Sorry, sir, however Henry McKenna is lifeless. However not due to the Heaven Hill hearth. In a current interview with Bardstown historian Dixie Hibbs, I requested some questions in regards to the disastrous hearth at Heaven Hill Distillery in 1996. Hibbs was a Bardstown metropolis councilwoman on the time, and she or he’d volunteered to reply the infinite cellphone calls coming in from all around the globe. When one caller requested, “Is Henry McKenna OK?” she requested him to repeat the query. “Is Henry McKenna OK?” he stated, which made Higgs grin earlier than telling the frightened caller that he’d been lifeless for 103 years. “However for those who’re frightened about Henry McKenna bourbon, don’t. There’s loads left.”
The fireplace consumed seven rickhouses, 92,000 barrels of whiskey and the distillery itself. The precise reason for the fireplace was by no means decided.
The Heaven HIll hearth of 1996 (picture by way of Heaven Hill)
50 distilleries pouring whiskey at September’s Kentucky Bourbon Competition: Why’s that vital? Till final yr, no distillery may pour whiskey samples—on the Kentucky friggin’ Bourbon Competition! And earlier than that, distillery reveals by no means exceeded eight corporations (all of which solely received to promote merch). In 2021, 36 distilleries and NDPs poured whiskey on the KBF, and this yr it’s as much as 50. That’s a number of bourbon and rye obtainable for the anticipated crowd of seven,000.
And why is that quantity vital? The KBF claimed crowds reached 50,000. (And if anybody believes that occurred, I’ve received a truckload of Pappy to promote them.) How becoming that previous Bourbon Competition advertising and marketing claims surpassed some equally doubtful bourbon historical past claims.
VIP tickets offered out way back, however some normal admission tickets stay obtainable. Click on right here to get yours.
And the winner for July’s greatest clickbait headline: “25 Smoothest Bourbon Whiskeys of All Time.” How’s that for a preview to some dim writing? (I’ll not point out the publication right here, however click on right here if .) In fact, what bugs many bourbon followers is using “smoothest” within the headline. That adjective works properly for gross sales of silk bedding or polished granite, however it normally attracts the ire of brown liquor lovers. (Personally, I believe calling whiskey “juice” is bizarre and much worse, however there’s no sense in tilting at that windmill.)
Unable to withstand seeing what the author selected because the smoothest juices, er, um, bourbons, I took the clickbait. Initially I assumed, she should have a chrome-plated palate given a few of her decisions: Booker’s, Barton 1792 Full Proof, Angel’s Envy Cask Power and Bulleit Barrel Power—all beloved however famous punches within the mouth.
However my amazement over her powerful tonsils evaporated after I realized she hadn’t tasted any of the whiskeys listed. The author cited others’ opinions, together with mine from one other web site. Some pals suspected AI was concerned in crafting that rubbish, however I believe it learn extra like the hassle of somebody incomes 10 cents per phrase. In protection of the article: Should you don’t actually drink the whiskey you write about, all of them will be clean.
Bourbon is a patrons’ market—for VC a minimum of one group. Since Constellation and Diageo haven’t purchased something within the American whiskey section shortly, I assume their pantries are full for the second. Pritzker Capital, nonetheless, appears keen fill its purchasing cart.
On the heels of Pritzker’s buy of Bardstown Bourbon Co. (BBC) in Might, BBC (maybe with a roll of Pritzker money in hand) made its personal journey to the company liquor retailer and cleared Inexperienced River Distilling Co. from the shelf in July.
Neither distillery is even a decade outdated, however each are vital gamers on the contract distilling scene. BBC boasts 50 shoppers whereas Inexperienced River makes whiskey for 20 of its personal, and the technique of creating others’ first has labored properly for each. Inexperienced River launched a 5-year-old namesake bourbon this yr and a few count on BBC will launch a 6-year-old bourbon this yr.
Inexperienced River Distilling (picture copyright The Whiskey Wash)
Instantly following the Inexperienced River sale, its grasp distiller, Jacob Name, left to work on one other distillery undertaking (which stays to be revealed). What’s clearly not hidden, although, are the perplexed seems to be on locals’ faces in Owensboro, Ky., house to Inexperienced River. They vary someplace between, “What the hell simply occurred?” and “I’ll be damned.”
Right here’s why that issues: Previous to being badged as Inexperienced River Distilling Co., the O.Z. Tyler Distillery title was on the distillery. Owensboro is traditionally a whiskey city; house to twenty distilleries till Prohibition killed them off. Realizing OTZ liquid included TerrePure whiskey from its mum or dad firm, Terressentia, locals didn’t need any a part of it.
However when the distillery targeted totally on making nice whiskey like the unique Inexperienced River Distilling Co., locals received excited in regards to the liquid and supported the enterprise.
Now, although, and in brief order, issues are altering. The distillery is owned by an outdoor agency and the grasp distiller Owensboro adopted as considered one of its personal is immediately gone. You may perceive why they’re asking, “What the hell simply occurred? And what’s coming subsequent?”
Laborious seltzer gross sales are plummeting, however whiskey followers aren’t crying. For the previous two years, gross sales of exhausting seltzer like Actually, White Claw and Bud Gentle Every little thing However the Kitchen Sink took off similar to stylish, low-carb, might-make-you-look-sexy stuff all the time does. And whereas exhausting seltzer gross sales aren’t lifeless, they’re sliding precipitously.
Firstly, I’m really not sorry. The few instances I attempted exhausting seltzers, I by no means may claw my method additional into these skinny cans for quite a lot of sips. Name me a geezer set in his ingesting methods … no matter … I simply don’t like them. They’re not horrible, they only style, properly, meh.
And the maker of Actually, Boston Beer Co., might not like them both. On the top of the exhausting seltzer craze, shares of Boston Beer (ticker image SAM) hit the $1,200 mark! As of this writing, they’ve plummeted to $375. Not all of that decline is because of Actually gross sales shortfalls, however it shoulders a lot of the blame.
Why does this matter? It’s simply extra proof that well-established merchandise like American whiskey have been common for many years now and that received’t change within the lifetime of anybody studying this. Skip the fads. Drink the good things!
