the base of the officer’s spine as he pinned him to the ground, Frank snatched the government-issued firearm from its holster and readied it, knocking his opponent’s hat off with the barrel.

Armed, ready, and itching to pull the trigger, Frank knew that this split-second decision would make or break any opportunity he would ever have to speak with Karen again. He took a deep breath to counter the adrenaline, flicking his eyes over to her just long enough to try for her attention.

“Karen, get out of here.”

No response.

She couldn’t see this. After everything they had been through, everything they had fought over, everything that had fallen apart between them that day in the hospital, the slightest chance of a clean slate would be blown away the instant he-- he grabbed the cop by the hair and slammed his head into the pavement in frustration.

“Karen. Now.”

She was frozen in place, eyes locked on the two men. She couldn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. Whether it was from the shock of the attack or the shock of seeing the Punisher in front of her again, she couldn’t tell. All she knew is the only thing holding her upright was the wall behind her. She didn’t have the strength or coherent thought to get her limbs to respond to Frank’s command.

His mind swirled with a multitude of thoughts in a single second, trying to decide the best course of action. This asshole had gone after Karen. He wouldn’t let him get away with that. Not a goddamn chance in hell would anyone get away with putting their hands on the last remaining family he had if he had any say in it. At the same time, could he really jeopardize whatever miniscule chance he might have with making things right with her if he pulled this trigger right in front of her? As the seconds continued to tick by - one, two, three - and she continued not to move, the choice was made for him.

He squeezed.

Clicking the safety on the firearm into place, he jumped up, shoving it into his waistband and abandoning the body to take the three strides it took him to get to her. He knelt down without hesitation, putting himself solely in her line of sight so that she had no choice but to meet his eyes.

“Hey, sh, sh, sh, you’re okay. Can you stand up?” Once again, his words were met with silence and a distinct lack of movement from the woman. Her eyes were searching his, but distantly. She was looking at him, but she wasn’t seeing him at all. He held his hand up to her before slowly resting it on the back of her neck to keep her steady, doing a quick once-over for any signs of obvious injury. She was leaning to one side but didn’t dare to brace herself against her wrist - a sprain, maybe? Frank didn’t see any blood pooling. She looked terrified, more than anything. Definitely in shock, he thought as she shook. Satisfied with not having to call an ambulance, he looped her uninjured arm around his neck and helped her to her feet.

“Come on, Karen, let’s get you home.”

She leaned against him, unable to take her eyes off of him even as they started to walk. He kept glancing over as they made their way out of the alley, brows furrowing. He couldn’t read her face, couldn’t tell what she was thinking, and it made the man more anxious than he cared to admit. He’d learned a long time ago not to care what people thought of him. Karen Page was a rare exception to that.

When they’d gone two blocks toward her apartment and she still had neither said a word nor taken her eyes off of him, Frank knew he couldn’t leave her alone. She was in absolutely no condition to take care of herself right now, of that much he was sure. Clearing his throat and stopping, he looked over at her.

“I’m going to take you to my place, okay?”

Whether he was met with the faintest of nods or a particularly violent shake, he couldn’t tell. He didn’t think it would be fair for him to be in her apartment when she couldn’t tell him to fuck off if she wanted to, anyway. It was his place or they parted ways here, and that wasn’t an option.

A quick survey of the area told him she was probably on her way to get groceries. He made a mental note to pick some up when she came to. Should he text Red to drop some off? Were they still seeing each other? Would he lose his ever loving shit if he knew what had happened? Frank shook his head and gently urged Karen to start walking alongside him again. His top priority was getting her to safety, the other details could be ironed out after.

[bourbonmetalhead]

64 Bourbons Bracket Matchup 30: Maker’s Private Select Smore Castle vs. Woodinville

Song: “Can’t Lose You” by Type O Negative

Maker’s Private Select Smore Castle advances to the round of 32. Woodinville had a fighters chance when the Dentyne classic was center stage. But then Woodinville kept giving me more and more and more scotch notes. Hitting me over the head with them. The quasi-scotch worked for Town Branch. I am a bit removed from that matchup, but Town Branch knocked it out of the park on the way to some sort of upset. But this Woodinville seemed like muted and cheap scotch. Once it went scotch, it didn’t go back. I couldn’t pull out the delectable Dentyne. Or the soft honey notes. And those worked. Woodinville’s nose was simple. When Woodinville was Dentyne and soft honey, it had a chance. Was delicious. Then that dirty smoky scotch bullshit started Creepin on a Come Up. What. The. Muted apple crawlspace. Fuck? Gratuitous use of periods should tell you that Woodinville went sideways. As Type O Negative put me into a sitar and chanting trance about soft spots ...

Woodinville couldn’t become interconnected with the trance of “Can’t Lose You.” And if that song doesn’t put you in a trance, then feel free to blast Luke Bryan or DMX; and leave me the fuck alone as I journey on a bourbon drenched musical trip. We’ll get along just fine after I come down from this Smore Castle and “Can’t Lose You” magic carpet ride. I would not fail a drug test, but I am on another level right now. There is sweet, smoky complexity to this Smore Castle. No chocolate. Although as I type that, my brain starts to taste chocolate covered marshmallows. 🤣 What a big brain on bourbon soaked bread I have. At times.

Let me address this elephant in the room. I wasn’t going to allow any double oaked or barrel finished or wine cask or rum cask or any other type of double, triple, casked type of bottles into this bracket. Then my brother RB entered an Andy Griffith submitted double oaked. Then I remembered I already had one of my MMPS in the bracket of 64. Then Tater Savior Fred Minnick had an NCAA esque Mocha bracket. And I got another bottle of MMPS at LB with 3 or 4 mocha staves. And... sum bitch. The finished, the oaked, started creeping on some come ups.

Well, guess what bourbon? You’re going to have to man. The. Fuck. Up. There it is. Again. Gratuitous over-reliance on periods and capitalization for emphasis. Blame Chris. Fucking. Kael. AKA Sprinkle. Of Hecatomb and Hymen and Noisome Corpse. Now of Five Finger Death Punch. One of my lame claims to fame. But he made it. Earned it. Success and millions and a level of fettering to social media. Which I flee from, like jock itch. For I loathe social media.

Not sure where I was going with that. But I think I was trying to blame Chris Kael’s overuse. Of. The. Period. 🤣 Last time I hung with Chris, I got lit on shitty Ancient Age that I bought at Big Daddy liquors and then drove him to WRFL for an interview with Matt Dacey on Matt’s Metal Mortuary at WRFL.

But I kept drifting away from Smore Castle. That’s OK. My dog licks my head. My wife calls me and wants to break down playground dynamics. Let me head back to the Smore Castle. Now there is a monstrous amount of marshmallows. Like I am smothered in a glaze of smoky marshmallow skin. My life beckons. As it should. A hint of lime comes through. There are scotch notes, but this MMPS Smore Castle transcends limitations of scotch and bourbon. Key lime? Lemon tart? MArshmallow skin? Yes? As “Can’t Lose You” transcends genres. What genre is that song. Metal? What subgenre? Psychedelic? How? Where did this song come from? Where did Smore Castle come from? As that demogorgon artificial grape starts to approach my brain. Time to eat some chicken wings. And come up with a middle name for our dog. Smore Castle is shooting up the draft boards (NFL draft approaches) like Jamin Davis. Delicious. I have to watch out for the snake in the grass of barrel finished bourbons. Let’s enjoy this ride.

