This meant that Americans would soon have much more money to spend on things like distilled spirits while also being legally allowed to buy them again. Here youll find travelogues, food guides, travel tips, and more all with a side of whisk(e)y. By purchasing this report or a membership, you can unlock the average company . Those customers are either using them right now in their products (look at how Belle Meade continues to put out a limited amount of 7-12 year old bourbon for the last 4+ years) or new ones are popping up with a large stock of it, selling it off at a fast rate (Smoke Wagon is a good example of this, releasing bottles towards the end of 2018 to the current day). Up until 1962, bourbon was still being distilled to around 107 to 110 proof, which made long aging times less necessary because the additional water content was much faster at extracting the sugars from the oak of the barrel. 2021 Null Media LLC All Rights Reserved. Red brick industrial buildings, some outside tanks, a street called Shipping Street, and the Old Seagrams name on the side of a building. Made from 100% wheat grown in Kansas, Till vodka actual has some flavor to it. So what exactly was the makeup of 7 Crown? It contains no GNS (grain neutral spirits), and no coloring. MGP, best known for its Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery, has agreed to acquire whiskey and spirits company Luxco for a whopping $475 million. This industrial-looking complex is home to the whiskey that is found in literally hundreds of different bottles nationwide. With the technological advances of the 20th century being realized at everything from automobile manufacturing to computers, Seagrams found itself with the opportunity to lean out their production by becoming fully automated in 1998. Upping the ante on bourbon is the Remus Repeal Reserve Straight Bourbon Whiskey. The same sentiment echoed in every part of the distillery. MGP is also one of the largest distilleries in the country. Snapped during the 'Rickhouse Barrel Thieving' tour at Bardstown Bourbon Co. While theyre pretty tight-lipped on the subject, its a safe estimate that their whiskey has been labeled under more than 120 different brands, all of which should have the tell-tale Distilled in Lawrenceburg, Indiana on the label. The palate is honeyed and spicy, showing lots of baking spice and a little dried fruit. Age: 4 Years. Error type: Deeply Nerdy Stuff About Jack Daniel's Production - Charcoal, Souring, Fermentation, 95% rye whiskey (a mashbill of 95% rye, 5% malted barley), 51% rye whiskey (51% rye, 45% corn, 4% malted barley), bourbon 36% rye (60% corn, 36% rye, 4% malted barley), bourbon 21% rye (75% corn, 21% rye, 4% malted barley). I knew before touring MGP Distillery that they are the largest producer of rye whiskey in the country, but seeing that size firsthand is amazing. These products are fermented and distilled on site, aged on site or elsewhere, and bottled up as a zillion different brands on the marketplace. He has studied and written about beer, whisk(e)y, and other spirits since he first started drinking them, earning several booze-related merit badges along the way, including Certified Specialist in Spirits and Executive Bourbon Steward. And while touring MGP Distillery I discovered some fascinating facts. Germany is a top producer of rye and their grain breeding programs are developed by local farmers and university researchers whereby they track key statistics like ferulic acid levels which is a huge help for any alcohol producer. This distillery produces spirits for private labels to sell. This years, Series III, is a combination of two mash bills from the 2007 and 2008 vintages. "Our strategy is to build out in all categories in which we distill," says Andy Mansinne, the vice president of brands. March 14, 2021 at 06:52 PM, Posted by: In some ways you could say that they had always [], Mister Sam Tribute Whiskey Review - Bourbon Culture, [] of WLW, the citrus and baking spice of THH and interestingly, the punchy sweet character of an MGP Light Whiskey. The timing for this acquisition couldnt have been more perfect as another key trend in 2011 and 2012 saw alcohol and distilling laws across the USA begin to ease following the boom of the craft brewing industry. As most of you nerds already know, most of the rye whiskey produced in the US is made at MGP Ingredients, aka Midwest Grain Products. Learn how your comment data is processed. Even the Mother Yeast it uses to ferment with was inherited from Seagrams. It should also be noted that Seagrams owned other Kentucky distilleries, but would eventually shutter many of them due to the decrease in whiskey sales across the years. Just like that, the home of the Remus Bourbon and Rossville Union brands had a brand of its own. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog. The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Its clearly an industrial site you wont find much in the way of landscaping but its also not as factory-like as I imagined. Company: Old Fourth Distillery. