Sourcing whiskey isn't a new practice. Many distillers purchase whiskey to sell, and the mega-distillery MGP is one of several supplying wholesale stocks. The trend of combining sourced liquid with house-made whiskey is emerging at more and more distilleries, and the results are varied and inventive. These four bottles showcase the range of possibilities that encompasses craft blending.
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon—91 points,$60A blend of 60% house-made 2 year old wheated and high-rye Kentucky bourbon and 40% 11 year, 7 month sourced Kentucky bourbon.Notes: Cooked dark fruit, cola, chocolate, nuts, well-integrated spice, espresso, and oak
Smooth Ambler Spirits Contradiction Bourbon—86 points,$40A mixture of 27% house-made wheated bourbon and 73% Indiana-made rye-recipe bourbon.Notes: Oak-driven, herbal licorice, beeswax, dried peaches, forest floor, autumn leaves, and cut grass
Spirits of French Lick The Wheater Straight Bourbon—84 points, $45A blend of two straight bourbons comprised of 60% house-made 2 year old bourbon and 40% 7 year old bourbon made with identical mashbills: 70% corn, 20% wheat, 10% malted barley.Notes: Bitter orange, black tea, clove, baking spices, bitter chocolate, and baked apple
WhistlePig FarmStock Rye (Crop 003)—84 points, $73Combines 52% straight rye whiskey made at WhistlePig farm from rye grown there, with 48% straight rye sourced from Canada.Notes: Herbal, with hints of vinous fruit and spices and an abundance of oak
4 inventive blends to seek out
Bardstown Bourbon Company Fusion Series #1 Kentucky Straight Bourbon—91 points,$60A blend of 60% house-made 2 year old wheated and high-rye Kentucky bourbon and 40% 11 year, 7 month sourced Kentucky bourbon.Notes: Cooked dark fruit, cola, chocolate, nuts, well-integrated spice, espresso, and oakSmooth Ambler Spirits Contradiction Bourbon—86 points,$40A mixture of 27% house-made wheated bourbon and 73% Indiana-made rye-recipe bourbon.Notes: Oak-driven, herbal licorice, beeswax, dried peaches, forest floor, autumn leaves, and cut grassSpirits of French Lick The Wheater Straight Bourbon—84 points, $45A blend of two straight bourbons comprised of 60% house-made 2 year old bourbon and 40% 7 year old bourbon made with identical mashbills: 70% corn, 20% wheat, 10% malted barley.Notes: Bitter orange, black tea, clove, baking spices, bitter chocolate, and baked appleWhistlePig FarmStock Rye (Crop 003)—84 points, $73Combines 52% straight rye whiskey made at WhistlePig farm from rye grown there, with 48% straight rye sourced from Canada.Notes: Herbal, with hints of vinous fruit and spices and an abundance of oak