Cheers!

[talltalesandbedtimestories]

A View To A Winchester (Part 12)

Series Page

Summary: Julie’s starting a new life after divorce in a home with a very nice view.

A Dean X OFC story. I got this idea staring out the view of my home office window and thinking how nice it would be to have Dean Winchester to ogle.

Section Word Count: 4,300    

Section Content: angst, R-rated language, show level violence

~~~~~

“Welcome to Makenzie’s.” The same chipmunk-cheeked twenty-something from last night smiled at Dean when he approached the hostess stand. Her smile extended a bit wider in recognition. “Winchester, right?”

He flashed his best smile back. “Devin, right?”

She nodded with exuberance. “What can I do for you?”

“Some information would be great, Devin.”

“Sure, just a sec.” Devin handed the waitress standing next to her a few menus and chatted. The obvious flaws in Dean’s original plan smacked him in the face. I’m just going to get escorted out if I try the FBI approach at a place I’ve already been to. Badge says Barrow. Dean canvassed the dining area with his eyes. There was no sign of the woman he was trying to track. The smell of charred flesh made his stomach grumble. He realized he hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, a couple cold pieces of pizza at Cas’s.

“Actually, if it’s alright, I’m just going to head to the bar?”

“Absolutely. Tables are all booked up for a good two hours, at least.”

He nodded and beelined to the bar.

~~~~~

Dean left the bar fifteen minutes later when he got what he needed from the chatty male bartender. Picking up on the gay vibes immediately, Dean turned up the flirting and got Chad to overpour two bourbon shots along with the information. A healthy tip accompanied the cash for a half-eaten plate of onion rings and the liquor. Dean had the first number on speed dial ringing with a flippant push on the exit door.

“Dean?”

“Hey, Sammy. I need your nerdiness.”

Sam huffed. “My computer skills, you mean?”

“Sure. If that makes you feel better.”

“What’s up?”

Dean eased into the driver’s seat and loosened his tie. “I’m not sure, yet. It’s one of my neighbors. She’s gone missing today.”

“Missing?”

“Yeah. I’ve got the name of one of the last people who saw her. Think you can get me an address?”

“I’ll try. Who am I looking up?”

“Ina Rever.”

“I-N-A? Rever, like lever?” Sam confirmed.

“Yep. See if anything comes up in Delaware.”

“Alright, gonna take a little time.”

“I’ll wait.”

Sam sighed.

“Unless I’m interrupting something?”

“No. Well, I was studying. I could actually use the break. Eileen’s out, getting groceries.”

“I thought you two just foraged around in fields for your food.”

“Funny. I can’t get Eileen to eat healthy for shit. Maybe now with a baby on the way...”

“I still can’t believe you’re going to be a dad,” Dean interrupted. “Poor kid.”

“Jerk.”

“Bitch.”

“So, who went missing?”

“Neighbor. Name’s Julie Felton.”

“Wait. Julie? The Julie?”

Dean sifted through his spotty memory rolodex. He was pretty sure he hadn’t mentioned Julie to Sam in any recent conversation. They’d only spoken a handful of times over the past couple months. “What do you mean ‘The Julie’?”

“Cas called this morning and told me all about her… and your date last night.”

Of course he did. “Nothing much to tell, Sammy. It’s just important that I find her.”

“Right, right, of course.” Sam shifted to consoling mode. “You can tell me all about her after you find her. Okay, I’ve got an address for Ina.”

“Great. Text it to me.”

“Yeah, Dean, already done.”

Dean’s phone buzzed at the text from his brother.

“Do you need me to see if I can track Julie’s phone?”

“If you can. But, I checked her mom’s phone - they have one of those family apps that share location - and, it looks like it last shows her at the house this morning. Called up my connection at the police station to see what he could find. Her car turned up in a parking lot at a shopping center, not far from the house. Cop’s goin’ store to store.”

“You called Marty? How’s he doing?”

“I didn’t get a chance to ask.” Dean had mentioned the detective to Sam a few times, being one of the handful of people he could call a friend. “Just sent her number to you.”

“Maybe I can get something else from the cell towers. Finding a car out in the open is pretty good news, Dean. It might all be nothing and she’s safe and sound. You know, a big misunderstanding. Wait, though.” He hummed. “Weird.”

“What?” Dean plugged the address into his phone’s GPS and started the engine as the route calculated.

He switched Sam to speaker. His voice wielded priority over the robotic female starting to spout directions. “Well, I’m not finding anything else on this Ina Rever. No history. Nothing before her poofing into thin air in Delaware.” Dean could hear computer keys tapping. He shifted into drive and rolled out of the parking spot. “Let me just…”

“I’ve got ten minutes before I get to this place, Sammy. Whatever you can find, find it quick.”

“I ran the photo from the driver’s license through a bunch of databases. Got facial matches, all under different names, all over the country… over the past five decades it looks like.”

“Five decades? Woman’s maybe in her thirties.”

“Her Delaware license says she’s 33. Dean…”

“Shit.” No. Julie.

“Something supernatural.” Sam finished.

“What the hell? I got nothing to go on here! No idea what I’m walking into! Vamp nest? Werewolf pack?” Dean yelled at the phone.

“Calm down, Dean. Let me dig into some of the places where this woman’s been. Do you know anything about her?”

“Julie can’t spare a minute for a trip down memory lane.”

“She can if it helps find her. And, you’ve got eight minutes before you get there.”

Dean split his focus between the GPS directions and anything he could remember that Ina mentioned over the dinner table last night. “She’s a waitress at a restaurant. Sounded like she just moved to Delaware a couple months ago.”

“Okay. Whatever it is, if it’s got a routine or needs to…” Sam cleared his throat. Dean knew Sam stopped himself from saying “feed”. “Some weird stuff might have happened a couple months after she moved into these other places. “Missing persons, maybe?”

Dean clenched his jaw, not wanting to speak the next request. “Look for missing persons that turned up dead.” Keyboard clicks went on for a while. “Five minutes, Sammy,” Dean reminded.

“Not helping, dude.” More agonizing seconds ticked by. “Got something. One of the missing persons was found a week after they disappeared.”

“Alive or dead?” Dean took the ramp off the highway, staring out at the business and industrial section of New Castle to his right.

Sam sighed. “Dead.”

Dean kept his focus on the job at hand and took a deep breath. “Where’d they find the body?”

“Looks like it was in an abandoned warehouse.”

“Fuck me!” Dean barked.

“What?”

“This thing’s place of residence is like a minute away from warehouse central! Miles of it.”

“Stick to the plan, Dean. Check out the house first.”

Dean nodded with intent even though Sam couldn’t see him.