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Crowded Barrel Whiskey Co. 16221 Crystal Hills Drive Austin, TX 78737 512.850.9622. tastingroom . They dont have any climate control, but are made from brick and concrete, which take months for the seasonal temperature changes to take affect. All Rights Reserved. Looking across state lines, MGPI found a recently-closed pipe manufacturing building in Williamstown, Kentucky that could be easily converted into a barrel-aging facility. That is, until recently. With this change of ownership came the official splitting of the close ties that bonded the Indiana distillery with the conglomerate of other North American distilleries to include the Four Roses Distillery, which had also been owned by Seagrams up until this point. Email address will not be displayed with the comment.). Comparison Joint Review (Batch 9 vs Batch 13). Whether you select the original, 95-rated Remus Straight Bourbon Whiskey, the . Great whiskey can never be rushed, but thankfully with the expansions taking place today, many bottles will be guaranteed to wear a Produced in Lawrenceburg, IN on their label long into the future. That the distillery is so automated, just six people can run the entire place! Releasing November 2019, it commemorates the 100th Anniversary of the Volstead Act, which started Prohibition. Comments (5). But the simple fact remains that many brands built their fanbase on MGPI products and many more have struggled with releasing their own products that arent up to the level their customers experienced with MGPI products. This would not end up being the last time that a product from Lawrenceburg Distillery ended up being incorrectly labeled as companies like Widow Jane and Whistlepig also failed to state on their labels that their bourbon and rye whiskey came from Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Whereas a majority of Kentucky warehouses were built out of wood, the warehouses at the Lawrenceburg distillery were all brick structures with concrete floors separating each level. There stands a good chance that a number of those brands will have to re-convert to an all-MGPI portfolio of whiskey or at least run two brands simultaneously (much like how Nelsons Green Brier produces their own whiskey, but will continue bottling their Belle Meade line of MGPI bourbon). Turns out, yes! Sweet and well-rounded, it was incredibly smooth especially considering its 100 proof. Eight & Sand Blended Bourbon The newest whiskey in the MGP portfolio, Eight & Sand is a blended bourbon that includes every whiskey MGP produces (including both bourbon mashbills, corn whiskey, and light whiskey). During this timeframe when the American sourced-whiskey industry was in its infancy, rules werent clearly established and improper labeling was commonplace among smaller bottlers. That includes not just bourbon and rye but vodka and gin, as the company has long been a producer of neutral grain. Earlier this year, MGP acquired and merged with Luxco Spirits, a family owned liquor company HQ'd in St. Louis. They may have also been instructed to include warehouses with metal walls on their list as well. The Kentucky rickhouses lose more water, as opposed to the humid ones here. Here youll find travelogues, food guides, travel tips, and more all with a side of whisk(e)y. Whiskied Wanderlust is a whiskey and travel site based in Chicago. Since Seagrams has never marketed their GNS as a type of whiskey, the makeup of a typical batch of GNS would forgo any malted grain and instead use 100% corn. MGP Ingredients is a leading supplier of premium distilled spirits and specialty wheat proteins and starches has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Luxco, Inc., and its affiliated companies. Named Metzes Medley Indiana Straight Bourbon Whiskey, under 1000 bottles of 80 proof bourbon were blended by master distiller Greg Metze and were sold off with all proceeds going to the United Way. This includes around 80-85% of the market's rye, according to MGP estimates. We visited one warehouse - there are seven on-site and I think 5 more elsewhere (though I'm not confident in those numbers). With Seagrams exiting the market altogether, assets of multiple distilleries were split between Pernod Ricard and Diageo to avoid monopoly laws. It is not exactly known why the producers felt the need to develop a new category of whiskey, but production costs and the changing tastes of American drinkers (to lighter drinkers) were certainly at the forefront. This prompted Pernod Ricard to begin looking for a buyer for the LDI facility. And getting the opportunity to taste my way through all of these while sitting next to them was unbelievably memorable! 57.7K subscribers What is MGP? The company is 100% sustainable (including the distilleries, plants, and offices) and has a policy against single use plastics. (And thats really saying something in my book!). CL Financial Group (also affiliated with Angostura Limited) reached an agreement with them and bought the LDI plant and the Charles Medley Distillery in Owensboro, KY towards the end of 2007. Today MGP Distillery produces whiskey, vodka, gin, neutral grain spirits, and industrial alcohol. