Skip to main content

Safai Bourbon is entering the whiskey market with a new single barrel bourbon

The cofounder of Rabbit Hole is launching a new whiskey

Safai Bourbon
Safai Bourbon

Mike Safai is the co-founder of Rabbit Hole Distilling. He has since moved on from the popular distillery and founded Safai Coffee. Even while growing his coffee business, he held onto a collection of American whiskey barrels just in case he wanted to get back into the whiskey game. Well, it obviously drew him back in because recently, Safai Bourbon launched its first expression, a single-barrel Kentucky straight bourbon.

Safai Kentucky Straight Bourbon

Safai Bourbon
Safai Bourbon

Distilled at New Riff Distillery in Newport, Kentucky, Safai Kentucky Straight Bourbon is the first release from the renowned whiskey innovator. The mash bill was initially made not for a whiskey but for a wheat beer. In addition to corn, it also contains a unique ingredient: honey-roasted malt.

Recommended Videos

Only consisting of two barrels, the whiskey that would eventually be Safai Kentucky Straight Bourbon was matured for six years in charred oak barrels. Safai then took the barrels and stored them for two more years at Left Bank Spirits in Louisville. The final product is a rich, bold, complex 112-proof sipping whiskey.

“I have always looked for new and innovative ways to consider flavors,” Safai said in a press release. “Changing the roasting process for coffee beans, restaging the ingredients when making beer, or restructuring the cooking process of the mash in bourbon and then altering the char in the barrel to change the chemistry of the juice are ways to challenge what we can imagine possible.”

Where can I buy it?

glass of whiskey
DanielViero / Adobe Stock

The first of many unique, flavorful whiskeys, Safai Kentucky Straight Bourbon is available at select retailers and Safaibourbon.com for a suggested retail price of $300.

Buy Now

Christopher Osburn
Christopher Osburn is a food and drinks writer located in the Finger Lakes Region of New York. He's been writing professional
WhistlePig is launching its oldest, most expensive whiskey ever
WhistlePig's newest whiskey matured for three decades
WhistlePig The BigShǝBàng

To say that WhistlePig’s newest expression has been matured for a long time is a bit of an understatement. At thirty years old, it’s the oldest whiskey ever released by the iconic Vermont-based brand (even older than The Béhôlden – Aged 21 Years and The Badönkådonk – Aged 25 Years). Unsurprisingly, it’s also the most expensive.
WhistlePig The BigShǝBàng

It’s called WhistlePig The BigShǝBàng, and this single malt is also older than any other North American-produced single malt whiskey. It’s matured for three decades in American oak barrels, followed by a secondary aging in popular Italian dessert wine Vin Santo barrels.
According to WhistlePig, the result is a 90.4-proof single malt whiskey that begins with a nose of honeyed bread, wheat crust, and floral hints. The palate is loaded with flavors like dough, honeysuckle, and clove. The finish is long, warm, and ends with toasted cedar and gentle caramel sweetness.
“We didn’t wait for our Single Malt’s 30th birthday just to play it safe. The BigShǝBàng is a flavor supernova – radiant, otherworldly, and unlike anything we’ve ever put in a bottle.” Meghan Ireland, Head Blender at WhistlePig, said.
“We’ve been hunting down Vin Santo barrels for a few years now, and the stars finally aligned with a precious few to finish this inaugural release. As with many of our most elusive casks, they’ve proved to be a catalyst for complexity that’s well worth the quest.”
Where can I buy it?

Read more
Bunnahabhain is launching a new whisky finished in unique barrels
Bunnahabhain is releasing a new single malt whisky aged in a variety of unique casks
Bunnahabhain

In the world of single malt Scotch whisky, there are five regions. They are the Lowlands, Highlands, Speyside, Campbeltown, and Islay. The latter is different from all the rest thanks to its glut of distilleries producing peat-smoked whiskies. But not all the distilleries on this Inner Hebrides island make smoke bombs.

Bunnahabhain is known mainly for its unpeated single malts. Recently, this popular distillery announced the launch of a new expression matured in a combination of unique barrels.
Bunnahabhain Turas Math No.1

Read more
From George Washington to modern distilleries: Bourbon’s all-American journey
The surprising history of bourbon and why it’s more American than apple pie
Whiskey barrels

If you didn’t know it already, September is Bourbon Heritage Month. It was officially declared in 2007 by the U.S. Senate after being sponsored by Kentucky Senator Jim Bunning. Each fall, it’s celebrated to pay homage to America’s “native spirit” and its historical value, and the importance of the bourbon industry.

In my alcohol writing career, I’ve enjoyed countless glasses of bourbon. And while I’ll definitely sip my fair share of bourbon in September, to truly get the most out of this important month, it’s a good idea to learn a little about the history of this truly American form of whiskey, along with the stories and legends surrounding it.
An American legacy of Bourbon

Read more