“Oh.” Sam mumbled.

“What?”

“The cause of death was exsanguination.”

“Vampire?”

“Maybe. But, I got into the police records. Does this sound familiar? Body was found hanging by its wrists, trussed up. The reporting officer said it looked like a blood bank in there. Needles, tubes, collection vials. Like the person was being drained. Slow.”

Hope sprung back into Dean’s mind. “A Jinn? With an MO like the one that was feeding off me for days? That means there’s time to find her.”

“Maybe. But, it could still be a vamp or some other bloodsucking variation.”

“But if it’s a Jinn, she’s got a shot.” Run down houses lined the blocks of the neighborhood he rolled through. Parked cars squeezed into every inch of available space along the narrow streets. Soft, setting rays angled onto the cheap, dirty vinyl siding on the house that matched the address. “I’m losing sun, Sam. What kind of car does this thing drive?” He parallel parked Baby into a tight spot and shut off the engine, glancing around the street.

“Green, Honda Civic.”

“Great. Nondescript and basic. Like every other car. But… I don’t see one here.”

A barking dog barreled towards Dean’s car in the unkempt yard of the house. It stopped feet short of the chain link fence, whining, as the long leash went taut.

“Son of a bitch. Cocoa’s home.” Dean mumbled.

“What?” Sam asked, confused.

“Nothing.” The car door squeaked. He hurried to the back. A swerve of his head noted no one out on the nearby street or sidewalk. No one hung out in the vehicle behind him, either. He popped the Impala’s hood and readied to hang up. “Let me get in there.”

“Dean?”

“What?” The phone pressed to his ear, pinched between his shoulder and cheek. He lifted the false bottom of the trunk up for peek, reached for his Colt where it always was, and checked the cartridge had silver bullets. They’d been the standard go to for years now. His backup monster insurance. Fresh out of lamb’s blood to dip a silver knife in. Plan B - Bash the thing’s head to chili if it is a Jinn.

“Keep me on the line. You know, in case something happens. I might be able to help.”

The hood clicked close. Dean sighed. “Alright. The phone in the pocket, camera thing?”

“Yeah, that works.”

Sam requested a FaceTime connection. Dean squinted at the screen, walking and talking on the path toward the front porch. “Dude, you look like you’re auditioning for the lead in a Jesus musical... ‘Go Tell It On The Mountain” or some other hippie shit. Your hair. And again with that fucking beard.” Cocoa kept up on the other side of the fence, no longer barking. It didn’t look out of the ordinary. Tail wagging, begging for attention.

Dean could barely make out Sam’s bitchface under all the hair. “Shut up. Remember…”

“Switch the camera angle. Put yourself on mute, would ya?” The phone slid into the jacket’s chest pocket.

“I will.” Sam’s voice was muffled. “That’s perfect. Be careful. Going radio silent.”

Geek.

Dean knocked, surveyed anything he could of the small cottage house through the window panes. “Hello?” He called out and knocked again. The knob rattled under his grip, locked. Flimsy ass door. He looked around to ensure no one was passing by or in his sightline. Dean stepped back and kicked the door dead center. The weight and force behind the sole of his dress shoes propelled it open on its hinges. It swung back almost to the original closed position.

Sam’s probably busting a blood vessel right about now. He tapped the door with his foot to get a lay of the land. “Hello?” Strolling in, he called out. “Door was open.” His hand reached around to his back under the jacket, ready to pull out his gun if needed. “Ina Rever?”

The inside of the house was neat, tidy, and what he thought would be called shabby chic or some shit. It smelled of incense.

“Fuck this.” He mumbled and pulled out his gun. Around every corner, he rounded with an unflinching focus on the front sight and the view just beyond. His feet were quick, two stepping all throughout. His breathing steadied to control his grip and aim. Every closet and room searched, including the basement. The backyard was empty. Nothing.

Dean slipped the gun back under his jacket before stepping onto the porch, shutting the door with the mangled lock best he could. “Still there, Sammy?” He could hear the irritation in his own voice.

It took a couple seconds for his brother to respond. “Yeah.”  

“Anything on Julie’s cell?” He rushed to the car, phone in hand and glanced at his brother’s face.

“Nothing.”

He shook his head and stared out at the countless warehouses on the horizon. “If the car’s not here…”

“She probably drove to where she’s got Julie. I was searching near your location while you broke into the house.”

The undertone of disapproval from his little brother was obvious. He placed Sam on Baby’s hood and removed his jacket and tie, tossing them in the back seat. “And?”

“Three abandoned warehouses.”

