Author: whiskeyfortheages

Non-Distilling Producers of Whiskey

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Non-Distilling Producers of Whiskey

a discussion with MGP Ingredients, Inc.

Some time ago, Hannah and I were discussing distillers and the various whiskies they produce. We each have our favorites and not so favorite labels made by the big conglomerates:

  • Beam/Suntory
  • Brown-Forman
  • Buffalo Trace/Sazarac
  • Four Roses
  • Heaven Hill
  • Wild Turkey

As Hannah and I were talking and listing the product line ups, she called me out. She said I had a bias against non-distilling producers of whiskey (NDPs).

Her comment got me to thinking … Am I a bourbon snob? Do I really have a bias for or against a label just because I may or may not know the distiller? I didn’t want to think so.

Until our conversation I had only bought a few NDP products. Maybe I just hadn’t found one which fit my profile. Bottles had come from Bulleit, (both their regular Bourbon and their Barrel Strength) as well as a few (and somewhat obscure) hard to find bourbons from Hudson’s Baby Bourbon, Jefferson’s Reserve, Noah’s Mill Genuine Bourbon, and Willet Pot Still Reserve I had read about. Other than the Bulleit Barrel Strength, none really impressed.

THE TOPIC TRIGGER
Non-distilling Producers of Whiskey

Well, as often happens, the discussion went by the wayside. Then a chance purchase caught my attention: Rebel Yell 10 Year Single Barrel. This was a decent bourbon. Soon after came Old Ezra 07 Year Barrel Strength (a bottle which is now always on my shelf along with a backup in the bunker). Prior to the Lux Row distillery in Bardstown, KY opening in 2018, Luxco did source both Rebel and Old Ezra distillate.

Then came the catalyst for this article: a Smooth Ambler Old Scout BWE Private Pick. The barrel purchase had been arranged by members of a local whiskey enthusiast group of which I am a member. MGP Ingredients, Inc. (MGP) had distilled our barrel.

With the discovery, another whiskey article quest had begun. After an extensive internet search, I sent an email referencing our potential post about contract distillers to MGP via their website. Several email exchanges later, I connected with Jenell Loschke, Public Relations and Content Manager at MGP.

MGP INGREDIENTS, INC. BACKGROUND

MGP Ingredients, Inc. (Nasdaq: MGPI) is a leading producer of premium distilled spirits, branded spirits, and food ingredient solutions. Since 1941, MGP has combined their expertise and energy aimed at formulating excellence, bringing product ideas to life collaboratively with their customers. MGP Ingredients was once known as Midwest Grain Products and to the layperson, the name has stuck with the acronym.

Non-distilling Producers of Whiskey
Lawrenceburg Distillery night hero, photo courtesy of MGP

MGP’s branded spirits portfolio covers a wide spectrum of brands in every segment, including iconic brands from Luxco, which was founded in 1958 by the Lux Family. (MGP purchased Luxco in April, 2021.) Luxco is a leading producer, supplier, importer and bottler of beverage alcohol products. Their branded spirits mission is to meet the needs and exceed the expectations of consumers, associates and business partners.

For more information, click MGP Ingredients.

ABOUT LUXCO

You may be aware of Luxco and their diverse line of products, from whiskeys (e.g. Ezra Broof, Rebel, George Remus, etc.) to tequilas and even gins (El Mayor, Burch Gin, etc.) Distilleries for all of these products are equally diverse, from Kentucky, to Washington D.C., as well as Ireland and Mexico.

Click Luxco Brands, to learn more.

Ms. Loschke was unable to confirm or deny for which bottlers her company distills …

While there’s a lot of discussion and speculation about which whiskeys are sourced from MGP, we don’t disclose our customers due to strict NDAs.

… but did indicate an interest in learning more about the direction and parameters we intended to take in our story. We exchanged a few ideas and decided the best way to prepare for the article would be via a question and answer exchange.

After choosing my topics and writing down my questions, I transmitted the list. A week or so later I received a reply from David Dykstra, Vice President of Alcohol Sales and Marketing at MGP. Following is our dialog …

WhiskeyfortheAges: Thank you for working with me on this project. Let’s jump right in.
WftA: Why would a distiller/bottler choose to partner with MGP?

David Dykstra, MGP: Distillers choose to partner with MGP because we are collaborative, flexible and deliver consistent quality at any scale. We work with—and champion – customers of all sizes, from startups to multinationals, with products and services that best meet their unique needs. With a new brand, for example, we can provide aged product to generate income while their operations are ramping up. Our work with established brands can range from ensuring a reliable supply to creating a customized mash bill or a unique medley of our time-tested products.

Non-distilling Producers of Whiskey

Photo by Milada Vigerova on Unsplash

Finally, our spirits are proven. MGP is one of the largest U.S. distillers and one of America’s top multi-line producers (meaning non-brand affiliated) of premium distilled spirits. We are the largest U.S. producer of rye whiskey and distilled gin.

WftA: What benefit does a distiller/bottler get by partnering with MGP?

