The Dividend Bourbon Club, based in York, PA, is a group of bourbon fans brought together by a shared love for this unique spirit. Our name, “Dividend,” reflects our practice of extending our tastings with an extra pour or an additional sample – our version of sharing ‘dividends.’ It’s a nod to our belief that bourbon is best appreciated when shared among friends, fostering a sense of community and camaraderie.
We meet regularly to explore a wide array of bourbons and whiskeys, enjoying the diversity of tastes, aromas, and stories that each bottle brings. Through these shared experiences, we journey together through the rich and varied landscape of bourbon/whiskey, deepening our appreciation for this iconic American spirit.
The Pick On November 2nd, 2023, the Dividend Bourbon Club was led by Chris Morris, Brown-Forman’s Master Distiller Emeritus, during our visit to the Old Forester Distillery. This exceptional opportunity included an informative private tour, culminating in a memorable barrel selection experience for our Old Forester Single Barrel Strength.
With Chris Morris’ expert guidance, we embarked on a tasting straight from the barrel, sampling from three distinct barrels. Each offered a unique expression of Old Forester’s renowned bourbon craftsmanship.
The barrel we selected was barreled on 5/10/19 and aged in Warehouse I on the fifth floor. At its bottling, it is an impressive 131 proof.
We proudly present the Dividend Bourbon Club’s exclusive bottle pick: the 131-proof Old Forester Single Barrel Strength from Warehouse I. This selection reflects not only our club’s commitment to exceptional bourbon but also a tribute to the invaluable insights and expertise shared by Chris Morris and the rich history of Brown Forman and Old Forester.
– Whiskey that is aged at least three years and distilled from a mash of only malted barley at a single distillery.
Single Pot Still Irish Whiskey
– Single (or pure) pot still whiskey uses a mix of malted and unmalted barley that must be at least 30% of each barley, up to 5% other cereals, and distilled in a pot still at a single distillery.
Single Grain Irish Whiskey
– Whiskey that is at least three years old and a single distillery using any cereal grains including malted or unmalted barley.
Irish Blend Whiskey
– Mixture of any grains of two or more styles of Irish whiskey. There are no specific names to differentiate between blends made from various malts, grains, stills or multiple distilleries.
History:
Shortly after the conquest of Ireland by Henry II in 1170, the English noted that Irish monks were in the habit of making and drinking aqua vitae or water of life. In Irish Gallic, the term was Uisce Beatha, pronounced ish-keh bah-ha. The term was eventually corrupted into whisky by the English (Forbes, Joseph V. Miscallef, 2018).
The use of un-malted barley originally came as a tax dodge tactic. The Irish didn’t want to pay tax that the British had imposed on malted barley – thus creating the single pot still whiskey with the use of malted and un-malted barley (Whizzky, 2018).
Difference between single malt Irish whiskey and single pot still Irish whiskey:
– Single malt refers to the use of malted barley from one distillery. Whereas single pot still is malted and un-malted barley from one distillery (Whizzky, 2018)
How Irish Whiskey is Made:
The Irish Whiskey Act of 1980 defines the basic requirements for Irish whiskey which includes:
– Be made from a mash of malted barley, plus other cereal grains (optional).
– Be mashed, fermented, distilled to no more than 94.8% ABV, and matured in wooden casks, such as
oak, not exceeding 700 liters for a minimum of three years in the Republic of Ireland and/or Northern Ireland.
– Not contain additives other than water and caramel coloring (e150a).
– Retain the characteristics of its raw materials (in other words, smell and taste like whiskey).
– Be bottled at no less than 40% ABV (Whiskey Advocate, 2017).
Main difference between Irish and American whiskey:
– Years – American is minimum of 2 years while Irish is a minimum of 3 years.
– Grain – American = mostly corn, rye, and wheat. Irish = mostly barley
The Sexton Single Malt (sourced from Bushmills) Proof: 80 Age: minimum of 4 years Mashbill: 100% malted barley SRP: $25-35 Tullamore D.E.W. 12 Proof: 80 Age: 12 years Mashbill: blend of single malt, grain, and single pot still SRP: $50 Fun Facts:
Redbreast Lustau (Distilled at Midleton) Proof: 92 Age: 9-12 years Mashbill: Malted & un-Malted barley SRP: $85
The Sexton:
– The Sexton Single Malt Irish Whiskey is triple distilled from 100% malted Irish barley using copper pot stills. Aged in ex-oloroso sherry butts for a minimum of four years. Bottled in a unique, solid
black hexagonal bottle at 40% ABV. Available in the US beginning November 2017 (Distiller).
– Aged in a mix of first- to fourth-fill Oloroso Sherry butts (Richard Thomas, the Whiskey Reviewer).
– A creation of Alex Thomas, a distiller with 13 years experience, one of the very few women in Ireland to claim the title of Master Blender (Richard Thomas, the Whiskey Reviewer).