“Let’s go.”

~~~~~

“So, this girl?” Sam glanced at Dean from the phone’s screen, mounted on the dash.  He was giving Dean directions, using his location tracker to monitor his movement. A clear blue sky framed Sam, sitting out in his backyard. It was still sunny and 6:00 pm in California. The sun, however, had set on the east coast. The road in front of Dean was dark, lit up golden by Baby’s headlights.

Dean knew what Sam was up to. His way to distract his older brother from spiraling. Act first, think later was never Sam’s approach. And, almost always his.

“She’s not a girl, Sammy. Every ounce of her is all woman.”

“Yeah.” Sam cleared his throat. “I checked out her social media accounts. Very nice, Dean. Another two miles. Make a right at the next crossroads. It’ll be a half a mile on your right.”

Dean closed his eyes as he drove the straight patch of road to the second warehouse on the list. No way my luck would have had her at our first stop. Images from last night flashed in his mind. Julie staring down into his eyes with those big brown ones while he worshipped her. Gorgeous, thick, wavy brown locks of her hair tickling the tips of his fingers kneading her ample chest. Her plump lips parting in arousal and want. The curve of her breast dipping over and above his mouth as he suckled. He could almost taste the slight sweat and salt. The way her hard yet pliable nipple rolled against and pushed into his tongue. She struggled to moan his name. It was the sexiest thing he’d heard in forever.  

A truck coming at him on the two lane road blared his horn. Dean jolted and steered back into his lane. Dammit.

“You okay?” Sam’s forehead wrinkled like the skin folds of a Shar Pei puppy.

“Yeah.”

“Cas said you were pretty wound up last night, about Julie. Really upset that you had to cut the date short.”

“Are you really talking to me about this? Now?”

“I can never keep you on the phone for more than five minutes, Dean. Captive audience right now.”

“And you think I stick my foot in my mouth?”

“Sorry. It’s just… you like her. A lot. Yeah, saving people, it’s ingrained in us, part of our DNA. But you wouldn’t knock a door down the way you did for just anybody.”

Dean drove way over the speed limit.

“When we find her, safe, you’re going to tell me all about her.”

Dean refused to reply, to reveal the thoughts tripping over each other, as he continued down the road. He didn’t speak again until Baby’s headlights washed over the back bumper of a Green Honda Civic parked around the corner of a two story warehouse by a large dumpster. He slowed down and killed the engine, rolling to a quiet stop.

“Looks like the jackpot is behind door number two.”

Sam’s face lit up. “Let’s get in there.”

Dean shook his head. “No. This is what I need you to do. I’m texting you Marty’s number. If you don’t hear back from me in ten minutes, you call him. Tell him who you are, where I am, and what we think we’ve been tracking. He’ll take it from there.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah. I got this, Sammy.”

He nodded. “Be careful.”

Dean gave him a small smile and ended the call. He texted Sam the number, made sure he got a response back that Sam had it, and set his phone to Do Not Disturb. He rummaged through the glove box and found his pocket knife. A small flashlight gripped tight in his fist as he left the safety of the car.

Gravel crunched under his feet, eventually merging into a blacktop near three loading bay doors. The roll-up of the center door was not flush to the ground; left open enough for someone to slide under. Here we go.

Dean wasted no time and scooted on his chest into the building, no longer concerned about the condition of his dress shirt and pants. He jumped to his feet in the pitch black of the warehouse. Breathing slowed. Eyes adjusted while he refrained from using the flashlight. He always wondered how good a Jinn’s eyesight was in the dark. Ceiling high racks and shelves of steel framework came into slight focus. They created three long rows in front of him.

A lingering smell of sawdust filled his nose. He afforded seconds to close his eyes, tilting his head like a satellite dish to zero in on the slightest noise. Aside from the ramping of his heartbeat, there was nothing to hint of occupants other than Dean. Might as well make my presence known. She has to be here. He swallowed, pulled out his gun and turned on the flashlight. His body steeled into a military stance. Grounded, steady steps marched forward. A path down the center aisle would give him the best view of the massive warehouse floor. The flashlight above his gun lit the way, sweeping back and forth along the concrete.

“Julie!” His voice boomed, echoed back. Empty cardboard boxes, pilfered through by vagrants or scavengers, lay along the floor with packing material. Dean zigzagged through the maze. Bubble wrap popped under one foot. He froze, waiting for the sound to subside. “Julie!” He called out again. Not sure if it was his eyes playing tricks on him, he thought he saw a shadow flicker farther down the dead end he was headed straight toward. Movement got his attention along his right in the other aisle. God, I hope it’s just one of ‘em.

More boxes came into focus. But these were neatly stacked, forming a partition and one narrow entrance Dean would be forced to take. He made certain no one was behind him. He inhaled and exhaled slow, then rounded the corner and inventoried the space.

It was a bare bones phlebotomy lab. Three rolling carts had needles, tubes, IV bags, and other random medical equipment atop them. He opened a cooler with the tip of his shoe and noted two filled blood bags atop ice cubes not even melted. Definitely still here.

His eyes were drawn to translucent sheeting hung from steel shelving in the back corner. The halo of light revealed a silhouette behind the milky colored plastic. He straightened, cocked his shoulders back, and approached with his gun aimed, ready to fire if necessary. One of his hands reached for the side of the plastic and ripped it away, hard.

Material swooshed. Clips clanged onto the floor. “Julie.” Dean whispered.

Julie’s wrists were bound in thick twists of rope. Her body hung from the shackling. Dean’s eyes widened at her disrobed state. She’d been left in only a tank top and panties. The toes of her bare feet were the only part touching the floor. A needle had been inserted into her inner thigh. Julie’s blood traveled through the tubing, filling another bag by her feet. Femoral artery. Quick drain.

His neck craned from one side to the other. He peered into the adjacent aisle to see if they had company. When he was certain there was no one, his mind assessed the situation. He holstered the gun behind his back into the waistband. Placing the flashlight on the closest cart illuminated Julie’s grim and dire state. Gotta get her down, at least slow the blood flow.

The pocket knife sprung open in one hand. His heart ached as he stepped toward Julie. He stared down at the disheveled hair falling in front of her slumped figure. “Julie?” He whispered. Two of his fingers went to the side of her neck. Hope sprung back when he felt the faint pulse. “Can you hear me? It’s Dean. Gonna get you out of here, okay.” He wrapped an arm around her waist and held her in a vice, pressing his body to hers for support. Her body lifted off the ground an inch or two. The rope went a bit slack. The knife’s blade pushed taut against the give and sawed.

Julie’s head lolled back between the arms still tied above her. Her hair parted to display the face he’d grown fond of staring at. She looked peaceful, with closed eyes and the hint of the tiniest smile. Dean knew from his own run in with a Jinn that there was a good chance she was in some idyllic dream state. Hopefully not the nightmare kind. “Gonna be okay.” He murmured more to ease his own thoughts. “Come on.” He voiced his impatience at the rope.

He grunted when the frayed rope released its hold. Julie’s arms tumbled to her sides. He let the knife fall to the ground and embraced her tight with both arms, cradling the back of her head with the palm of one hand. “Gotcha.” He whispered and brought her to the floor, resting her gently on the concrete.

Dean rose. Gotta get her help. Before he could search for the phone in his pocket, something barreled from behind right into his lower back. He arched backward at the force and slammed into the side of one of the medical carts and finally into the wall of cardboard boxes. His mind at work the entire time, he righted himself in an instant. A quick hop to his feet and he pulled out his gun, aiming where the attack originated.

