Looking for a new bourbon? Here are three new releases you should try this month
Kentucky’s distilleries are constantly launching new products and April is no different.
Keeneland and Maker's Mark has launched a collaborative bottle series celebrating thoroughbred racing’s most iconic horses, J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery has released its highly anticipated Combat Infantry Badge Bourbon and more.
Here are three new bourbon products to try this month:
Keeneland, Maker's Mark launch bourbon to celebrate horseracing
Keeneland and Maker’s Mark announced a new chapter in their longstanding partnership with the launch of Greats of the Gate, a 10-year commemorative bottle series celebrating thoroughbred racing’s most iconic horses, featuring a different horse each year.
The inaugural bottle of Greats of the Gate will be released in October at select Kentucky retailers and will honor the legendary Lexington-foaled Man o' War, who competed from 1919 to 1920, winning 20 of 21 races, including the Preakness and Belmont Stakes, while establishing seven track records for speed over various distances.
The limited-edition bottle features an illustration by Kentucky artist Tyler Robertson wrapping around the bottle in yellow and black, the racing colors for Man o’ War. The horse is shown on both sides of the bottle in streaks of yellow to connote him coming around the final turn and heading down the stretch to the finish. The bottle’s crown will be dipped in bright yellow wax and topped with a black silk ribbon.
“Keeneland and Maker’s Mark have a rich history of working hand-in-hand to support organizations making an impact in Kentucky,” Rob Samuels, managing director of Maker’s Mark and eighth-generation whisky maker, said in a news release.
Proceeds from each year’s “Greats of the Gate” bottle will benefit nonprofits that support Kentucky culture, including the horseracing industry, hospitality, and the arts. Over the 10 years, Keeneland and Maker’s Mark are committed to raising $4 million for various Kentucky nonprofit organizations through this bottle series.
For the first three years of the 10-year series, the “Greats of the Gate” bottle will support Kentucky Harvest, Arts Center of the Bluegrass, and Blue Grass Farms Charities.
J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery releases Combat Infantry Badge bourbon
J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery has released its highly anticipated Combat Infantry Badge bourbon.
The CIB Bourbon is the latest release in J. Mattingly 1845's CIB series. Combat Infantry Badges are awarded to Army enlisted infantry or special forces officers in the grade of Colonel or below who were engaged in active ground combat.
The 2024 CIB bourbon was aged for six and a half years and bottled at 116 proof. It has a smokey, brown sugar and banana nose with hints of sweet tobacco and baking spices. On the palate, expect banana, oak and brown sugar forward, with leathery oak on the mid-palate and a finish of sweet tobacco and baking spices, according to a news release.
Each year, J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery donates a portion of the sales of the CIB bottles to a military-related nonprofit. This year’s recipient is Forgotten Coast K9, a nonprofit organization that helps provide service dogs to veterans and first responders with the mission to stop suicide in those communities by getting them the service dogs they need.
“Throughout the year we have special releases that benefit many worthy nonprofit organizations,” Jeff Mattingly, chief executive officer and founder of J. Mattingly 1845 Distillery, said in the release. “The CIB release is always one of my favorites, as it honors Army veterans who saw combat on the ground, definitely heroes in my book.”
The 750-milliliter bottle has a suggested retail price of $1,500, is 51.9% ABV (103.8 proof), and is available on-site at the distillery, 20 Reilly Road in Frankfort, and online with shipping to 45 U.S. states.
Rabbit Hole Distillery announces second release of Mizunara
Rabbit Hole Distillery announced the second release of Mizunara, a 15-year-old Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey finished in the world’s most elusive barrels crafted from Japanese Mizunara Oak. Mizunara is the latest addition to the brand’s Founder’s Collection.
Mizunara Oak is a white oak that grows on Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. It takes between 200 and 500 years for this tree to reach maturity and only then can the most skilled master coopers turn this porous and delicate wood into barrels fit for aging whiskey.
Rabbit Hole Distillery Founder and Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame Whiskey Maker, Kaveh Zamanian, selected a handful of 15-year-old whiskey barrels from his collection and finished them in these special Japanese Mizunara Oak barrels, revealing a one-of-a-kind whiskey.
"When crafting Mizunara, I chose barrels from my collection of Kentucky straight bourbon, each aged to perfection for 15 years, and finished them in casks made of the finest Japanese Mizunara Oak for more than 11 months,” Zamanian said in a news release.
Each sip of Mizunara greets you with a nose of nutmeg, allspice, walnut and leather, balanced by notes of mint, honey, wood and orange, before filling your palate with a sophisticated mix of earthy and confectionery flavors. Tobacco and oak linger as hints of custard, banana and cinnamon give way to floral notes, then fade into dark cherry and a lingering chocolate finish, according to the release.
The 750 mL bottle has a suggested retail price of $1,500 and is 51.9% ABV (103.8 proof). Only 2,200 bottles of Mizunara are available for purchase at Rabbit Hole Distillery and in select markets nationwide. A limited quantity of bottles is also available online at rabbitholedistillery.com.
Reach features clerk Gege Reed at greed@courier-journal.com.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Maker's Mark Greats of the Gate, J. Mattingly 1845 CIB bourbon
