Hops & Spirits: Neat & Mixed

We've Got Questions for Whiskey Jypsi's Ari Sussman on their upcoming releases, creating those blends and more.

We've Got Questions for Randy Prasse, president and COO of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. He talks about what the various ticket options at KBF, how you can get early access and more.

The new Whiskey JYPSI Explorer series will focus on finishing these spirits with combinations of distinctive woods from around the globe. The series will feature well-aged, mature whiskeys never younger than six years old and ranging between 100-107 proof. Explorer’s inaugural release is a blend of two six-year-old bourbons – a low rye distilled in Kentucky and selected for its sweetness, and an Indiana high rye chosen for its spice. The combined mash bill of 66% corn, 30% rye and 4% malted barley is then slowly reduced to 103 proof and finished using two oak varietals – French Oak (Quercus robur) from France’s famed Forest of Tronçais and American Oak (Quercus alba) from the Appalachian Mountains. Whiskey JYPSI’s Explorer is priced at $69.99.

We've Got Questions for Randy Prasse, president and COO of the Kentucky Bourbon Festival. He talks about what KBF is, what folks can expect, new things happening in 2024 and more.

We've Got Questions for Never Say Die Bourbon co-founder Brian Luftman. He talks about how Never Say Die Bourbon got started, where the name comes from, why they send a Kentucky bourbon to England to age, what's next and more!

Ross & Squibb Distillery's newest member of the Rossville Union Straight Rye Whiskey brand family: Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey. Aged six years and offered at 100 proof, Rossville Union Bottled in Bond Straight Rye Whiskey features a mash bill consisting of 51% rye and 49% barley malt. This release was distilled in March of 2017. MSRP $50 per 700 ml bottle

Holladay Soft Red Wheat is crafted with the original Holladay recipe with one substitute: wheat for the rye. Holladay Soft Red Wheat Bourbon is one of the very few bottled-in-bond wheat bourbons on the market aged 6+ years. It features a mashbill of 73% corn, 15% wheat and 12% barley. It comes in at 100 proof and an MSRP of $60.

Jonathan and Brandon sit down with Andy Cobb, Butchertown Brewing Founder and Head Brewer. We enjoy their Franklin Street Pilsner, Imperial Mango sour, rum barrel finished Kill the Pain, and Horus barrel-aged collab. Andy also talks about how the brewery got started, launching during COVID, their Mellwood location, bringing barrel-aged beers to life, collaborating nationally and more.

Lexington Brewing & Distilling Co. released a tales of two maples this past fall with their limited release Town Branch Maple Barrel Stout Finished Bourbon (SRP $69.99 / 750ml) and Kentucky Maple Barrel Imperial Stout (SRP $19.99 / 4pk Cans). The Town Branch Maple Barrel Stout Finished Bourbon 2023 editions spent 2-years finishing time in barrel and has a mashbill of 72% Corn, 15% Rye, 13% Malted Barley. The Kentucky Maple Barrel Imperial Stout was aged for 18-months in freshly decanted maple syrup bourbon barrels.

Chicken Cock Red Stave Kentucky Straight Bourbon is finished in carefully selected J. Wilkes Petite Sirah barrels hailing from California. Bottled at 102.4 proof, the Petite Sirah wine barrel finish features a mash bill of 70% corn, 21% rye and 9% malted barley. MSRP is 200 dollars.