All five feet of the petite Jinn, using the name Ina Rever, stood between him and Julie’s slumbering frame. Her blue eyes shone in the shadows. He could make out the intricate tattoos forming on the surface of its skin. She’s charging up her poison. Can’t let those hands touch my skin. Dean closed the distance between them. She knelt to the ground.

Shit. If he took a shot at her now, he risked hitting Julie. The Jinn rotated and spun, extended a leg outward, connecting into Dean’s shins. He dropped to the right. The gun flew out of his hand and he landed face forward onto his chest. Shit.

A tiny elbow with concentrated energy rammed into the center of his spine. He groaned. Fast little fucker. She sprung back up, stepped back, and landed on top of him again, elbow in between his shoulder blades.

She stood up and sounded out of breath. Dean could only see her sneakers shuffling from side to side like a boxer. Julie lay behind her, dead to the world. Dean’s eyes lit up at the pocket knife a couple feet behind the Jinn as well.

“This one wasn’t much of a challenge. Dangle a lost dog in front of her and she willingly offers to drive me back to my car at the shopping center and hand out flyers. Of course, if it wasn’t for naive, helpful people like Julie, I might starve.” Ina’s perky little voice wafted down to Dean. The pain in his back radiated into his limbs. “I didn’t think she’d be missed so soon, though. But, I should have known it would have probably been you, after seeing you both at dinner last night.” He hooked his fingers into a deep grout line on the concrete floor and pulled his body a few inches. Ina kicked him in the stomach, which only helped spur Dean closer to the knife. “She’s got it bad for you. When I fed off her just a little while ago, straight from the tap, I got a glimpse at her happy place. She is all about the happy endings with you. Dean, right?”

“What can I say,” he groaned. “I have that kind of effect on women.” Keep monologuing, bitch. I just need to get a little closer.

“I guess her occupation with you is another reason her guard was down. So, thank you for that.”

“Don’t mention it.” He slammed his hand onto the pocket knife and then catapulted up, plunging the blade into Ina’s thigh. She screeched. He held on with everything he could and forced the knife through the muscle like a lever. Crimson splattered and flowed down Dean’s arm and white dress shirt.

She collapsed to the floor, clutching at her leg. He was on her in a flash and captured her between his kneeling frame. A slash of the blade along her neck sputtered blood. Then, he pummeled at her face over and over again until the body stilled.

Dean was pretty sure she was dead. He slammed her head a few times into the concrete for good measure. He huffed, rose to his feet and closed the pocket knife. He caught sight of his gun on the floor, grabbed it, and slipped it into his pants. When he pulled out the phone he saw Sam had tried to call him numerous times. He called him back.

“Dean? What’s going on?”

Dean kneeled next to Julie. He swept her hair away and checked for a pulse again. “I found her. She’s alright, I hope. But she’s in one of those fairy tale comas, I think.”

“So, it was a Jinn?”

“‘Was’ being the key word.”

Sam huffed. “Well, I hope Marty is as good of a guy as you say he is. He’s on his way there.”          

“How long ago did you call him?”

“I called him as soon as I hung up with you. Maybe twenty minutes.”

He smiled against the phone as he heard the bay door roll up. “Dean!” Marty called out.

“Thanks for not following my directions, Sammy.”

“Anytime, Dean.”

Part 13

Series Page

[greatdrams]

Castle and Key Bourbon Distillery

Continuing our Bourbon Fortnight...In the little town of Millville, Kentucky, there is a castle complete with springhouse and sunken gardens. It may not seem like the most obvious place for to make Whiskey, but here we find Castle and Key Distillery.

Legendary Beginnings

The castle distillery began life as the Old Taylor Distillery and was opened in 1887 by Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.

He had long dreamt of running a distillery that would attract tourists and become a spectacle. It was the beginning of “Bourbon Tourism” that would eventually see the creation of attractions like the Bourbon Trail in Kentucky or Whiskey Row in Nashville.

Taylor was a banker and politician who was well known throughout the state. Unfortunately he fell into financial difficulties and both of the distilleries that he already owned, Old Fire Copper Distillery and Carlisle Distillery, were sold on to George T. Stagg.

Stagg as gracious however and employed Taylor to continue running the distilleries.After a few years, he was able to set up another distillery, and the Old Taylor Distillery was born.

It was architectural and conceptual different from other distilleries at the time. Taylor didn’t just want to make great Bourbon, he wanted to share the process with the masses.

He created a tourist attraction and was so successful at it that in 1917, he was awarded “The Degree of Master of Hospitality” by the American Association of the Collegiate Registrars.

The Fall and Rise of the Castle

Like many of his counterparts, Taylor was unable to sustain his distillery through the prohibition years. Only six distilleries were given a license to remain open during this period, and that was for the creation of medicinal spirits.

The castle distillery was forced to close in 1917. It was bought by American Medicinal Spirits, who took control of it and any remaining inventory.

Time wore on and prohibition eventually came to an end. American Medicinal Spirits, who had become National Distillers, re-opened the Old Taylor Distillery.

Taylor himself had been at the forefront of Whiskey production in America at the time and had one of the most modern distillers of the time.

When Old Taylor re-opened, this modernisation continued and the brand boomed.

By the 1960s they were producing around 400 to 1000 barrels of Whiskey a day, which is an astonishing amount for the time.

The Second Fall and Rise of the Castle

All good things must come to an end, and Whiskey saw a dramatic loss of interest in the 1970s.

People just weren’t buying it anymore, and as such, in 1972, Old Taylor was forced to close once again.

It was later sold to Jim Beam in 1987 and then to a group of investors. The investors decided to salvage what they could, since most of the distillery had fallen into disrepair.

They sold a lot of the materials online, right up until 2008, when the economic crash made salvaging almost obsolete. They abandoned the distillery, and once again, it was left to fall apart.

That was until 2013, when it was rescued by Peristyle LLC, a group who wanted to restore the distillery and give it another chance to create some amazing Whiskey.

New Life

Headed up by the first female Master Distiller in Kentucky, Marianne Barnes, the distillery, now known as Castle and Key, has risen one more time.

The group had originally aimed for 2015, but things were much worse than they expected.

Now, it is set to re-open on September 19th 2018 after a lot of work was done to restore it to its former glory.

The distillery is a legend of its day and with such an exciting team behind it, there is no doubt that it will once again be one of the most important distilleries in Kentucky.

[gallery link="file" ids="35208,35209,35210,35212,35211,35213,35214,35215,35216,35217,35218,35219"]

The post Castle and Key Bourbon Distillery appeared first on GreatDrams.

from GreatDrams http://bit.ly/2E4KdLw Greg

[johnboothus]

8 Things You Should Know About Pinhook Bourbon

Pinhook Bourbon was founded in 2010 by three friends who found themselves with 20 barrels of whiskey and no prior experience in the industry. Drawing on their individual experiences from a variety of careers — from restaurateur to television producer — the partners have gone on to find success by combining their many talents.

In addition to being hailed for its unique approach to whiskey making, Pinhook is often touted as a bartender favorite. Whether you’re sampling the brand’s high-proof bourbon in a classic cocktail or looking for a new bourbon to stock in your home bar, keep reading to learn more about this relative newcomer to American whiskey.

Pinhook Treats Its Whiskey More Like Fine Wine …

