American Whiskey Report December 2024
American Whiskey Report Dec 2024
Wishing everyone a happy holiday season! My colleague, Robert Haynes-Peterson, has put together an excellent holiday gift guide this year as well as a guide for all the great Advent calendars. December marks the 8th American Whiskey Report and the final one for the 2024. We hope you’ve enjoyed these missives. Now on to the American whiskey news you can use!
Product Releases
Milam & Greene
Milam & Greene’s wildlife series has a new single barrel release supporting the Cooper’s Hawk.
Westland has released its 9th edition of the popular Garryana Oak American Single Malt.
George Remus, the famous wife murderer with a whiskey named for him, has a new Gatsby Reserve whiskey on the market.
A. Smith Bowman has a new experimental oak series on the market — Abraham Bowman Oak Series: American Oak.
Townie Regular Bourbon Whiskey and Townie Fine Rye Whiskey
Bluebird Distilling has released Townie Whiskey with three SKUs: Regular Townie Bourbon, Fine Townie Rye, and First-Class Townie Bourbon.
The Obscure Rites of Fall Rye is a new release from California’s The Obscure Distillery. This release is matured using Chestnut wood trimmings.
The World Whiskey Society has a hazmat-proof 13-year Wyatt Earp American Whiskey on the market.
Michter’s is releasing its coveted 20-year Bourbon after a two year hiatus.
Laws Whiskey House has two popular releases back on shelves this fall — Laws Hoey Cask Finished Bourbon and Laws Four Grain Bourbon Finished in a Cognac Foeder.
Distillery of Modern Art has two new whiskeys out, a Bourbon made from white corn and Wrens Abruzzi rye and a rye whiskey made from different proportions of the same grains.
Chattanooga Whiskey’s latest experimental release batch 041 is a flavored whiskey infused with persimmons.
Four Roses Single Barrel Collection
Four Roses, famous for its ten Bourbon recipes and counting, is releasing mass-market single barrels of its OBSF, OESK, and OESO recipes in addition to the standard OBSV.
Tattersail has released two new bottled-in-bond whiskeys, a 7-year BiB rye whiskey and a 6-year BiB wheated Bourbon, both the oldest releases from this distillery yet.
New Riff has released Winter Whiskey with a mash bill of 65% corn, 20% malted oats, 7% pale ale malt, 5% steel cut raw oats, and 3% chocolate malt. It is 4 years old and Bottled-in-Bond.
Elijah Craig has released Craig Nog, a top-shelf ready-to-drink eggnog featuring Elijah Craig Bourbon.
Old Forester 117 Series
Old Forester has a new product out celebrating the 91st anniversary of Repeal Day — Warehouse I, an 11-year Bourbon in the 117 Series.
High West has a tequila-finished whiskey out, The Noble Share, in partnership with Casa Noble Tequila. The whiskey combines MGP 95-5 rye and High West’s 80% rye, 20% malted rye.
Woodford Reserve has a Double Oaked collab with Compartes chocolate out this month.
People News
Ken Lewis
Ken Lewis, Founder of New Riff Distillery, is the new Board Chair for the Kentucky Distillers’ Association’s 2025 Board of Directors. Other 2025 Board members include:Bardstown Bourbon Co.: Mark Erwin, President and CEO
□ Castle & Key Distillery: Will Arvin, Co-Founder
□ Diageo North America: Antoine Smith, Vice President of Distillation and Maturation North America
□ Four Roses Distillery: Ryan Ashley, Chief Operations Officer
□ Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.: Robert G. Downing III, Senior Corporate Counsel
□ Lux Row Distillers: Erika Lapish, Vice President of Human Resources
□ Michter’s Distillery: Andrea Wilson, Chief Operating Officer & Master of Maturation
□ Suntory Global Spirits: Crady deGolian, Director of Public Affairs
□ Whiskey House of Kentucky: David Mandell, Co-Founder and CEO
□ Wild Turkey Distillery: Marco Barassi, Campari Government Relations and Sustainability Director, North America
□ Willett Distillery: Britt Kulsveen, President
□ White Dog Trading & Storage: Tyler Harris, President Castle & Key Distillery: Will Arvin, Co-Founder
□ Diageo North America: Antoine Smith, Vice President of Distillation and Maturation North America
□ Four Roses Distillery: Ryan Ashley, Chief Operations Officer
□ Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc.: Robert G. Downing III, Senior Corporate Counsel
□ Lux Row Distillers: Erika Lapish, Vice President of Human Resources
□ Michter’s Distillery: Andrea Wilson, Chief Operating Officer & Master of Maturation
□ Suntory Global Spirits: Crady deGolian, Director of Public Affairs
□ Whiskey House of Kentucky: David Mandell, Co-Founder and CEO
□ Wild Turkey Distillery: Marco Barassi, Campari Government Relations and Sustainability Director, North America
□ Willett Distillery: Britt Kulsveen, President
□ White Dog Trading & Storage: Tyler Harris, President
Blake Layfield, Master Distiller of Maker’s Mark
Blake Layfield, formerly the Senior Director of Innovation, has been named Master Distiller of Maker’s Mark after the departure of Denny Potter in 2023. Beth Buckner will be Lead Blender for the company.
Other News
The Kentucky Bourbon Festival is raffling off three lots of its single barrels thru December 14.
DISCUS President Chris Swonger has released a statement ahead of next month’s Presidential swearing-in related to widespread fears about the reinstatement of retaliatory tariffs on distilled spirits. He says, “We appreciate President-elect Trump’s goal to protect the American people and U.S. jobs. Our industry has been weighed down by retaliatory tariffs as part of unrelated trade disputes since 2018, which crashed our exports harming thousands of distillers and their farmers across the United States. We are now currently facing the threat of a devastating 50% tariff on American whiskey by the EU at the end of March 2025. Imposing a tariff on Tequila and Canadian Whisky from two of our largest trading partners could kick off more retaliatory tariffs on American spirits to Canada and Mexico. Under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), Tequila and Canadian Whisky are designated as distinctive products, similar to Bourbon, where they can only be made in their country of origin. Slapping a tariff on Tequila and Canadian Whisky will not boost American jobs simply because they cannot be produced in the United States. The U.S. spirits sector continues to experience a slowdown. At the end of the day, tariffs on spirits products from our neighbors to the north and south are going to hurt U.S. consumers and lead to job losses across the U.S. hospitality industry just as these businesses continue their long recovery from the pandemic. As President-elect Trump comes into office, we urge all governments to work together to reach an agreement that ensures tariffs are not imposed on spirits products.”
Bob Dylan’s Heaven’s Door whiskey brand has sponsored a biopic about Bob Dylan’s life called “A Complete Unknown,” which will appear in theaters on December 25th. There will be a premiere party at The Last Refuge in Louisville, Kentucky on December 18 at 4:30 p.m., which is open to the public. Guests of the party will be entered for a chance to win 5 sets of 2 tickets each to the movie premiere later that evening at nearby Baxter Avenue Theater.
The Bourbon Capital Guild is holding a lottery for new members. Membership is $375/year and the club is capped at 175 total members.