MGP: The benefit of partnering with MGP is our commitment to best addressing each customer’s individual needs. Our approach is not cookie-cutter.

WftA: What kind of guidance does MGP provide to its clients?

MGP: We are attuned to consumer trends. MGP can help a customer identify and quickly leverage opportunities. Our experienced sales and R&D teams are always available to provide one-on-one consultation.

WftA: What does MGP do for its clients?

MGP: MGP offers one-on-one consultation, product development, custom mash bills and tailored formulations via the expertise and collaboration of our master distillers and master blenders, barrel finishes/wood inserts, whiskey maturation and storage, and a variety of shipping options including via totes, tanker, or rail car.

WftA: How many recipes/mash bills/yeast strains does MGP offer potential clients?

We offer more than a dozen standard mash bills. Each can stand alone or be mingled to create the precise flavor a customer wants. MGP also collaborates with customers to create proprietary, customized whiskey and bourbon formulations, as well as custom gin formulations. We work with five yeast strains identified as best used for five types of spirits: rye whiskey, wheat whiskey, light whiskey, gin and vodka.

WftA: How much leeway does MGP give its clients in the development of mash bills/recipes and the like?

MGP: We support customers’ dreams and their desire to create stand-out spirits. That’s why we offer infinite customization options, including work with less-common grains.

WftA: Does MGP offer bottling and labeling services for their clients?

MGP: No.

WftA: How does MGP help new non-distilling producers of whiskey with product until their own distillate is ready to be bottled?
When do typical partnerships end?

MGP: It is difficult to define a “typical” partnership and when it might end, given the individualized approach we bring to our work.

Non-distilling Producers of Whiskey
photo courtesy MGP

We help get new distillers up and running with aged product, offering a minimum order of four barrels for standard mash bills. In addition, MGP serves as an on-going supplementary source for a brands’ needs throughout their lifecycle. Once a spirit is produced, we can ship it to the customer for maturation and customization at their distillery. Or we can mature and customize the product in our warehouse on their behalf. We help address variations in demand and production the brand may have.

WftA: How does a brand contact MGP?

MGP: They can reach us through our website, via email (sales@mgpingredients.com), or by calling 888-897-3836.

WftA: In behalf of our readers, I would like to thank you for your time and for assisting with my questions. I am sure they will enjoy our exchanges.

MGP: Thank you for thinking of us!

WRAP-UP

So what did I learn??? MGP can help any size bottler or distiller (including start-up crafts) by providing them with aged product until their distillate is ready. They can also help seasoned companies who may need an assist with recipes and inventory. In addition to warehousing, MGP offers the ability to ship product to their customers via totes, tanker, or rail car for maturation and customization at the bottler’s or distiller’s own facilities.

Finally as I was proofing this post, I decided maybe I have been a bit of a snob when considering product from an NDP. With my new-found knowledge I will now be much less reluctant to try offerings with “Bottled by …” labeling. What do you think? Can you too relax your standards?

Click the .. LEAVE A REPLY .. button in the field below to share your thoughts on Non-distilling Producers of Whiskey and the products they offer.

Non-distilling Producers of Whiskey

Non-distilling Producers of Whiskey
written October 2021 by Brian Dawson
Editor, WhiskeyfortheAges.com

Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey Review:

reviewed 23-October-2021

SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY REVIEW:

Sazerac Straight Rye (Sazerac) is a fine whiskey. Its herbal notes of corn and rye along with spices of cinnamon and nutmeg are easy to draw. These aromas pass to the palate and blend nicely with vanilla custard and lightly burnt caramel. This rye has a medium to long finish with faint but lingering old oak and barrel char.

SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY VITAL STATS:
Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

Category: Straight Rye
Region: Frankfort, KY, USA
Company: Sazerac Company, Inc.
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Mash Bill: Undisclosed (Buffalo Trace’s Low Rye, Rye Mashbill)
Barrel Char: #4
Barrel entry proof: unpublished
Age: nas
ABV: 45% (90 Proof)
Price: $29.95 (Idaho 2020)
No batch or bottle number identifiers

Click to Buffalo Trace Distillery learn more.

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

Alternate pours, equaling about four ounces, were added into two Glencairns. My daughter and I enjoyed the whiskey neat for this review.

Check out her review for this rye here!

SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY NOSE:

Sazerac gives little if any nip to the nose even with heavy draws. The whiskey is herbal with notes of both rye and corn. I also sense fresh apples and tropical notes in the aroma as well. The spices of cinnamon, nutmeg and rye are faint but they seem to help with a lingering aroma of an empty cinnamon-apple pie tin. There is sweetness here too which comes to the nose as light vanilla, simple syrup, and buttery caramel toffee. This rye is not woody by any means but there are traces of light drying oak and a little toasted wood. Sazarac is gentle and fresh and it smells great.

SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY PALATE:

Sazerac is a warm an herbal rye and like on the nose I taste grain and corn. In the back of the palate I get soft, sweet apples, and tropical fruit dance on the tongue as well. Spices of faint cinnamon, pepper and rye boost the sweets of simple syrup, slightly burnt caramel and light molasses. And like on the nose, the woodiness is faint and taste of dry old oak and smoky sweet barrel char. I cannot say this rye is earthy but there is depth here.

Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

Balance, Body, Feel and Look:
When the first sip of Sazerac enters the mouth it feels like I’ve taken a tablespoon of fine virgin olive oil. There is a slight tickle on the tongue, but this solid rye stands on its own with well blended aromas and flavors. In the Glencairn exceptionally fat legs transport the sip wash back to the light russet colored pool, leaving behind a nearly perfect crown.

SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY FINISH:

The initial sip of Sazerac fades with a medium finish. But as I continue to sip, the finish grows soft, long and warm. I sense no fruit but I do feel faint spices of pepper and rye and sweets of vanilla custard and buttery caramel. As each sip goes down, old oak and barrel char help bolster the earthy but fresh finish. And when the last dram is downed, all the aromas and flavors can be drawn from the empty Glencairn.

MY SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE WHISKEY RATING: 90/100

Will I buy this whiskey again? YES
Click to read Brian’s scoring process.

Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this score.

WHISKEY TRAITS, FLAVOR NOTES AND PROFILE GRAPH:
Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey
Sazerac Straight Rye Whiskey

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Sazerac Straight Rye Review

Posted on by whiskeyfortheages

Hannah’s Sazerac Straight Rye Review

Original review written October 23, 2021

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:

A great rye, at a great price. Fresh, light, popping flavors with gentle alcohol burn, this is a rye (perhaps my first rye), I am committed to keeping on hand at all times. 90/100

VITALS:
Sazerac Straight Rye Review

– Made In: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Buffalo Trace Distillery
– Classification: Straight Rye Whiskey
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: undisclosed (Buffalo Trace’s Low Rye, Rye Mashbill)
– Casks: Char #4
– Barrel Entry Proof: unpublished
– ABV: 45% (90 proof)
– Price: $29.95 USD in Idaho (2020)

Visit buffalotracedistillery.com for more information

ENJOYMENT METHOD:

I enjoyed the spirit neat from a Glencairn glass with father and fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.

Check out his review for this rye here!

SETTING:

Perhaps the most simple of my settings, it is also the most widely accessible. Open up a bottle of solid Sazerac just in the middle of your living room (even a small one!) with good company. Everything is cozy; the conversation is light and humorous, and Sazerac just carries you softly through the evening – assisting in giving you a smile all the while.

Photo by Francesca Tosolini on Unsplash

NOSE:

This smells very perfume-y without even needing to bring it all the way up to my nose. It’s noticeably fresh, as I would expect from a rye, and it has a fairly floral bouquet. I find orange blossoms, and fresh white peaches. Accompanying is a sweet bread, like something I could find in a fruit bar. Subtle milk chocolate and light vanilla and the slightest bit of new leather push all of the fruity, bright sweetness together into a warm hug. I get the slightest hint of almonds and some very, very freshly cut oak. The oak is gentle, as is the rye grain – both more of an essence rather than main character. The alcohol is equally soft, and while it tickles (dare I use the word “playfully”?), it does not burn. I quite like this nose.

PALATE:
Sazerac Straight Rye Review

– Mouth Feel: Oily, but this does have a bit of grip to it, and I find that I enjoy that aspect quite a lot.
– Balance: Solid. The fruit and sweetness is soft, but present, and the rye and ginger work in tandem with it to make it pop.
– Visual: Russet in color, this is very viscous in the glass, with clinging droplets falling slowly from a thick crown.

– Taste: I can hold this on the palate for a good long while without feeling any kind of burn whatsoever. However, as soon as I process the sip, I am met with some of the orange blossoms from the nose, along with some juicy cherries. The rye pops at the very back of the palate to make all of the flavors go off like fireworks that much more. It’s not a particularly complex flavor profile, but the bright sweetness, backed by the spice makes it entertaining. There is even some ginger that livens it up even more with the rye. Again- simple. But I am finding that I quite like it.

The alcohol is still so very gentle and not at all aggressive. A Kentucky chew is equally mild, with little pricks on the tongue with the cherry and some newfound cherry juice coming into the picture.

FINISH:

– Lasting Power: Short-medium. The pop of rye makes some warmth linger, but it doesn’t stick around for too long.
– Between Sips: I can find some rye freshness and cherry between sips, and all they do is encourage me to reach for another good-tasting sip.

– No More: This stays consistent throughout the glass – perhaps mellowing out slightly, but not in any kind of way that I’d be disappointed in. I’m still definitely enjoying this thoroughly.

The empty Glencairn is a buttery oak – warm, soft, and perfectly comfortable. I love how this smells.

WORTH THE PRICE?

At $30 USD, I will absolutely keep this around and in the bunker when I have the chance. It’s light, fresh, and a great change of pace. A great finish, some sweet (but not overbearing) notes, and just really fun and entertaining. Highly recommend.

SAZERAC STRAIGHT RYE REVIEW RATING: 90/100

Click to see Hannah’s rating process

Click 90/100 to access other whiskies with this rating.