Rather than offering a consistent flavor profile year after year like many of its competitors, Pinhook releases annual vintages blended to represent the best of that particular year. Just like wine, once a particular vintage sells out, it’s gone forever. As Forbes details, most Pinhook bottles retail between $33 and $45, but the last remaining bottles of a particular year can cost up to $300.

… Which Isn’t Surprising Considering One of Its Co-Founders Previously Worked as a Sommelier

In addition to being a certified sommelier, Pinhook co-founder Sean Josephs worked at the award-winning New York  restaurants Per Se and Chanterelle and was the proprietor of three whiskey bars in New York and New Orleans before making bourbon his full-time job. Today, he uses his refined palate to develop Pinhook’s unique blends as the company’s master blender and taster.

Two of Pinhook’s Partners Have Horse Racing in Their Blood

Before they became involved with Pinhook, both Jamie Hill and Mike McMahon shared a family tradition in the horse racing industry. As “third-generation horsemen,” the duo co-own the bloodstock agency McMahon & Hill Bloodstock LLC., along with Bourbon Lane Stables, a thoroughbred racing company based in Kentucky. For Hill and McMahon, the idea of combining horse racing and bourbon made perfect sense.

Pinhook’s Name Stems From a Historic Kentucky Tradition

Originally associated with the tobacco industry, pinhooking now refers to the practice of buying and raising a young horse based on pedigree. A year or two after its purchase the horse is sold for profit to a breeder or used for racing. Pinhook’s founders view their approach to whiskey making similarly, sourcing barrels of unaged bourbon and selling the product once it has matured.

Pinhook Pays Tribute to The Crème de la Crème of Thoroughbreds

Each year (or “crop”), Pinhook releases flagship bourbon and rye expressions named after different horses from Bourbon Lane Stables that they believe have the best chance of winning the illustrious Kentucky Derby. And since all the horses from Bourbon Lane have the words “bourbon” or “rye” in their names, it’s an easy task. In addition to drawings of the individual horses, the labels also detail the horse’s size, color, and sex. According to the Pinhook team, Bourbon Lane’s horse Bourbon War missed qualifying for the 2019 Kentucky Derby by just nine points. While Bourbon War did go on to race in the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, he didn’t win, either.

Pinhook’s Barrels Are Aged, Blended, and Bottled at a Distillery With Its Own Castle

Prior to 2017, Pinhook exclusively sourced its distillate from Midwest Grain Products (MGP) of Indiana, but recently, the company’s operations have been housed in Castle & Key, a restored distillery in Frankfort, Ky. Once known as the Old Taylor Distillery, it was founded by Col. E.H. Taylor in 1887 and features European influences such as a castle, sunken garden, and springhouse. In 2020, Pinhook’s Bohemian Bourbon High Proof became the first bourbon to come out of the historic distillery since it was abandoned half a century ago, in 1972.

Pinhook’s Bourbon and Rye Continue to Come Up Big

After securing awards in the previous two years, Pinhook won big in the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, with gold awards for its Bourbon War Vertical Series 5 Year and 2021 flagship rye, and a double gold for its Tiz Rye Time Vertical Series 5 Year.

Pinhook’s Vertical Series Offers a Year by Year Taste of Aging Bourbon

In 2019, Pinhook released the first batch in a series that tracks how aging affects the evolution of a single lot of bourbon. A small percentage of barrels are apportioned from the original 1,350 barrels of MGP-sourced bourbon and are subsequently released annually over the course of nine years — allowing devotees to taste the changes that occur as the whiskey ages. Bourbon War Vertical Series 5 Year, the second release in the series, received high marks from VinePair for its “heady, ripe fruit,” which helped bring out notes of caramel and spice.

The article 8 Things You Should Know About Pinhook Bourbon appeared first on VinePair.

Via https://vinepair.com/articles/ntk-pinhook-bourbon-guide/

source https://vinology1.weebly.com/blog/8-things-you-should-know-about-pinhook-bourbon

[creative-edge-photography]

Castle and Key Distillery Barrels just waiting to filled and make bourbon. @castleandkey #oldtaylortrainstation #castleandkeydistillery #castleandkey #distillery #renovation #oldtaylordistillery #castleandkeydistilleryrenovation #kybourbon #kentuckybourbon #frankfort #frankfortky (at Castle & Key)

[goodspiritsnewsat]

GSN Spirited News: March 8th 2022 Edition

Louisville, Kentucky’s Barrell Craft Spirits has released Batch 32, the latest from the luxury-focused whiskey blender. The thirty-second batch is blended from Tennessee-, Kentucky-, and Indiana-distilled Bourbon with the selected barrels at 5-, 6-, 7-, and 10-years old. The 57.67% abv Bourbon is bottled at cask strength and retails for around $90 a bottle. Frankfort, Kentucky-based Castle & Key…

[theelixirspirits]

Pinhook brings inaugural bourbon release from Castle & Key.. Bohemian Bourbon, aged 34+ months, proofed at 114.5, a small batch of 100 barrels. Come & #GrabWhileAvailable (at Spring Hill, Tennessee) https://www.instagram.com/p/B_2zVZ0BWTz/?igshid=1st374yevuyyg

[thebourbontruth]

Doing the Bourbon Trail 2017

A lot has changed since my last Bourbon Trail post so it’s time. http://kybourbontrail.com What I’ve noticed is people tour under very different time constraints and whom your accompanied by. Solo vs a family trip with the kids and grandparents has much different needs and results. First off do the trail sober. The Kentucky Bourbon Distillers has been enlisting the help of Uber and Lyft. There are taxis and private and public tour groups. Plan ahead for not driving when you shouldn’t be or have a DD.

Logistics As of 2016 there are over a million visits a year visiting Kentucky for “ bourbon tourism” and growing. In 10 years the number has tripled to where it is. That’s a lot. During peak days or times you will NOT be able to get a tour unless you preplan and reserve well in advance. http://kybourbontrail.com/kentucky-bourbon-trail-barrels-past-1-million-visits-2016/

The unofficial and official trail extends well north starting in Newport Kentucky (outside Cincinnati) where New Riff (craft) is to Bowling Green (almost the Tennessee boarder) where Corsair (craft) is over a 3 hour drive so limits are usually present. Most other Distilleries average a 45-60 minute drive apart but Buffalo Trace, Woodford, Wild Turkey, and Four Roses are within half an hour of each other. Regardless of the distance your not getting to them all, possibly not even all the major ones. Secondly, (I’ll say it again) during peak days and times you might not be able to tour at all or need to wait without reservations so make reservations. Another General recommendation is that you and certainly kids have a three distillery attention limit. Things will start blending in and looking the same after that. Pick carefully because if Beam is at the top of your list, do it first. If you put favorite or must see’s at the end you may never make it. If you do more than 3, make that a daily limit. If you don’t want to drive, Mint Julep Tours has some great private and public options http://mintjuleptours.com https://mintjuleptours.com/public-bourbon-tours/

Weather The summer is hot and steamy, sometimes too hot. Bring lots of water in a cooler if you can. The summer may also have distilleries that are closed or not distilling so if you really want to see a special distillery make sure they are operating the days your planning to be there. Winter has ice and when roads are icy the distilleries have been known to close completely. Pets in the car don’t mix well if hot or cold.

Where to sleep? The nicest national hotel chain in Bardstown is the Hampton Inn. There are a few bed and breakfasts but if you want central location, choice and some luxury, Louisville is your best bet (about an hour from most things). Use this as your central hub. Places like the Marriott East (Eastern suburb to downtown Louisville) are a bit cheaper than the regular high end places in downtown and a bit closer to Frankfort area Buffalo Trace, Woodford and Lawrenceburg for Wild Turkey and Four Roses. If your going to be further South, besides Bardstown, Elizabethtown is another option.

