Image used with permission by copyright holderWhat’s a better gift than a great bottle of whiskey for the holidays? How about a spirit aged to your exact liking, by you? Bluegrass Barrels, a Louisville, KY-based purveyor of small personalized barrels to age spirits, has hit the mark of 3,000 barrels sold this year, and it’s easy to see why so many people are raving about them. Sold in one, two and three liter sizes made from American white oak, a Bluegrass Barrel is the perfect gift for the cocktail enthusiast who wants to customize spirits at home.
“We are thrilled people around the country have found many different ways to enjoy Bluegrass Barrels,” Jeff Ames, founder and president of Bluegrass Barrels, said. “From creating their own aged spirits to showcasing personalized barrels at home bars, Bluegrass Barrels are becoming popular gift items and novelties for spirits enthusiasts.”
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An awesome buy for even the pickiest person on your list, you’ll likely want to keep one for yourself. What would you age in your Bluegrass Barrel?
Blue Run Spirits is releasing a limited-edition holiday bourbon
Georgetown, Kentucky-based Blue Run Spirits is an award-winning distiller well known for its highly sought-after limited-edition expressions. Its rye whiskeys and bourbons have won numerous awards at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the Ascot Awards, and more. Its newest, soon-to-be highly regarded expression is being released just in time for the holidays.
Blue Run Ember
If you’re anything like us, your after-dinner drink during the holidays is usually a glass of well-made, nuanced whiskey. That’s why we’re so excited to learn about Blue Run Spirits’ new limited-edition bourbon called Ember.
Sango is the agave spirit you’ve never heard of (yet)
A look at lesser-known agave spirit
First, there was tequila, then mezcal, sotol, and banana. The agave spirits guide is always being edited because, frankly, there are so many of them coming in and out of fashion. And it turns out they extend well beyond the continent of North America as well.
The latest version is sango, hailing from South Africa and poised to make landfall soon here in the states. Similar to tequila, it's being made from a pair of agave species that do particularly well in the arid climate. Better still, it's another adaptation of the plant, honoring some techniques of the taequileros of old but also very much its own thing.
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Redwood Empire Whiskey is launching Haystack Needle Single Barrel Program
Redwood Empire is set to launch a new single barrel program
California-based Redwood Empire is well-known for its unique, limited-edition whiskeys. Recently, the popular brand announced the launch of its new single-barrel program. The launch includes two whiskeys crafted from hand-picked barrels: Haystack Needle Bourbon and Haystack Needle Rye.
The whiskeys
The single-barrel program consists of 100% grain-to-glass whiskeys. Each barrel included is different, and for the launch, the brand selected a bourbon and a rye whiskey. Only a limited number of barrels are produced every day to create these whiskeys. This allows the distillers to have a close relationship with the whiskeys and better understand the aromas and flavors they'll find when they bottle them.