Tullamore D.E.W. 12:
– The 12 Year Special Reserve stays true to the original bottling in that is a blend of three kinds of whiskey: single malt, grain, and single pot still. In this case, the bottling is largely comprised of the single malt and pot still.
– The whiskey is aged in a mix of both bourbon and sherry casks, some up to 15 years.
– DEW or D. E. W. are the initials of one of the greatest distillers Ireland has ever had, his name was Daniel Edmund Williams.
Redbreast Lustau:
– Initially matured in traditional bourbon and sherry casks for a period of 9-12 years. It is then finished for 1 additional year in first fill hand selected sherry butts that have been seasoned with the finest Oloroso sherry from the prestigious Bodegas Lustau in Jerez.
– After a thorough revamp, and the use of Midleton Distillery, Redbreast relaunched in 1991.
– The brand initially founded in 1857 under the name W & A Gilbey. In 1874, the company held in stock over 300,000 gallons of whiskey. The first official reference to the name “Redbreast” appeared in 1912 – refers to the bird, Robin Redbreast (attributed to the Chairmen of Gilbey’s, who was an avid bird-fancier). – Redbreastwhiskey.com
The Dividend: August 24, 2022 – Single Barrel Night
“What is a single barrel”
Widely considered as the most unadulterated expression of bourbon, the single barrel is highly sought-after. While the standard bottle of bourbon is typically made with a blend of whiskeys from multiple casks, single barrel indicates the liquor has spent its life in just one. As you scale back the number of barrels in a batch, however, you invite more unique flavors.
Lineup:
Evan Williams Single Barrel(Heaven Hill – KY)
Proof: 86.6
Age: 7 years, 10 months
Mashbill: 78% Corn, 12% Rye, 10% Malted Barley
SRP: $30 (Kentucky Only – starting in 2022)
Russell’s Single Barrel – Private Barrel Selection(Wild Turkey – KY)
Proof: 110
Age: 8 years, 11 months
Mashbill: 75% Corn, 13% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
SRP: $60
Elijah Craig Private Barrel(Heaven Hill – KY)
Proof: 126
Age: 10 years
Mashbill: 78% corn, 10% Rye, 12% Malted Barley
SRP: $80
Fun Facts:
Evan Williams Single Barrel Vintage – Barrel #951
Evan Williams Single Barrel is the only vintage dated single barrel Bourbon on the market. Like the way vintage wines are selected, the distillers hand-select individual barrels that meet the specifications they’ve established. Then each bottle is marked with the vintage date it was put into oak, along with the year it was bottled and the exact barrel number of the single barrel that the bourbon was drawn from. Yearly release.
A five-time winner of “Whiskey of the Year,”
Russell’s Single Barrel Selection – Selected by Fine Wine & Good Spirits
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel is part of Wild Turkey’s Russell’s Reserve line named in honor of Jimmy and Eddie Russell, the father-son master distiller team that have a combined tenure at Wild Turkey more than 100 years.
Russell’s Reserve Single Barrel Bourbon is matured in No. 4 “alligator” char, American White Oak barrels
Barrels that exhibit the unique Russell’s Reserve flavor profile often come from the center cut – or “sweet spot” within the rickhouse.
Elijah Craig Single Barrel (Private Barrel – Weaver’s Liquors 2022): Barrel serial number – 6071269
The regular releases of Elijah Craig Barrel Proof Bourbon are small batches and bear a 12-year age statement. The Private Barrels tend to be a bit younger, and typically 8 years old and up, with most in the 9 to 10-year range.
Being single barrels, they are going to have some unique characteristics, but follow the usual ECBP flavors.
Mashbill: Undisclosed (blend of straight bourbons)
SRP: $75
Bulleit 10 – Bulleit Distilling Co (Louisville, KY)
Proof: 91.2
Age: 10 years
Mashbill: 68% Corn, 28% Rye, 4% Malted Barley
SRP: $50
Fun Facts:
Eagle Rare
Eagle Rare uses the #1 Mashbill from Buffalo Trace, which is thought to be a low rye mash bill consisting of 10% or less rye.
Removed the “single barrel” label due to BT shifting to an automated bottling line – thus creating the possibility that a bottle could technically contain a bourbon from two different barrels when the line switches from one barrel to the next.
Widow Jane 10 – Batch #193 Bottle #171 (2020)
Widow Jane Distillery was founded in 2012
The whiskey gets its name because the company uses water that comes from the Widow Jane Mines in Rosendale, NY. The bourbon is produced in Kentucky and brought to New York for proofing and bottling.
The distillery began life as a chocolate factory, where the team made excellent chocolate from beans sourced from the Dominican Republic.
Bulleit 10
In the early 1800s, Tavern keeper Augustus Bulleit started making small batches of Bourbon in Louisville, Kentucky, which were soon sold throughout Kentucky and Indiana. In 1987, Thomas E. Bulleit, Jr. revived the family business and opened the Bulleit Distilling Company.
Bulleit 10 was launched in 2013
The mash bill used to be ⅔ rye and ⅓ corn — today it’s about ⅔ corn and ⅓ rye.
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