If you’re a couple or buddies or a couple touring, I’d recommend Louisville for the bars, Resturant’s and Whiskey Row attractions. Night life is practically non existent other than Louisville. I have regretted Lexington stays as its too far from most places. If your willing to switch hotels in/from other cities/towns that’s a different matter. I personally stay at the Marriott Residence Inn in downtown Louisville when staying downtown. It’s a 50 foot walk/stumble to the best Whiskey bar in Kentucky (Haymarket, a fun dive bar open late). Wandering the streets of Louisville at night, potentially drunk, when not in a group isn’t recommended.

Family trips You better pick just Three-Four distilleries or your going to hear whining. Mix things in like Mammoth Caves, Underground Zip lines, Lincoln Boyhood home, museums, rides on the river in Louisville etc.. The Beam Urban Stillhouse and Evan Williams Experience http://evanwilliams.com/visit.php in Louisville are good for kids so I don’t count those as part of your 3. If you only have two days stick to those close to the Bluegrass Parkway. Buffalo Trace to Bardstown.

Solo or Couples Pick 5 places unless you have more than two days. At five you’ll also start to get the “distillery burnout” and a potentially unhappy spouse. If your going to do more than 5 anyway try to split it up maybe with Cincinnati, Louisville, Lexington, Nashville touring. Visit the races, horse farm etc. you’ll need a break.

Smaller Distilleries Craft and lesser known names I wouldn’t try too hard to get to unless its Willett or on the way with burnout considered.

Cost Plan on about $5-20 per adult per Distillery. Buffalo Trace has the only free tours that I recall. I’ve even heard that Makers Mark is currently charging to get in even with no tour. Don’t know if this is temporary. Other Visitor Centers/Gift Shops at this point are still free to get in but tours are the extra charge. Some might offer Discounts for DD’s, Military, Seniors, Law Enforcement and First responders so ask. Children are usually free to a certain age.

The Distilleries By rough geography. If I miss or skip a distillery it’s not necessarily a skip, I personally haven’t been or not enough there to warrant the extra time to get there. Some distilleries may have a distillery exclusive bottle. I’ll try to note these. Keep in mind that by law any Kentucky retailer can carry these also but they rarely do or can get them before the gift shop gets them all from distribution. They are part of the three tier system so even the distillery exclusives technically need to go through a third party distributer.

Louisville Angels Envy The newest tour in Downtown Louisville across from Slugger Baseball Stadium. A beautiful great tour. If you can’t see the rest of the Bourbon Trail this is a great option. Nothing I could see in the Gift shop different than what you can get at home but I’d go back again. They did have their Rye which is often sold out back home. Note that tours do get sold out on weekdays off peak as they were when I was there.

Bulleit Experience If your not a Stitzel Weller geek skip it. If you don’t know what Stitzel Weller is, again, skip it. More or less a Diageo ad for Bulleit that has never had or has a current real Distillery there although one is due to open soon in Shelbyville that might have public tours.

Copper and Kings is a Brandy distillery in Louisville if your into that and have time.

Evan Williams Experience A mini distillery and showcase of distilling and history. A fun time. They have a few exclusives like a 12 year and 23 year Evan Williams.

Frankfort area

Buffalo Trace http://www.buffalotracedistillery.com/visit-us/our-tours Not an official part of or member of the Bourbon Trail. Free tours and you should reserve Hard Hat Tours as opposed to the regular hourly tours. They split production and maturation into roughly two tours so you could end up there most of the day to get tour bookend Hard Hat type tours in. This is a whiskey factory. Not much for kids but a not to be missed option. Don’t expect any bottles you can’t get at home of Whiskey, nothing special.

Woodford Reserve https://www.woodfordreserve.com/distillery/tours/ Very pretty and fairly quick tours. Drive through horse county to the nicest Distillery in Ky. A couple releases you can only find at the distillery. Real nice gift shop packed full. Usually two unique Whiskeys in .375 size avail each only there. A must stop.

Castle and Key Beginning tours soon. Read up on Old Taylor History (what used to be here) and check it out. Down the street from Woodford. If and when tastings are offered in the near future it will be new booze and young aka not too good. Keep this in mind for any newer distillery only bottling their own make.

Four Roses http://fourrosesbourbon.com Another great stop but no bottling or maturation is done here (see below). That is a separate facility near Beam that you can tour. A whiskey factory that’s a great stop for a Four Roses lover. Bottles selected by Brent Elliott the Master Distiller in the nice large gift shop usually.

Wild Turkey http://wildturkeybourbon.com/visit-us/ New distillery, visitor center and bottling. Feels a bit sterile. Tours stop at lots of windows you can only look through like the distillery. A nice stop and Master Distillers Eddie or Jimmy Russell are often hanging out signing things. Usually no special bottlings are for sale there but a good fun stop.

Bardstown They are adding lots of distilleries but the ones there are Willett and Barton. Don’t stop at Barton if you’ve been/going to one of the whisky factories. Ugly, nothing you’ll want in the giftshop.

Willett https://www.kentuckybourbonwhiskey.com/visit-willett-distillery/# You MUST get a reservation early at Willett to be safe. Its small and very very popular. A recent Saturday out of season had 500 people and they stopped counting. Willett often has private bottling you can’t get elsewhere of advanced age. They are fleeting though. A 14 year old bottling could show up without notice then be sold out within an hour. Don’t expect it will be while you are there but and a big but- If you are on the tour and ask nice you never know. Willett Family Reserve is one of the hardest to get due to the value on the secondary market. They do have their other retail brands and sometimes Rye there regularly. Great people. Expanding Giftshop about to have a bed and breakfast onsite summer/fall 2017 most likely. Periodically will have things you can’t get elsewhere at random. Still have bottles of allocated things from back home you might not see.

Makers Mark If you want to make the trip on Loretto Rd that passes Willett, Makers Mark is ½ hour each way. A cool nice Distillery if you have time. Pretty and complete tours. Can get real busy. Usually one or two things in a large gift shop you can’t get back home.

There is practically nothing but windy roads and little or no cellular coverage. It’s worth the trip but consider it’s a half day excursion. Great Giftshop. The most educational tasting of different stages of maturation, big Giftshop with some private things you can’t get elsewhere and chance to wax dip your own bottle.

If your out this way consider stopping at Independent Stave in Lebanon where they make new Whiskey barrels. Two tours a day, reservations a must. Worth a stop if you have time. http://www.iscbarrels.com/tours/

Wilderness Trace also (see below)

Heaven Hill’s maturation and bottling are here in Bardstown. If you’ve seen or will be seeing these at other places no real draw for me to recommend the tour. The Louisville distillery is not open to the public but the Evan Williams Experience fills in with a mini distillery and nice facility. http://heavenhilldistillery.com/bourbon-heritage-center.php?utm_source=BHC&utm_medium=Redirect&utm_campaign=BHCRedirect&bhc=1

The Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center and Giftshop is a great stop however with frequently special bottlings you can’t get at home or tightly allocated.

Four Roses Maturation and Bottling is near Beam and Bardstown. If you’re a fan of Four Roses or want to see these production pieces in depth, stop. It’s 5 minutes from Beam but hours are a bit more limited. Navigation will often send you to the wrong Four Roses address so make sure you enter the address so don’t trust your navigation to suggest an address. Tour cost are Interchangeable so a receipt for the distillery gets you into the other. The last tour of the day departs the Visitor Center at 3:00 p.m. 624 Lotus Road Cox’s Creek, KY 40013

Beam http://www.jimbeam.com/en-us/visit-us/book-a-tour They did a good job here setting up a complete experience. Maybe one of the best. I will say this is the tour from the Barrel picking experience so the regular tour may include other parts of the real distillery operation. You should check. Good for kids and has micro tastes of products and a couple whiskeys unique to the huge American Still House gift shop.