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. However, front and center was a barrel with a very visible "DSP-KY-20037" stamped on the barrel head. However, it was not until many years later that it was discovered that Templeton Rye was actually distilled in Indiana. MSRP: $50 (2019) Official Website. The standard bottling is 47% ABV. Blended whiskey, especially American style, has a bad reputation. November 27, 2019 at 08:16 AM, I understand there are no tours; however, if we are passing through town is there a gift shop or a place where you can purchase product. When Americans taste for whiskey declined after Prohibition, Seagrams bought Rossville Distillery in 1933. MGP of Indiana ( Midwest Grain Products of Indiana [1] ), formerly known as LDI ( Lawrenceburg Distillers Indiana ), is a distillery in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, producing spirits for private label sale. And in 2016 MGP add their own brands to the mix. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Copyright 2020 Kelli Nakagama. It is a widely held belief among whiskey enthusiasts and Lawrenceburg, Indiana distillery workers that their whiskey has a sweet spot between 10 years old and 14 years old. Related ::Touring High West Distillery in Utah, Glengoyne Distillery in Scotland, and Teeling Distillery in Dublin. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. This has led to an interesting spattering of small craft distilleries around the US offering limited amounts of highly-aged MGP bourbon and rye whiskey for a year or two before running out completely. Some of the in house whiskey labels at MGP (image via Prairie Rose/The Whiskey Wash). Rossville Union rye and George Remus bourbon both have several bottles to their lineup (but more on those below). We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Copyright 2020 Kelli Nakagama. Taste the possibilities. But geography played the most important role in why this area was picked for distilling. We began the tour in the barrel-filling building where MGP can fill an impressive five barrels every 30 seconds. This is only a preview. And the Eight & Sand story? Some Indiana-bourbon lovers who swoon about older barrel proof bourbons with low ABV numbers would probably find out that their barrels came from the warehouses (and sides of the warehouses) that were especially close to Tanners Creek. But there are many more similarities that continue to connect these two distilleries to this day. This release is a blend of 159 barrels, all aged five to seven years and bottled at 94 proof (47% ABV). Something went wrong. The Whiskeys - Willett Distillery - Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey. Theres a reason why everyone from Bulleit and Templeton to WhistlePig and High West sources from MGP. One of the most impressive parts of the plant that we visited was the control room a monitor-filled war room, of sorts. Both were a blended whiskey product, which meant that the whiskey inside was produced at more than one distillery and was made up of more than one mashbill before being blended together and bottled. Every distiller in Kentucky has been dumping millions of dollars into pristine landscaping, educational tours and new facilities to give each distillery its own unique appeal and lure to the tourists and whiskey enthusiasts alike. It honors the famous rye made here back in 1847 with Rossville Union Straight Rye and Barrel Proof. First of all, although many pictures of the warehouses at Lawrenceburg, Indiana facility show barrels being stored on their side (aka, in ricks), the large majority are actually stored on palates (upright). Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The association between Four Roses and Jos. Therefore each level of the warehouse would remain more or less the same temperature. This gives these products a point of differentiation from their many clients' products. Like most brands, each MGP brand has a story, but they emphasized that here they are all true. Kelly E Hayden | Barrel Craft Spirits recently announced Floridas Bluebird Hardwater recently launched Something went wrong. In this facility there are three gin stills and two continuous column stills. (Covington, outside of Cincinnati, is a charming city conveniently close to Lawrenceburg.) All Coupons ( 18) Coupon Codes ( 4) Coupon Sales ( 14) Coupons You May Like. Review: Bookers Bourbon Kentucky Tea Batch 2022-03, Review: Makers Mark BRT-01 and BRT-02 2022 Limited Release, The Best Cherry Liqueur Roundup: 12 Bottles Tasted, 1 Winner, Review: Old Forester The 117 Series Extra Extra Old, The Best Chocolate Liqueur Roundup 10 Bottles Tasted, 2 Winners. That unknown was soon answered with a resounding thud of the worldwide recession that hit in 2008. So if something happens to one rick house, they dont lose an entire styles stock. Especially compared to the other distilleries Ive visited in Scotland, which are making whiskey on a minuscule scale in comparison. GNS were increasingly popular to blend into other whiskies because of the before-mentioned change in taste of the average consumer starting in the 1960s and 1970s that demanded a lighter spirit and taste. Their many clients ' products has some flavor to it that the is. 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