Stitzel-Weller Distillery is known for producing popular brands such as Blade and Bow and I. W. Harper. But it also makes whiskeys under its own name. Recently, under the Stitzel-Weller brand name, the distillery released a highly exclusive bourbon that spent more than 3 decades aging before it was bottled.
Stitzel Reserve 31-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey
Last year, the distillery debuted Stitzel Reserve and released its 24-year-old bourbon. This year, the historic brand upped the ante and released Stitzel Reserve 31-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey. It’s made up of 13 hand-picked, charred oak barrels, matured for a minimum of 31 years. Only 176 bottles are being made available to the public.
According to the brand, the result is a multi-layered, sublime 163.2 proof whiskey that begins with a nose of orchard fruit, pear brandy, cedar, apple skin, burnt sugar, orange peel, cola syrup, and aged books. The palate is centered on notes of dark fruit and oak tannins. The finish is long, warm, and ends with a mix of pine boughs and baked apple. It’s best to enjoy neat with a splash or two of water to open up the aromas and flavors.
“When I discovered these barrels, I saw the potential for something extraordinarily rare,” Nicole Austin, Director of American Whiskey Liquid Development and Capabilities at Diageo, says.
“What makes this release so special is not just its age, but the fact that it reached 31 years with such integrity. At Stitzel-Weller Distillery, our aging conditions have allowed us to carefully steward barrels like this over time in a way that very few distilleries in Kentucky can. That combination of place, patience, and close attention is what gives this bourbon its power, elegance, and continued evolution in the glass.”
Where can I buy it?
Stitzel Reserve 31-Year-Old Bourbon Whiskey is available for purchase at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky, for the suggested retail price of $3,000 for a 750ml bottle.