Wilderness Trail This is another extreme distance but worth the trip if you have lots of time and want to see a nice craft place.

Craft distilleries Remember burnout. If you want to indulge check out http://kybourbontrail.com/craft-tour/

I want more If you want even more or more on-depth experience Moonshine University runs courses from a day to 5 day Distiller classes. Also a Stave and Thief Whisky Society Certification. They are in Louisville. If you arrange your trips around their schedules it gives you this extra option. https://moonshineuniversity.com/courses/

Lastly, in the next couple years many new attractions and distilleries will be opening in downtown Louisville and it’s Whiskey Row so check to see what they have opened. Here are some suggested driving times and map http://kybourbontrail.com/map/

Enjoy your trip and be safe.

[reneeacaseyfl]

5 Bottles That Will Put You at the Center of Irish Whiskey’s Renaissance

Companies have bad years. Facing serious economic headwinds, entire nations can experience a “lost decade.” But you have to start thinking in terms of bad centuries to get your head around the story of the Irish whiskey industry.

Ireland entered the 19th century as a global spirits powerhouse, with Dublin housing two of the world’s largest distilleries. But the next 200 years unspooled in a series of unmitigated political and economic catastrophes. In the 1830s, an Irish temperance movement began that would eventually prompt half of Ireland’s population to swear off alcohol for life. Later in the century—just as the temperance movement began winding down—the Irish independence movement spun up, leading to civil unrest and political tensions that disrupted the industry. A complete suspension of Irish distilling in 1917 (spurred by food shortages during World War I) was followed promptly by the 1919 Irish War of Independence, which cost Irish whiskey makers their lucrative British export market. Prohibition in the U.S. simultaneously closed another key foreign market for Irish whiskey, though that didn’t stop bootleggers from passing off illicit, low-grade hooch as Irish whiskey, tarnishing its reputation for quality. The 1930s saw a global depression and a trade war with Britain, the 1940s another cataclysmic World War, the late 1960s and 1970s a general decline in demand for whiskey—the litany of disasters goes on.

By 1980, only two distilleries remained in operation in all of Ireland, a fact that makes it all the more significant that with the opening of Roe & Co. distillery in Dublin last month there are now 25, with another 24 slated to come online over the next few years. Dublin, which lacked a single working distillery for more than a century, now has three. Global Irish whiskey sales have doubled in the past decade alone, from 6 million cases in 2010 to a projected 12 million next year. The U.S. buys more than 40% of that product, and data from beverage industry analysis shop IWSR suggests that on its current trajectory, Irish whiskey sales could overtake Scotch whiskey sales in the U.S. by the middle of the next decade, lifting Irish whiskey back to pre-Prohibition prominence.

Irish whiskey, in other words, is in the midst of an incredible rebound, and consumers are taking note. What’s changed? For one, the industry is shaking off those lost decades of bad luck and unfortunate consumer perceptions and leaning hard into a moment in which the global whiskey category is experiencing enviable growth. But many of the new Irish whiskeys coming to market now also offer whiskey lovers something markedly different from the Scotches and bourbons that have dominated the global whiskey conversation in recent years, whiskeys that by rule must conform to certain constraints. Though Irish whiskey certainly has a distinct style, and there are plenty of rules governing its production, Irish distillers have a bit more room to maneuver when it comes to their raw ingredients, which generally include a mix of malted and unsalted barley but often other grains as well.

Moreover, the lean years in which there were only two distilleries producing every drop of raw spirits for all of Ireland’s whiskey makers forced competing brands to get creative, differentiating their products through innovations in blending and aging. As the industry began its rebound in the mid-2000s, a lot of those innovations went into the barrel and are only now coming out and into the bottle—a new generation of Irish whiskeys balancing centuries of tradition with the demands of an increasingly discerning whiskey consumer.

“It’s tough marrying the old and the new, but we’re trying,” says Jack Teeling, cofounder of Teeling Whiskey, the first distillery to open in Dublin in more than a century when it opened its doors in 2015. In these bottles, it’s fair to say Irish distillers are once again succeeding.

Roe & Co.

Roe & Co. ($30)

An homage to George Roe & Co., a historic but long defunct Dublin distiller, this new-from-the-ground-up distillery commenced operations in Dublin just last month. Its flagship whiskey—blended from stocks purchased from an undisclosed Irish distiller until its new spirit has time to mature—is a classic expression of the traits that make Irish whiskey unique. The unmalted barley in the mash bill lends Roe & Co. a distinctly Irish mouthfeel—creamy in texture, on the nose, and on the finish. If that tasting note of “biscuit” never really made sense to you, experience it here.

Slane Irish Whiskey

Slane ($30)

Better known for its legendary outdoor concerts (everyone from Springsteen to U2 to Queen to Bowie has played here), Slane Castle is now carving out a niche in Irish whiskey history via a newly minted distillery on the estate grounds. Its flagship expression is triple-casked—in virgin oak, used bourbon barrels, and Oloroso sherry casks—to nurture a liquid that’s slightly spicy up front, caramel-sweet with dried fruits in the middle, and altogether satisfying in the end. But with distillate from its newly minted distillery only now making its way into the barrel for maturation (its current product is blended from purchased stocks), the best is yet to come from Slane. Watch this space.

Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye

Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye ($35)

Kilbeggan claims ownership of the oldest working copper pot still in the world, a 185-year-old potbellied vessel residing at its restored distillery in the town of the same name. Want to know what that tastes like? Kilbeggan Small Batch Rye is the first whiskey made and matured start to finish at the restored facility, which traces its lineage back to 1757. Made in a style last popular in the 1800s, the blend of malted and unmalted barley with rye imported from the English countryside provides a mouthfeel that screams vanilla cream, rounded out by mellow notes of clove and spice. While Kilbeggan’s Small Batch Rye is available in limited supplies, a new (and very good) single pot still expression from the distillery will hit shelves later this year as well.

Teeling Whiskey Single Grain

Teeling Single Grain ($55)

A shining example of the ways in which Irish whiskeys are providing consumers with something new and altogether different, Teeling Single Grain is distilled largely from corn, then matured in California Cabernet Sauvignon casks—an unconventional finish for a whiskey that would be unique in any case. There simply aren’t a whole lot of single grains—whiskeys made with no more than 30% malted barley in combination with other unmalted grains—on the market. The result is fruity and buttery at the same time, light in texture and long on flavor.

The Tyrconnell 16-Year-Old Oloroso and Moscatel Cask

The Tyrconnell 16-Year-Old Oloroso and Moscatel Cask Finish ($100)

Tyrconnell has turned out quality, cask-finished expressions of Irish whiskey for years, and this newly released 16-year-old provides an excellent (and very drinkable) example of a traditional Irish distillery keeping pace with evolving tastes. Experimentation with various finishing techniques has produced some new additions to Tyrconnell’s core lineup in recent years, as well as some unique limited releases like this one. It spent 16 years in American oak and an additional turn in Andalusian casks seasoned with Oloroso sherry and then Moscatel, imparting notes of honey and caramelized sugar atop Tyrconnell’s characteristic creaminess. It’s not so easy to find, and worth the money if you do.

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